Follow Claude T. Moorman III, MD (Godfather), Aaron Krych, MD, Lance LeClere, MD and Robert Magnussen, MD, MPH on their tour through the Asia Pacific.
Seoul, Korea
Anyoung haseyo (hello) from Korea!
We arrived in Seoul and were greeted at the airport by our hosts. That evening we had a traditional Korean dinner at Seokpa with Professor Hyuk-Soo Han. He was very patient with our (lack of) Korean chopstick skill, and did an amazing job teaching us the intricacies of Korean dining. Most memorable was having the opportunity to serve each other food and drink while experiencing the superb cuisine.
We spent the Tuesday of our stop touring Seoul with our gracious host Dr. Du Hyun Ro from Seoul National University. In the morning, we had the opportunity to view the DMZ. Words cannot adequately describe the powerful perspective that living history provides, especially when we descended into the dank and cramped Tunnel #3 under the DMZ, finishing only 162 meters from the North Korean border. We were reminded of the past tragedy and present unrest, but also hope for the future.
In the afternoon we focused on ancient Korean history with a tour of the beautiful Changdeokgung Palace.
On Wednesday, we sharpened our multi-ligament knee and shoulder operative skills with two of the true masters. We traveled to Kyounghee University Hospital with Professor Kyoung Ho Yoon where we were able to appreciate the concept of remnant preservation in detail with an ACL single bundle reconstruction, as well as a complex revision PCL reconstruction. We also observed the “Yoon technique” for single arm fibular based PLC reconstruction in two cases.
On the shoulder side, Professor Yong Girl Rhee reached wizard status for his exceptional skill on six rotator cuff repairs and twp reverse total shoulder arthroplasties!
On Thursday, we had the pleasure of meeting Professor Jin Goo Kim at Konkuk Hospital. He demonstrated efficient techniques for ACL and PCL reconstruction using a trans-septal approach, and a meniscus transplant. We spent a good deal of time discussing meniscus root repair and extrusion concepts between cases, as well as touring the Sports Center.
In the afternoon, we had the pleasure of meeting Professor Myung Chul Lee at Seoul National University. We shared an excellent program with lectures and discussion on posterolateral corner reconstruction, patellofemoral instability, cartilage restoration, and posterior shoulder instability.
Following the conference, we enjoyed an incredible Korean barbecue and observed the respect for Professor Lee during “mix the glass,” where a drink is poured and reciprocated for each younger surgeon with the professor.
On Friday, we said goodbye to our new friends—Professors Myung Chul Lee, Jin Goo Kim, Kyoungho Yoon, Yong Girl Rhee, Hyuk-Soo Han, Drs. Du Hyun Ro, and Park — and began the journey to Taipei, Taiwan for the next leg of our journey. Anyoung hee gyeseyo (goodbye) from Korea!
AOSSM gratefully acknowledges DJO Global for their support of the Traveling Fellowship program.