SEOUL NATIONAL UNIVERSITY HOSPITAL

Please introduce yourself briefly and tell us where you are from and your area of specialization.

[Photo] Fabrizio Tedone in front of Daehan hospital

DR.Fabrizio: Hello, I'm Fabrizio Tedone. I'm a surgical resident from Italy.

I'm actually in my third year of residency. And I'm working in the Upper Gastrointestinal Surgery Department in Verona, in northern Italy. I’ve spent 6 months here in the gastrointestinal surgery department. I arrived here in November. So this is my last month here at SNUH.

What motivated you to choose Seoul National University Hospital for your training in gastric cancer?

DR.Fabrizio: There are several reasons why I chose SNUH and this department. First of all, I spent 2 years in a gastrointestinal surgery residency. So I really wanted to deepen my understanding of gastric cancer, surgery and research projects. There is also a very strong connection between my hospital in Verona and this department at SNUH. So we are working together on various research and international projects related to gastric cancer and gastric cancer surgery.

Given this partnership, I had the opportunity to meet professor Han-Kwang Yang 2 years ago, thanks to my chief Professor de Manzoni, and my supervisor, professor Bencivenga. I met him in Italy 2 years ago, and I was very impressed by his warm welcome and the encouragement he gave to young surgeons. So I was happy to come here and meet him and his entire team.

How has your experience been at the Gastric Cancer Center so far?

DR.Fabrizio: Yeah, this is my last month here. It has been an invaluable experience. I’ve had the chance to learn more about gastric cancer surgery, improved my knowledge about surgical skills and took part in a research project with this team. And I also had the opportunity to attend different international congresses in Seoul and in Korea in general. It was a really invaluable experience. I'm also happy to be spending time in Korea - in Seoul as well. So yes, it was a very nice experience.

Were there any techniques, approaches, or systems you found especially unique or innovative?

DR.Fabrizio: Yeah, sure. I was impressed by their experience in minimally invasive surgery both laparoscopic and robotic gastrectomy. Even in difficult cases. And I also had the opportunity to see several procedures that we actually don't perform in Italy - or even in Europe. For example, the organ-preserving gastrectomy. It was very honorable for me, because I can’t see this procedure in Europe, or in Italy. So I learned a lot about that. 

What message would you like to share with other medical professionals considering training in Korea?

DR.Fabrizio: I really, really recommend it. Speaking about my experience — if you are a young surgeon, or even a professor, and you want to learn more and share knowledge with Asian surgeons, especially in this department, it’s truly a great opportunity. I was lucky to have it. I met many people and surgeons specializing in gastric cancer, and I learned a lot about new, advanced procedures I mean, that are actively performed here but not yet in Europe. It was truly a great experience. So I really recommend it.