Analysis of the Foreign Worker Patients in Plastic Surgery

ABSTRACT

PURPOSE: According to the data presented by ministry of justice, a number of foreign workers in Korea is approximately 700 thousands and among them 22 thousands are illegal workers. We would like to provide the basic information the foreign workers by analyzing clinical contents. METHODS: 1456 patients who visited the hospital were reviewed by nationality, medical department, gender and age. 62 patients have visited plastic surgery department and they were additionally reviewed by diagnosis, chief complant and operation. RESULTS: Mongolians were 388 cases (26.7%), followed by Chineses with 452 cases (31.1%). General surgery had 264 visits (18.1%) followed by internal medicine with 388 visits (26.6%). In gender grouping, 781 patients were males and 675 patients were females. Hand, face and extremity injuries were common in plastic surgery field but many foreign worker patients also wanted to take aesthetic surgery such as scar revision, blepharoplasty and augmentation rhinoplasty. CONCLUSION: It has been twenty years since foreign workers have come to the Korean society. In the past foreign workers were mostly neglected. However with the vast improvement in labor and welfare related services, demands for plastic surgery, especially aesthetic surgery are increasing among foreign workers. Therefore plastic surgeons' continuous interest in foreign workers is required.