Hallym University Sacred Heart Hospital

Dr. Soo Min Ahn, professor of Pediatric Surgery at Hallym University Sacred Heart Hospital and his team have successfully performed the Heller Myotomy on a young patient with esophageal achalasia by utilizing the ‘da Vinci Xi’, the fourth-generation robotic surgical system for the first time in Korea.

The young patient was diagnosed with esophageal achalasia as he suffered from abdominal pain, nausea and diarrhea. Heller Myotomy, a minimally invasive surgical procedure to treat esophageal achalasia, requires preciseness and accuracy for a direct removal of lower esophageal sphincter which is very close to heart and liver.

Dr. Ahn used the ‘da Vinci Xi’ and performed Heller Myotomy and fundoplication to prevent the gastroesophageal reflux that could happen after the surgery.

By Ji Hee Hwang, Int’l Cooperation Team, HUMC (jihee@hallym.or.kr)