Korean Job Discussion Forums

[anyangoldboy]

So I broke my ankle 7 weeks ago and its been 6 weeks since surgery.

Anyway I thought I would let you know about my experience incase any of you have to go to hospital for any treatment or surgery.

Short story - I broke my ankle/leg playing football and ended up needing surgery to insert 5 screws and a metal plate which cost 5,000,000won without insurance.

So I admitted myself to Samsung Hospital near Irwon station after going to the International clinic in Itaewon to see why my ankle was swelling so much and why I was in so much pain.

I actually went to Sun Hyang Cheon hospital near Itaewon but friends of friends said that the service there for foreigners wasn't that great and their level of English wasn't that great either.

So after being messed around there with them not knowing why I had been sent there even though the Internation Clinic phoned them I decided to go to Samsung Hospital. (This is the hospital where the football players went to during the world cup so i've been told).

Anyway went straight to the Internation Clinic in the hospital and they speak great English. Felt as though I could at least trust them to look after me. They said I would need an operation although they couldn't say how much it would all cost or when they would be able to operate until I admitted myself. I wasn't sure if it was right to admit myself in the hospital because they said they only had VIP rooms and they were 500,000won a night.

After a phone call to the parents I checked into the hospital. During that day I was told what would happen and when the operation might be. The nurses were nice but all they ever seemed to do was to take your blood pressure every few hours. The doctors were great and they have a lot of volenteers there to help as well. Even English speaking ones who come round on the weekend specially to check if there is anything foreigners who are staying in the hospital need. There were about 9 of us at that time.

The level of service seemed to be different here than back at home. Here you really need friends and family to look after you because if you wanted a sponge bath I don't think the nurses would have given you one. Maybe they would have if I asked but it looked like every Korean person there had family stay with them.

They have visiting times but really they don't. I had friends come and visit me until 12am. I had friends stay with me over night in all the rooms as well. I was in three different rooms during my stay. First a VIP, then a double (which sucked because I was stuck with a grumpy old Korean man) and third a dorm of 5 which I loved because the Korean families there did everything to help everyone else.

One of the families even helped feed me and helped me wind up and down my bed for me. I was on morphine so coming off the drug was like having a really bad hangover if I sat up or stood up. I had to eat my meals lying down for 2 days.

One thing to never do is to ask the doctors before they operate on you is how long they have been working for or how long they usual work each day. The response I got was that the resident doctors who also help on the surgery get about 4 hours sleep a day.

The only thing I was worried about was they way they explained the operation. Before they said there was a high % that I might have to have a skin graft if the swelling didn't let the wound heal properly. They said about 10%. That seemed pretty good odds to me but for them too high.

Also then I was being told about having to needles being stuck in my spine to knock me out for the operation was scary but the best choice over all. I've heard of people having worse side effects with general. I had the regional and it was much better.

One thing to remember is to take towels and toilet stuff with you because unless you buy it as part of their care package you are going to smell for ages. Just don't expect the nurses to be there to do everything for you unless you ask them. Nurses back home make sure and actually do stuff for you without asking. So make sure you have a good set of friends to help you and keep you sane while in the hospital.

Anyway if anyone needs any questions answered about staying in a hospital pm me and I might be able to answer a few questions if I can. Not saying I'm an expert but will just give you my story which might help a little before going to a hospital.

[Ya-ta Boy]

I agree. The actual Korean medical care is OK, it's the peripheral stuff that is kind of strange and takes some getting used to.

[anyangoldboy]

One other thing I might have fogotton to mention.

I would recomend going to Samsung Hospital. That's just my opinion. I mean having anything done in Korea is scary but they were the best and I had a great time in the hospital. It might be slightly more expensive than other hospitals but worth it if you want to come out alive or without a limp or whatever.