Medical technology is gaining worldwide attention, shining under the spotlight since the 2002 World Cup.

At the center is Guus Hiddink, the former soccer coach from the Netherlands who took Team Korea to a historic fourth place finish that year. To the man who instilled in us hopes and dreams for the future of soccer, the nation has returned the favor, this time through the use of medical technology.

The former soccer coach has been suffering from a degenerative arthritic condition for more than a decade. His pain has intensified with aging and with the changes that brings to the human body, and as of last winter it was hard for him to even just stretch his right knee.

Recently, however, he has been spotted playing golf and soccer. The recent stem cell-based treatment, called total knee arthroplasty, he received in Korea, his second home, has made it possible for him to do so. He opted for knee replacement surgery instead of artificial joint surgery, as was recommended in Europe.

Hiddink started consultations with Dr. Song Joon-seop, head doctor of the Korean soccer team, in June 2013. He decided to have a stem cell-based surgery in October that year and, finally, he visited Korea to receive his treatment earlier this year in January.

During the surgery, doctors used the allogeneic stem cell drug cartistem, a drug that stimulates the restoration of cartilage. It was invented by Medipost, a biotech firm. The MRI results he got six months after his surgery show that cartilage has been newly grown in the treated parts of his knee.


Hiddink is not alone in visiting Korea for medical purposes. The nation is widely known for its stem cell-based clinical treatments. Three out of four drugs on sale in the global market can be made in Korea. On top of that, stem cell-based surgery has been recognized for its effects on joint inflammation, as well as for its dermatological benefits.

Hiddink's knee surgery has made headlines in the Netherlands, too. Earlier in March, when President Park Geun-hye visited the nation, she talked about his knee treatment during a luncheon with King Willem Alexander.

The successful surgery received by Hiddink, however, means much more than only one individual success. It has changed the perception of people and athletes who have only relied on overseas doctors. Dr. Song explained that the successful Hiddink operation has helped to change the perception of star athletes who tend to go overseas for the care they need.


By Lee Jeong-rok, Lee Seung-ah
Korea.net Staff Writers
Jeongrok@korea.kr