Can I get a liver transplant in Korea as a foreigner?

Living-donor liver transplantation is available to international patients, and this is what Korean centres do at the highest volume. It requires a willing, medically suitable donor — in practice almost always a family member — who must also travel and undergo evaluation. Deceased-donor organ allocation is governed by Korean national rules that prioritise domestic patients, so a living donor is the realistic pathway for most overseas patients.

Does the donor have to be the same blood type?

Not necessarily. Asan Medical Center runs an established ABO-incompatible living-donor programme with reported outcomes comparable to blood-type compatible transplantation. Whether it is appropriate in a specific case is a decision for the transplant team after reviewing both patient and donor.

My doctor says my liver cancer is inoperable. Is it worth asking?

It can be. Assessments of resectability differ between centres, and a high-volume liver programme sometimes takes on cases another hospital declined. It can also confirm the original assessment. Either way you find out from your records, without travelling — that is what the second opinion service is for.

How long would we need to be in Korea for a transplant?

Considerably longer than for most treatments — donor evaluation, surgery and post-operative monitoring for both patient and donor. The hospital gives a minimum length of stay with the cost estimate. We will not guess at a figure before the transplant team has reviewed the case.

The hospital issues a written estimate after reviewing your records, and it varies considerably with the procedure and the length of admission. MEDIWIN adds no fees to your medical bill — you pay the hospital directly. Important. MEDIWIN provides this service to patients residing outside Korea only . It is not offered to residents of Korea. MEDIWIN is a medical tourism facilitator, not a medical provider: every clinical opinion, diagnosis and treatment decision is made and issued by a licensed physician at the treating hospital. MEDIWIN translates and delivers your records to that hospital and delivers the hospital’s response back to you. It does not write, alter, summarise or interpret any medical opinion. Related: how to apply to Asan Medical Center as an international patient, and what treatment in Korea actually costs .

Real Cases, Real Hospitals

Ear Reconstruction Using the Patient’s Own Rib Cartilage

Before and after ear reconstruction surgery using the patient’s own rib cartilage — MEDIWIN case at a partner clinic in Seoul — Published with the patient’s consent.

Patient: international patient from Indonesia · Facility: SNU Plastic Surgery Clinic, a MEDIWIN partner clinic in Seoul · Procedure: two-stage ear reconstruction.

The patient’s ear was reconstructed using cartilage taken from their own rib and their own skin — the standard technique for rebuilding an ear’s framework without artificial implants. It was completed across two planned operations.

MEDIWIN coordinated the case end to end: reviewing the enquiry, submitting records to the surgeon for assessment, scheduling both stages around the patient’s travel, and interpreting at every consultation. Reconstructive work like this is exactly where coordination matters — the stages must be planned months apart, and the patient travelled from Indonesia for each.

Cervical Disc Surgery at Asan Medical Center

Post-surgery cervical spine X-ray after neck disc surgery at Asan Medical Center — patient identifiers masked — Post-operative X-ray. Patient identifying details are masked in line with privacy law.

Patient: international patient · Hospital: Asan Medical Center · Procedure: cervical disc surgery with anterior fixation, visible in the post-operative X-ray above.

Cervical disc disease that no longer responds to conservative treatment needs a spine team with high surgical volume — this is not a procedure to shop for by price. The case was referred to Asan Medical Center under MEDIWIN’s formal 2024 referral agreement: records were translated and submitted, the spine team reviewed and accepted the case, and surgery was scheduled around the patient’s travel and visa.

MEDIWIN’s facilitator registration is A-2022-01-01-4465, issued by the Seoul Metropolitan Government. A tertiary hospital like Asan does not sign referral agreements with unregistered brokers.

What These Cases Show — and What We Never Promise

Every case here is a real MEDIWIN patient, published with consent and with identifying details removed. We show the procedure and the process, not miracle claims: whether a hospital accepts a case, and what outcome is realistic, is decided by its physicians after reviewing the records — never by us.

What we do is the part you can see in these cases: routing the case to the right hospital under our agreements with Samsung Medical Center, Asan Medical Center and Seoul St. Mary’s Hospital, translating and submitting records, obtaining the written plan and estimate, and handling visa, travel and interpretation.

MEDIWIN has supported 6,000 international patients, including 500 serious and complex cases. More cases will be added to this page.

Start with a second opinion on your records →

Frequently Asked Questions

Q. Are these real patients?

Yes. Every case on this page is a real patient coordinated by MEDIWIN, published with the patient’s consent. Identifying details are removed, and identifiers on medical images are masked.

Q. Why is part of the X-ray blacked out?

The hospital’s imaging system prints the patient’s name and details on the film. We mask that area before publishing, as privacy law requires. The clinical content of the image is untouched.

Q. Can I expect the same result?

No two cases are alike, and we will not promise you an outcome. What we can offer is the same process: your records reviewed by the right specialist team, a written opinion and estimate from the hospital, and full coordination if you decide to proceed.

Q. Are all cases treated at the big university hospitals?

No — and that is deliberate. Serious and complex cases go to our partner university hospitals under formal agreements. Cases that a specialised clinic handles well, like the ear reconstruction above, go to vetted partner clinics. Matching the case to the right level of facility is the core of what a facilitator does.

Q. How do I submit my case?

Use the second opinion form at https://mediwin.co.kr/second-opinion/ with a short summary only. A coordinator replies within one business day with a private secure link for your records. Please do not send medical records by email or chat.