Lecture Note of a Thoracic Surgeon, Fifty More Years Ago

Kim, Won Gon

Abstract

The late Professor Lee CB (1915~1967) was one of the pioneers in the early stages of thoracic surgery in Korea while he was in charge of the Department of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery at Seoul National University Hospital as the first director from 1957 until he died of liver cancer in 1967. He was a graduate from the old Seoul National University, and he dedicated himself to the field of lung surgery after he joined the army during the Korean War, which broke out in 1950. Among his many contributions to pulmonary surgery, he performed the first partial lung resection in Korea in 1953. His lecture notes were recently found. These lecture notes for medical students were written by hand in late 1950s. Considering the content and form of the lecture notes, they are thought to have very significant historical value. The lecture notes were a total of 277 pages on general thoracic surgery and cardiovascular surgery with 75 self-drawn figures. This study was intended to facilitate a better understanding of the history of thoracic surgery in Korea, and especially for young thoracic surgeons. These notes may well contribute to the field of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery in Korea.