Dad Who Collapsed Two Weeks Before Son's Birth Saved by Ewha Daedongmaek Vascular Hospital

Cardiac Arrest in Wonju, Gangwon-do... Transported to Hospital by Helicopter and Ambulance
Emergency Surgery Performed After Preparation Before Patient Arrival
Meets Child via Video Call After Recovery

Ewha Aortic Vascular Hospital announced on the 28th that a family man with a full-term pregnant wife miraculously recovered after collapsing from cardiac arrest and was discharged on the 24th.

Medical staff including Song Seok-won, Director of Ewha Womans University Daedong Artery Vascular Hospital (center left), are celebrating the childbirth of Jeong Il-su (center right).
[Photo by Ewha Medical Center]

The hospital explained that the Ewha Aortic Vascular Hospital EXPRESS system played a major role in the resuscitation of the cardiac arrest patient.

According to the hospital, on the 28th of last month at 2 p.m., Mr. Jeong Ilsu (40 years old, male) suddenly collapsed from cardiac arrest while visiting a nursing hospital located in Wonju, Gangwon Province. After cardiopulmonary resuscitation by a passerby, he was transported to the emergency room of a nearby large hospital, but due to acute aortic dissection causing cardiac tamponade in a semi-comatose state, emergency surgery was required.

In such an urgent situation, contact was made with Ewha Aortic Vascular Hospital, which is capable of performing emergency aortic surgery 24/7, and the patient was quickly transported by helicopter to Nodeul Island in Yongsan-gu, Seoul, then by ambulance to the hospital. During the helicopter transfer, Mr. Jeong experienced another cardiac arrest and underwent cardiopulmonary resuscitation, putting him in a critical condition.

Arriving at the hospital in cardiac arrest, Mr. Jeong regained spontaneous circulation and underwent emergency pericardiocentesis, but his chances of recovery were slim due to his semi-comatose state. His wife pleaded with the medical staff, saying, "I am two weeks away from giving birth."

Targeted temperature management treatment was initiated, and all medical staff waited for Mr. Jeong to regain consciousness. Miraculously, on the 29th of last month, he began to make eye contact with the medical team, and emergency surgery was performed successfully, saving his life. While recovering in the intensive care unit and stabilizing in a general ward, his wife gave birth at another medical institution on the 17th, and he was able to see the baby's face via video call.

Mr. Jeong expressed, "I am very grateful to Hospital Director Song Seokwon and the Ewha Aortic Vascular Hospital surgical team for giving me another chance at life. From now on, I will quit drinking and smoking and live a devoted life for my family." He emphasized, "Once discharged, I plan to meet my wife and child in person and hold them tightly."

The reason he was able to save his life was not only because the 119 emergency medical team and the doctor helicopter medical staff all performed their roles but also because he was transported to a hospital equipped with an emergency surgery system for aortic dissection patients. Ewha Aortic Vascular Hospital’s EXPRESS (Ewha, Xtraordinary, PREcision, Safe AORTIC Surgery) system is a kind of fast-track treatment system. When a patient with an aortic disease contacts the hospital from outside, messages are sent to related medical staff and administrative departments, completing all surgical preparations before the patient arrives. Upon the patient’s arrival, they are immediately moved to the operating room. In cases where patients are transported by ambulance or emergency helicopter and require urgent surgery, they can bypass the emergency room and go straight to the operating room, securing the golden time.

Hospital Director Song Seokwon of Ewha Aortic Vascular Hospital said, "Aortic vascular diseases are a matter of life and time, requiring not only excellent medical staff but also optimal facilities, equipment, and systems." He added, "Ewha Aortic Vascular Hospital is prepared 24/7, 365 days a year with emergency surgery and intervention teams for aortic and vascular diseases, and has established an emergency delivery system including helicopters nationwide to provide the fastest and best treatment outcomes."

Mr. Jeong Ilsu is having a video call with the child he fathered.
[Photo by Ewha Medical Center]

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.