Ewha Womans University Medical Center
Replacement of the aortic valve in the Republic of Korea typically costs from AUD $39,549 to AUD $61,752. The final price depends on the surgical approach, the prosthetic valve type, and the clinic location. Patients save around 38% by travelling to South Korea from Australia, where this procedure costs AUD $81,179 on average. Standard inclusions cover pre-operative cardiac screenings, the prosthetic valve, surgeon fees, and hospital stay.
Bookimed Expert Insight: South Korea offers a unique balance of high-volume expertise and digital safety. Large facilities like Asan Medical Center perform 45% of the country’s heart transplants. This massive clinical experience often leads to smoother outcomes. Some centres, such as Seoul National University Bundang Hospital, use the BESTcare digital system. This technology specifically prevents medical errors to improve patient safety during complex cardiac recoveries.
| Republic of Korea | Thailand | Turkey | |
| Replacement of the aortic valve | from AUD $39,549 | from AUD $41,630 | from AUD $16,652 |
No hidden fees – just official clinic prices. Pay at the clinic for Replacement of the aortic valve upon arrival and use a flexible instalment plan if needed.
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Professor Kim Ki-bong specializes in CABG, valve surgery, atrial fibrillation, and heart transplantation. He is Director of the Cardiac Surgery and Cardiovascular Centers at Myongji Hospital. He pioneered advanced coronary bypass in Korea. He has extensive OPCAB experience and works on the TECAB team using the da Vinci Xi.
In 2025, his team performed Korea’s first totally endoscopic CABG without cardiopulmonary bypass. In August 2026, they achieved the nation’s first multivessel TECAB.
He is former Chair of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery at Seoul National University College of Medicine. He is also former Chief of the same department at Seoul National University Hospital. He serves on the Editorial Board of The Annals of Thoracic Surgery. He is a member of AATS, STS, and EACTS. He is a past President of the Korean Societies of Coronary Artery Surgery, Surgical Treatment of Arrhythmias, and Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery. His research includes 130+ international and 140+ Korean papers. He has given 80+ international and 80+ Korean lectures. He earned his MD, Master’s, and PhD at Seoul National University.
South Korean hospitals maintain high success rates for aortic valve replacement, with surgical mortality as low as 0.8% for isolated procedures. Major centres like Asan Medical Center achieve procedural success rates exceeding 99% for transcatheter implants (TAVI). They perform over 2,400 open heart surgeries annually.
Bookimed Expert Insight: Success rates in Seoul are heavily driven by surgical volume. Centres like Asan Medical Center perform 55,000+ surgeries yearly. Data shows high-volume clinics achieve a 1-year mortality rate of 4.9%. In contrast, lower-volume facilities often see higher risks for this complex procedure.
Patient Consensus: Patients in South Korea report feeling secure due to the highly digitised hospitals and attentive staff. Many notice that recovery is faster because surgeons prioritised minimally invasive techniques for their valve replacement.
Choosing the right aortic valve in South Korea depends on age and lifestyle. Mechanical valves last a lifetime but require permanent blood thinners. Bioprosthetic (tissue) valves avoid medication but typically need replacement after 10–20 years. Specialists at JCI-accredited Seoul hospitals tailor selections based on long-term survival data.
Bookimed Expert Insight: Data from major Seoul centres like Asan Medical Center, which performs 55,000+ yearly surgeries, shows a shift toward bovine pericardial valves. These tissue valves show lower reoperation risks than porcine versions. Mechanical valves offer better long-term survival for those aged 50–70. However, many Korean clinicians now favour bioprosthetic options for patients on haemodialysis. This is due to shortened life expectancy and higher bleeding risks.
Patient Consensus: Patients under 50 often choose mechanical valves to avoid multiple open-heart surgeries despite the daily burden of blood thinners. Those over 60 in South Korea prefer tissue valves to maintain active lifestyles. They avoid strict dietary restrictions and the clicking sound sometimes heard with mechanical implants.
Recovery after aortic valve replacement in South Korea generally requires a 5–10 day hospital stay. After that, full convalescence takes 8–12 weeks. Transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) patients often leave hospital within 1–3 days. Traditional open-heart surgery requires longer monitoring in intensive care units.
Bookimed Expert Insight: Seoul National University Bundang Hospital performs 2,400+ open-heart surgeries yearly. This is typical of major Seoul centres. High-volume centres like this often achieve 90% laparoscopic or minimally invasive rates for complex procedures. This significantly reduces the initial 2-week recovery window for international patients.
Patient Consensus: Patients in Seoul found recovery faster with TAVR, returning to light activity in 1 week. Many experienced temporary hoarseness for 4 weeks. However, they felt fully physically capable 6 months after surgery.