"Everyone dreams of a healthy life and old age" St. Peter's Hospital enters year two of its "specialized geriatric care"
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Gangnam St. Peter's Hospital 26-05-27 17:48Main content
A medical institution producing the finest results through what sets it apart as a general hospital and through its task force for care tailored to older patients,,
St. Peter's Hospital is a leading regional general hospital focused on spine, joint and cerebro-cardiovascular disease. Drawing on 31 years of history and expertise, it was upgraded to general hospital status in April 2023.
It operates 15 departments, including its core departments of Neurosurgery and Orthopedics, along with three specialized centers, and also has the Future Biomedical Research / Clinical Trial Center, steadily strengthening both its clinical and research capabilities.
As a general hospital it provides the essential care of the general clinical departments while also offering in-depth care centered on the spine, joints and cerebro-cardiovascular system, which gives it the strength of being able to meet a broad range of care needs efficiently.
To this end, its medical devices and in-hospital infrastructure — imaging and diagnostic equipment, radiofrequency treatment devices and advanced surgical systems — are also state of the art.
Another strength unique to St. Peter's Hospital is its professor-level medical staff, each a leading authority in their field, headed by President Yoon, Kangjun, a neurosurgery specialist with long experience and expertise in the spine and joints.
St. Peter's Hospital is led jointly by Yoon, Yeo Gyu, Director of the Thyroid Center (Professor Emeritus, Seoul National University Hospital); Hong, Seung Bong, Director of the Epilepsy & Sleep Center (Professor Emeritus of Neurology, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine); Lee, Choon Sung, Director of the Spine Center (former Head of the Scoliosis Center, Asan Medical Center); Kang, Jun Ki, Director of Neurosurgery (Professor Emeritus, Catholic University College of Medicine); Kim, Gyeong Su, Director of Cardiology (former Professor of Cardiology, Hanyang University College of Medicine); Professor SUH, Dae Chul of Interventional Neuroradiology (former Professor, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Asan Medical Center); and Yang, Kyu Hyun, Director of Orthopedics (Professor Emeritus, Yonsei University College of Medicine) and Kang, Seung-Baik, Director (former Professor of Orthopedics, Seoul National University College of Medicine), among others.
A research-minded culture of clinical study and academic activity has also taken root among the hospital's medical staff. An in-house conference attended by senior physicians is held every day at 8 a.m., where specialist opinions on patients' clinical courses and their treatment plans are discussed from many angles.
This naturally leads to collaboration across departments, stronger in-house treatment capabilities and a safer course of care for patients. The stable operation of the Elderly-Specialized Care Task Force (TF), now in its second year, is also grounded in this culture of collaboration.
As for what prompted the hospital to be among the first secondary general hospitals to launch an elderly-specialized care task force: the team was set up separately because the hospital had continually felt strong demand in clinical practice from very elderly patients who want active treatment.
Because St. Peter's Hospital focuses on treating spine, joint and cerebro-cardiovascular conditions, all of which are diseases of ageing, elderly patients have long made up a large share of its visits. Its clinicians have accordingly had many opportunities to treat very elderly patients in their 80s and above.
Because the very elderly are physically frail, most hospitals take a highly conservative and cautious approach. In other words, regardless of their own wishes, such patients often find surgical treatment hard to obtain and continue with conservative treatment for long periods.
As a result, treatment processes and infrastructure for the very elderly are not yet clearly established. In reality, however, many older people want to regain their health and quality of life through active treatment, including surgery.
One direct trigger for the decision to form the task force was the successful endoscopic spine surgery performed on a 95-year-old patient. The patient had multiple conditions and a history of bladder cancer surgery, and for that reason had been able to receive only conservative care such as medication and injections despite visiting several hospitals.
At St. Peter's Hospital, however, after rigorous assessment, discussion and review by physicians from several departments, it was judged that surgical treatment was possible. Close multidisciplinary collaboration then brought the surgery and treatment to a successful conclusion.
When this was reported, inquiries about surgery for very elderly patients began to rise sharply. That prompted a wide search for information on surgical systems for elderly patients, but in Korea there were still few examples of systematically established processes or systems for active treatment of the elderly.
Relative to patient demand, in other words, a kind of gap had opened up in actual clinical practice. Confronting this reality strengthened the conviction that treatment should not be limited by age alone, and led to the decision to launch a dedicated task force for the care of elderly patients.
To that end, a separate diagnostic process was built, including ADL-based care criteria, assessment of the Revised Cardiac Risk Index (RCRI) and advance verification against a frailty scale, on the basis of which the task force physicians make a comprehensive judgment on the scope of treatment possible. The surgical process is also finely adjusted to suit elderly patients.
The anesthesia team is also a formal member of the task force, further reinforcing safety, and the particular needs of elderly patients are closely considered throughout the course of treatment — from temperature control using a heated circuit and forced air warming to shortening operating times.
The single most important factor in running the task force smoothly is the flexible collaborative process unique to St. Peter's Hospital. Elderly patients with multiple conditions or a history of treatment for various diseases require a far more complex and integrated treatment plan than patients of other ages.
A single spine operation, for example, may require collaboration with Nephrology, Cardiology and Urology. It does not stop at incorporating a one-off piece of medical advice from another department.
Ways to minimize the risks that can arise in the course of patient care and to improve treatment outcomes are discussed closely on an ongoing basis.
The biggest result since the task force launched is that the number of visits by elderly patients has itself increased. A comparative analysis of patient trends marking the task force's first anniversary last year found that patients aged 85 and over rose 21% year on year, and those aged 90 and over by more than 20%.
The hospital is succeeding with a wide range of treatments, including surgery on the very oldest patients aged 90 and over. In September last year it successfully operated on a 100-year-old femur fracture patient born in 1925.
This year marks the third anniversary of the upgrade to general hospital status. As for the biggest change before and after that upgrade: because the hospital had already been treating a wide range of specialties and communication and collaboration among its physicians were already active, it is hard to say that in-house operations changed dramatically.
That said, with few officially recognized general hospitals in the southern Gangnam area, the hospital carries all the greater responsibility as a regional general hospital reliably providing essential and specialized care.
Clinically, the range of patients coming to the hospital has broadened considerably. It occupies the distinctive position of being a general hospital with everything from Internal Medicine to Obstetrics & Gynecology, General Surgery and an emergency room, while at the same time centering on the spine, joints and cerebro-cardiovascular care, and the hospital believes it is this expertise that has drawn a wider range of patients.
Its overall capacity to handle brain disease across Neurology and Neurosurgery is also being greatly strengthened. Last year it opened the Epilepsy & Sleep Center, equipped with state-of-the-art diagnostic capability for brain disease, and it has since steadily built up a testing and treatment record, reinforcing its standing as a hub for neurological care.
St. Peter's Hospital's vision as a ‘general hospital specializing in care for an ageing society’ is to provide the specialist treatment that an ageing era requires while growing into a major regional general hospital responsible for the stability of the community's healthcare.
Director Yoon, Kangjun set out his ambition, saying the hospital will strive to become a hub hospital providing prompt, attentive, high-quality medical services not only to residents of the Gangnam area but to every patient in need of specialized care for the elderly.
Source: Daily Environment Today (http://www.dkbs.co.kr)
St. Peter's Hospital is a leading regional general hospital focused on spine, joint and cerebro-cardiovascular disease. Drawing on 31 years of history and expertise, it was upgraded to general hospital status in April 2023.
It operates 15 departments, including its core departments of Neurosurgery and Orthopedics, along with three specialized centers, and also has the Future Biomedical Research / Clinical Trial Center, steadily strengthening both its clinical and research capabilities.
As a general hospital it provides the essential care of the general clinical departments while also offering in-depth care centered on the spine, joints and cerebro-cardiovascular system, which gives it the strength of being able to meet a broad range of care needs efficiently.
To this end, its medical devices and in-hospital infrastructure — imaging and diagnostic equipment, radiofrequency treatment devices and advanced surgical systems — are also state of the art.
Another strength unique to St. Peter's Hospital is its professor-level medical staff, each a leading authority in their field, headed by President Yoon, Kangjun, a neurosurgery specialist with long experience and expertise in the spine and joints.
St. Peter's Hospital is led jointly by Yoon, Yeo Gyu, Director of the Thyroid Center (Professor Emeritus, Seoul National University Hospital); Hong, Seung Bong, Director of the Epilepsy & Sleep Center (Professor Emeritus of Neurology, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine); Lee, Choon Sung, Director of the Spine Center (former Head of the Scoliosis Center, Asan Medical Center); Kang, Jun Ki, Director of Neurosurgery (Professor Emeritus, Catholic University College of Medicine); Kim, Gyeong Su, Director of Cardiology (former Professor of Cardiology, Hanyang University College of Medicine); Professor SUH, Dae Chul of Interventional Neuroradiology (former Professor, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Asan Medical Center); and Yang, Kyu Hyun, Director of Orthopedics (Professor Emeritus, Yonsei University College of Medicine) and Kang, Seung-Baik, Director (former Professor of Orthopedics, Seoul National University College of Medicine), among others.
A research-minded culture of clinical study and academic activity has also taken root among the hospital's medical staff. An in-house conference attended by senior physicians is held every day at 8 a.m., where specialist opinions on patients' clinical courses and their treatment plans are discussed from many angles.
This naturally leads to collaboration across departments, stronger in-house treatment capabilities and a safer course of care for patients. The stable operation of the Elderly-Specialized Care Task Force (TF), now in its second year, is also grounded in this culture of collaboration.
As for what prompted the hospital to be among the first secondary general hospitals to launch an elderly-specialized care task force: the team was set up separately because the hospital had continually felt strong demand in clinical practice from very elderly patients who want active treatment.
Because St. Peter's Hospital focuses on treating spine, joint and cerebro-cardiovascular conditions, all of which are diseases of ageing, elderly patients have long made up a large share of its visits. Its clinicians have accordingly had many opportunities to treat very elderly patients in their 80s and above.
Because the very elderly are physically frail, most hospitals take a highly conservative and cautious approach. In other words, regardless of their own wishes, such patients often find surgical treatment hard to obtain and continue with conservative treatment for long periods.
As a result, treatment processes and infrastructure for the very elderly are not yet clearly established. In reality, however, many older people want to regain their health and quality of life through active treatment, including surgery.
One direct trigger for the decision to form the task force was the successful endoscopic spine surgery performed on a 95-year-old patient. The patient had multiple conditions and a history of bladder cancer surgery, and for that reason had been able to receive only conservative care such as medication and injections despite visiting several hospitals.
At St. Peter's Hospital, however, after rigorous assessment, discussion and review by physicians from several departments, it was judged that surgical treatment was possible. Close multidisciplinary collaboration then brought the surgery and treatment to a successful conclusion.
When this was reported, inquiries about surgery for very elderly patients began to rise sharply. That prompted a wide search for information on surgical systems for elderly patients, but in Korea there were still few examples of systematically established processes or systems for active treatment of the elderly.
Relative to patient demand, in other words, a kind of gap had opened up in actual clinical practice. Confronting this reality strengthened the conviction that treatment should not be limited by age alone, and led to the decision to launch a dedicated task force for the care of elderly patients.
To that end, a separate diagnostic process was built, including ADL-based care criteria, assessment of the Revised Cardiac Risk Index (RCRI) and advance verification against a frailty scale, on the basis of which the task force physicians make a comprehensive judgment on the scope of treatment possible. The surgical process is also finely adjusted to suit elderly patients.
The anesthesia team is also a formal member of the task force, further reinforcing safety, and the particular needs of elderly patients are closely considered throughout the course of treatment — from temperature control using a heated circuit and forced air warming to shortening operating times.
The single most important factor in running the task force smoothly is the flexible collaborative process unique to St. Peter's Hospital. Elderly patients with multiple conditions or a history of treatment for various diseases require a far more complex and integrated treatment plan than patients of other ages.
A single spine operation, for example, may require collaboration with Nephrology, Cardiology and Urology. It does not stop at incorporating a one-off piece of medical advice from another department.
Ways to minimize the risks that can arise in the course of patient care and to improve treatment outcomes are discussed closely on an ongoing basis.
The biggest result since the task force launched is that the number of visits by elderly patients has itself increased. A comparative analysis of patient trends marking the task force's first anniversary last year found that patients aged 85 and over rose 21% year on year, and those aged 90 and over by more than 20%.
The hospital is succeeding with a wide range of treatments, including surgery on the very oldest patients aged 90 and over. In September last year it successfully operated on a 100-year-old femur fracture patient born in 1925.
This year marks the third anniversary of the upgrade to general hospital status. As for the biggest change before and after that upgrade: because the hospital had already been treating a wide range of specialties and communication and collaboration among its physicians were already active, it is hard to say that in-house operations changed dramatically.
That said, with few officially recognized general hospitals in the southern Gangnam area, the hospital carries all the greater responsibility as a regional general hospital reliably providing essential and specialized care.
Clinically, the range of patients coming to the hospital has broadened considerably. It occupies the distinctive position of being a general hospital with everything from Internal Medicine to Obstetrics & Gynecology, General Surgery and an emergency room, while at the same time centering on the spine, joints and cerebro-cardiovascular care, and the hospital believes it is this expertise that has drawn a wider range of patients.
Its overall capacity to handle brain disease across Neurology and Neurosurgery is also being greatly strengthened. Last year it opened the Epilepsy & Sleep Center, equipped with state-of-the-art diagnostic capability for brain disease, and it has since steadily built up a testing and treatment record, reinforcing its standing as a hub for neurological care.
St. Peter's Hospital's vision as a ‘general hospital specializing in care for an ageing society’ is to provide the specialist treatment that an ageing era requires while growing into a major regional general hospital responsible for the stability of the community's healthcare.
Director Yoon, Kangjun set out his ambition, saying the hospital will strive to become a hub hospital providing prompt, attentive, high-quality medical services not only to residents of the Gangnam area but to every patient in need of specialized care for the elderly.
Source: Daily Environment Today (http://www.dkbs.co.kr)