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Joint replacement

By Song Sang-hoA few days ago, a woman suffering from arthritis came to the hospital with her daughter. The daughter brought her after seeing her suffer in pain. Her legs were extremely bent outward and it seemed that she felt pain while walking. As a medical expert, I could say she had advanced arthritis but she kept complaining that seeing a doctor was unnecessary since she was okay. I managed to persuade her to just have an X-ray. The X-ray showed that she had end-stage arthritis. After a lengthy consultation, she decided to undergo surgery.I have seen many patients accompanied by their children saying they were forced to see me by their children though they do not feel pain. However, there were many cases where those patients turned out to have advanced arthritis. In particular, I see a lot of such patients in the winter when joint pain gets worse.According to statistics released by the National Health Insurance Service in 2011, the number of patients who undergo joint replacement surgery starts to increase from October when it starts to get cold, reaching a peak in December and

Jan 18, 2013
Joint replacement

Recipe for healthy blood pressure

Nutritional factsCalories 32 kcalSalt 0gSodium 10 mgCholesterol 5 mgCarbohydrates 3gProtein 3gFat 1g                                                                / Courtesy of Vita BooksIngredients (to serve 20)  You will need 300 grams of Chinese cabbage, 160 grams of radish, 160 grams of cucumber, 12 grams of red pepper, 12 grams of green pepper, 12 grams of “silpa,” or small green onion, 4 grams of sliced garlic, and 4 grams of ginger.To add to 1.2 liters of mulkimchi liquid, you will need 60 milligrams of vinegar and 20 grams of sugar.For meat broth totaling 1 liter, you will need 200 grams of beef, from brisket or flank, 200 grams of radish, 40 grams of garlic, 20 grams of Dong quai, or Korean angelica root, 20 grams of spring onion, 5 grains of whole pepper, and 2 liters of water. Step by step1. Soak the beef in cold water for around 30 minutes to get rid of the blood.2. Put the ingredie

Jan 18, 2013By Yoon Ja-young
Recipe for healthy blood pressure

Gangnam sees surge in medical tourism

By Yoon Ja-youngGangnam District, an affluent district in southern Seoul which became world-famous last year due to Psy’s hit song “Gangnam Style,” is becoming an increasingly popular destination for medical tourism patients from diverse countries who head to the district for a range of treatments.According to the Gangnam-gu Office, the number of foreign patients who paid for services at hospitals and clinics in the district was estimated at around 32,900 for 2012. This estimate is based on the number of patients who attended the top 30 hospitals in the district.The figure is up 34 percent from the previous year when around 24,500 patients chose Gangnam as their destination. About a quarter of these patients were from the United States, followed by China at 22 percent and Japan at 16 percent. Patients from Russia took 9 percent of the medical tourists in Gangnam, followed by Mongolia at 4 percent and 2 percent from Kazakhstan.By departments, 30 percent of the patients headed to internal medicine clinics, while 29 percent underwent dermatological treatment or plastic

Jan 18, 2013By Yoon Ja-young
Gangnam sees surge in medical tourism

(220) Visits of the deceased to our dreams

By Janet ShinAccording to many belief systems, dreams often tell our future by presenting images of pre-visional situations or with the appearance of symbolic figures including natural objects. It is not always easy to interpret what they are trying to say. But in certain situations, people notice instinctively what the dream is about.A family experienced a tragic incident as they lost their beloved son. He was the youngest of the family and was diagnosed with acute leukemia of an unknown type. They did all their best to treat him with all possible anticancer treatments, in vain and rather aggravated his condition. At last, they couldn’t help but accept the reality when the doctor said he tried every possible medicine and nothing further could be done.He was a devoted son and didn’t want to let his aged mother know of this despairing situation because she was very feeble and suffered from a chronic heart disease. The brothers and sisters just explained that her youngest son was still under medical treatment.It was when he lapsed into unconsciousness and the doctor advised

Jan 17, 2013
(220) Visits of the deceased to our dreams

Living as a female smoker in Korea

A group of women smoke outside an office building in Chungmuro, Jung-gu, Seoul, Tuesday. Female smokers say that prejudice against women smokers is still prevalent in Korean society. / Korea Times photo by Shim Hyun-chulBy Jun Ji-hye, Rachael Lee, Baek Byung-yeulSmokers are almost being treated as criminals these days and are shunned by others as if they carry some contagious diseases. They face tougher restrictions and are being deprived of spaces to light up.However, women smokers here have to confront another barrier ― social prejudice.As evidenced by the election of Park Geun-hye as its first female president, the country has come a long way in terms of gender equality. But there are still things that in people’s perception, men can do freely while women cannot. Korean society, heavily imbued with Confucian values, is still not tolerant toward women smokers, with many chauvinistic men biased against them.Of course smoking should be discouraged, regardless of gender. But the tolerance level should not be different for men and women. Smoking is one’s own

Jan 15, 2013
Living as a female smoker in Korea

Hippocratic advice: To do nothing can be good remedy

Shin Sang-wonKorea University Medical Center professorBy Shin Sang-wonRegarding the case of a thyroid cancer patient in the “On the couch with Dr. P” in the Dec. 29 edition of our healthcare section, professor Shin Sang-won at Korea University Medical Center’s Anam Hospital sent his opinion. — E.D.Hippocrates, the father of western medicine, said “To do nothing can be a good remedy." Derived from these instructions, “watchful waiting” is an approach to various medical problems where time is allowed to pass before medical intervention or therapy is used. During this time, close observation may be needed even though what most consider as medical treatment — drug prescriptions, expensive tests such as blood tests or x-rays, or surgical intervention — is not given to the patient. In medical school, “watchful waiting” is taught as an important therapeutic strategy.Watchful waiting can be used for a very broad range of medical problems, the most typical of which is the common cold. If a patient presents a runny nose, mild co

Jan 11, 2013
Hippocratic advice: To do nothing can be good remedy

Painful truths about menstrual cramps

By Lee Hye-junNine out of 10 women suffer from menstrual cramps. Some women bear it taking it as merely being annoying, but others can end up fainting on the street. They may also experience nausea, diarrhea, or headaches during periods. We all know over-the-counter medications are available. But it does not feel right to some of us to keep taking medications every month.“What if I get addicted to the medication?” “There may be something wrong with me.” “I need to fix it or else it might become chronic illness.” These are common complaints.Most menstrual cramps are natural rather than problematic. During menstrual periods, the uterine muscle contracts to help expel its lining and prostaglandin is secreted in the uterus — and pain may result from this normal female physiological function.The first choice of treatment is non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). These reduce menstrual cramps by decreasing prostaglandin production and menstrual flow. You start taking them as your period begins, or one or two days before you expect your per

Jan 11, 2013
Painful truths about menstrual cramps

Korean boyfriend

Dear Dr. P,I am a girl living in Hong Kong. I met my Korean boyfriend two years ago at a university in Japan. We finished our studies a year ago and returned to our respective countries, having been separated already for a year.At the beginning, I was very confused. I raised the issue many times that we should break up, mainly because of the language, culture barriers and concern that this international relationship would be met with severe objections from both our families.However, he said with confidence that his family trusts in him and his choices, and that they would eventually accept us. He said if we work hard together, everything will come out fine.His confidence and support helped me gain confidence, too. To prepare for the future, I am learning Korean, and am keen to learn everything about Korea. I am prepared to give up my well-paid job, my family and my friends here because I know I want to live the rest of my life with this man.Then in December, he came to Hong Kong with a heart-breaking message. He said that he cannot see a future for this relationship and that he has l

Jan 11, 2013
Korean boyfriend

Recipe for healthy blood pressure: Barley salad

To increase the intake of whole grain, it is better to eat multigrain rice dishes containing brown rice, millet, barley, adzuki beans or beans than just white rice. Whole wheat bread or rye bread should be chosen over white bread. IngredientsYou will need 20 grams of barley, 5 grams of green peas, 5 grams of kidney beans, 5 grams of soybeans and 30 grams of baby vegetables.For salad dressing, you will need 5 milliliters of olive oil, 5 milliliters of balsamic vinegar, 0.1 gram of salt and some basil and lemon juice. Step by step1.  Steam cook or boil barley.2.  Wash green peas, kidney beans and soybeans. Soak them in water and boil them.3.  Peel the soybeans.4.  Wash baby vegetables and drain.5.  Put ingredients for salad dressing in a bowl and mix them.6.  Serve beans, vegetables and barley in a dish with the salad dressing.This is an excerpt from “Best Recipes to Fight High Blood Pressure” by professor Chung Nam-sik at the Severance Hospital of Yonsei University Health System, the Nutrition Team at the hospital, and CJ Freshway, p

Jan 11, 2013By Yoon Ja-young
Recipe for healthy blood pressure: Barley salad

You are not Kim Yu-na

By Song Sang-hoI passed by Seoul City Hall a few days ago. The square, which is crowded with people during summer, had been turned into an ice rink. Especially in cold weather like these days when the temperature goes below zero. Ice rinks are popular among people who enjoy skating. In addition, as the figure skater Kim Yu-na has returned to competition this winter, I believe ice rinks will become even more crowded.However, it is my professional habit as an orthopedist to think about the risks of injury when I see children trying to move and balance on the ice rink. In fact, you should take caution as skating can cause various joint injuries including to the knees, hips, back, and ankles, due to factors like cold, the ice, skating blades and stiff muscles.Skating on ice poses a high risk of knee injuries. Many people slip and fall when they try and balance on thin skate blades. If you stumble forward, the weight moves to the top of the knees and can cause a shock to the cartilage. Damaged cartilage can lead to patellar osteomalacia where the knee joint fills with fluid or the cartila

Jan 11, 2013
You are not Kim Yu-na
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