"You Don't Have to Travel Elsewhere for Treatment Anymore": Ulju County Hospital Successfully Performs Complex Orthopedic Surgery Under General Anesthesia

[Financial News] Public healthcare services for the more than 80,000 residents of southern Ulju County, Ulsan, have finally begun to bear fruit after years of anticipation.
Ulju County Hospital, which recently officially opened in Ulju County, Ulsan Metropolitan City, has reinforced its position as a locally self-contained medical institution by successfully completing a series of complex orthopedic and general surgeries.
Ulju County Hospital said on the 18th that surgery on a 58-year-old man identified as L, who was hospitalized after severely twisting his ankle on his way home, had been successfully completed. X-rays and an MRI showed that L had a right distal fibular fracture and a partial tear of the anterior talofibular ligament (ATFL).

Lee Jang-seong, the orthopedic surgeon who led the operation, precisely performed open reduction and internal fixation (ORIF) and anterior talofibular ligament repair over approximately 1 hour and 5 minutes, completing the planned treatment.
Chief Lee, who began his first day at the hospital on the 16th, successfully performed surgery under general anesthesia just three days later. This is expected to significantly reduce the inconvenience faced by residents who previously had to travel to downtown Ulsan, Busan or other regions for treatment.
Chief Lee, who led the orthopedic surgery, is a former orthopedic specialist at Hanyang University Medical Center (HUMC). He has treated patients in the Seoul metropolitan area for more than 30 years, serving as chief of orthopedics at Korean Armed Forces Capital Hospital, director of Sewang Hospital and medical director of Suwon Central Hospital. A veteran orthopedic surgeon and renowned expert in joint replacement, he currently also serves as a visiting professor at Hanyang University Medical Center. His arrival is expected to make a major contribution to closing the healthcare gap in Ulju County.
At the same time, essential procedures closely serving local residents are proceeding smoothly in the general surgery clinic, rapidly filling the medical gap in southern Ulju County. General Surgery Chief Kim Young-chan, a veteran in his 40s formerly with the colorectal surgery department at HUMC, has successfully performed numerous procedures under local anesthesia, helping local patients recover.
Chief Kim safely drained pus from the thigh of a man in his 30s who had severe bacterial inflammation in the skin and subcutaneous tissue, performing an "incision and drainage" procedure followed by wound closure. He also diligently performed an "excision of hidradenitis suppurativa," precisely removing cystic tissue from a patient in their 20s who had been suffering from chronic inflammation in a sweat-gland area. He methodically completed a "soft-tissue mass excision" for a woman in her 60s with a lump on her back, as well as emergency suturing for a patient with a scalp laceration. These procedures have created an environment in which residents can safely receive outpatient care and minor surgery at nearby Ulju County Hospital without traveling long distances.
Ulju County Hospital is a public medical institution established by Ulju County, led by County Governor Lee Sun-geol, with a total budget of KRW 50 billion.
To overcome the chronic deficits that have plagued existing regional public hospitals and provide high-quality medical services consistently, On Hospital Group Medical Foundation, which operates a large 700-bed general hospital in Busan, has been entrusted with managing the facility through the end of December 2030. The arrangement has drawn attention as a collaborative model that combines the stability of public healthcare with the specialized operational expertise of a private medical foundation.
Ulju County Hospital has also significantly strengthened its essential-care system by recruiting 10 veteran medical professionals of the caliber of doctors at major-city university hospitals, including Chief of Orthopedics Lee Jang-seong and Chief of General Surgery Kim Young-chan.
With a robust infrastructure for specialized surgery and emergency care—including laparoscopic procedures, joint replacement and arthroscopic surgeries, and a 24-hour emergency department—Ulju County Hospital is expected to establish itself as a dependable medical hub that safeguards the physical and mental well-being of residents in southern Ulju County. 

[email protected] Byeon Ok-hwan Reporter