Incheon Sejong Hospital, which is the first and only medical complex in Korea (Chairman Park Jin-sik) grabbed the attention as it obtained Grade 1 in the coronary artery bypass surgery adequacy evaluation conducted on 81 medical institutions at general hospital or higher grade across nation by Health Insurance Review & Assessment Service (HIRA) in August 26 (Thursday). In particular, Incheon Sejong Hospital has confirmed that it is a medical institution with cardiac specialty in name and in deed by obtaining grade 1 for 4 consecutive years for the first time among general hospitals in Incheon area. In addition, Bucheon Sejong Hospital which is under Sejong Hospital Group became the first general hospital which obtained grade 1 for 13 consecutive years.

HIRA has conducted coronary artery bypass surgery adequacy evaluation since 2008 to ensure safe and high quality medical services for patients with ischemic heart disease and the results of evaluation are disclosed whenever the evaluation is conducted.

Ischemic heart diseases which have high mortality rate are represented by acute myocardial infarction and angina pectoris and they are the second leading cause of death in Korea in 2019. It is a disease where the coronary arteries that supply blood and oxygen to the heart muscle are narrowed or blocked, preventing sufficient supply of blood to heart. The main symptoms include the pain described as squeezing or pressing the heart, and the number of patients is increasing every year. The typical treatment method if coronary artery bypass which forms an alternative vessel, that is called bypass, to make sure that blood can flow to the other side when coronary arteries are narrowed or blocked.

The 7th adequacy evaluation was conducted on 85 medical institutions at general hospital or higher level which conducted coronary artery bypass surgery from July 2019 to June 2020 and Incheon Sejong Hospital received grade 1 after evaluation on items such as △ total number of coronary artery bypass surgeries, △coronary artery bypass surgery using internal thoracic artery, △ aspirin prescription rate at discharge, △ re-surgery rate due to postoperative bleeding or hematoma, △ mortality during hospitalization, and △ mortality within 7 days after discharge.

Chairman Park Jin-sik of Sejong Hospital Group said, “I am very delighted that both hospitals obtained grade 1 consecutively every year”. “Bucheon Sejong Hospital and Incheon Sejong Hospital have provided a wide range of treatment for ischemic heart disease, congenital heart disease, arrhythmias, heart failure as well as heart transplantation based on their unrivaled treatment capabilities and know-how accumulated for a long time. In addition, we operate a disease-specific heart rehabilitation program to provides systematic care from diagnosis, treatment and follow-up care. We will do our best to improve the quality of care to make sure that patients with heart diseases can receive excellent treatment,” he added.

In the meantime, Cardiovascular Center of Incheon Sejong Hospital is led by Park Pyo-won, who is recognized as the master of thoracic surgery in Korea and 8 cardiology specialists and 5 thoracic surgery specialists are doing their best to treat patients with cardiovascular diseases.