SAM International Hospital is a multidisciplinary medical institution that opened in 1967 in the city of Anyang, Korea. The clinic cooperates with 24 medical centres from 18 countries. It has 450 beds, 23 speciality centres and 35 departments.
The hospital staff provides comfortable accommodations for international patients and their accompanying persons at the International Medical Center and hotel, which function within the clinic. The International Medical Center coordinators speak English, Russian, Chinese, and Mongolian.
In 2010, the clinic was ranked #1 by the Ministry of Health and Social Services for attracting foreign patients. For the same factor, it was ranked 2nd in 2011 and 2012. SAM International Hospital has been recognized as the best medical centre in Korea twice in a row at the Gastroenterology Symposium.
The specialists at the EMS International Clinic were the first in Korea to use endovascular chemotherapy. With this treatment technique, the dosage of the drug is significantly reduced, which in turn reduces the side effects.
Also, the urology department was the first to introduce the holmium laser – it allows to minimize bleeding, quickly dissect and remove tissue for diseases such as prostate adenoma, prostate cancer, and bladder tumours. The hospital has research laboratories, a clinical trials laboratory, and the Institute of Western and Oriental Medicine. The clinic is among the leaders in the development and research into the anti-tumour effects of immune cells.
| Basic check-up |
| 10 laboratory tests |
| Consultation with a mammologist/proctologist |
| Hormone tests |
| Echocardiogram, diabetes test |
| Oncological check-up |
| Blood test for cancer markers |
| Biopsy |
| CT/MRI/PET-CT |
| Consultation with an oncologist |
In the oncology department at SAM Hospital, doctors use the innovative HIFU technology – exposure of the tumour to focused ultrasound waves – as a successful treatment for prostate cancer.
Doctors also use chemoembolization to treat tumours of the liver and biliary tract. The method involves closing the lumen of the artery that feeds the tumour with an antitumor drug.
LHIPEC (laparoscopic intra-abdominal hyperthermic chemotherapy) technology is used in cases of metastatic peritoneal lesions. The essence of the method is to administer heated chemotherapy drugs into the peritoneum. The heat facilitates the penetration of medication into cancer cells and increases its effect.
Specialists at SAM International Hospital were the first in South Korea to monitor the immune index of cancerous tissue. It provides information on the status of four types of immune cells, which allows for a more accurate prognosis of treatment and minimizes the likelihood of recurrence.
| Immunotherapy |
| Histological compatibility test |
| Accurate selection of the latest drugs |
| Consultation with an oncologist |
| Recommendations for relapse prevention |
Doctors take an individualized and multifaceted approach to treatment, combining methods of Western and Oriental medicine. Traditional Korean medicine is aimed at maintaining immunity and reducing patients’ pain. It doesn’t influence the efficiency of antitumor preparations and radiation therapy, but at the same time, it reduces their side effects. Specialists at the International SAM Clinic use such methods as herbal medicine, acupuncture and others.
In order not to affect the immune system, a team of specialists use endovascular chemotherapy. In this method, the drug is injected into an artery that leads to the tumour. The drug goes directly to the cancer cells and destroys them.
SAM hospital cardiovascular centre is a medical facility that is recognized as the best centre for interventional cardiology in the southern regions of Gyeonggi Province.
Specialists diagnose and treat cardiovascular diseases such as hypertension, arrhythmia, angina pectoris, myocardial infarction, and others.
The specialists of the EMS Hospital Center have at their disposal an innovative device Angio (Philips Allura Xper FD20), with the help of which a wide range of surgical interventions are performed. Angio is used for percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (PTCA) to restore blood flow in heart arteries affected by atherosclerosis. The procedure involves inserting a balloon into a narrowed vessel to widen the lumen.
The EMS Medical Center includes the Women’s Hospital. The doctors practice a comprehensive approach to treatment, which is based on interdisciplinary cooperation between specialists in radiology and oncological surgery. Doctors develop individual treatment regimens depending on the disease, the patient’s condition and the need to preserve organ function.
The uterine myoma at the EMS Hospital is treated by uterine artery embolization. During the procedure, the artery feeding the tumour is closed with a drug, after which the cells of the neoplasm die. This allows doctors to avoid removing the uterus and thus preserving the reproductive function. Laparoscopic removal of uterine myoma is also an organ-preserving technique. Surgeons remove the tumour through small incisions. The method is used in cases when conservative treatment lacks the desired effect.
