Soonchunhyang University Hospital International Medical Center

Safety Guidelines before your physical exam

General

Stop taking antithrombotic drugs and aspirin seven (7) days before your exam appointment. If you are taking this medication, be sure to consult with your doctor in your home country first before stopping it.

Stop taking vitamins, immune boosters, dietary supplements, etc., two (2) days before the exam.

METFORMIN (diabetes medication) should be stopped two (2) days prior to a CT scan. If you are taking this medication, be sure to consult with your doctor in your home country first before stopping it.

You should not take your oral diabetes medication on the day of your exam unless otherwise instructed by your doctor.

If applicable, take your asthma, blood pressure, and heart medications with a small sip of water in the morning of your examination day. Be sure to bring your inhaler or any medicine in a spray.

Patients with diabetes who are planning to have a PET-CT scan should inform us upon making the exam appointment for additional instructions. If your blood glucose level is high, your exam will be rescheduled.

Patients with metallic implants, such as a pacemaker, defibrillator, or other internal medical device, should inform us upon making the exam appointment for additional instructions.

Claustrophobic patients cannot undergo an MRI at the health check-up center. Please be aware that outpatient consultation/hospitalization is required for patients with this condition.

Gastroscopy/Colonoscopy Procedure Preparation Instructions

Seven(7) days before your procedure, avoid eating mixed grain rice (brown, black rice, etc), seaweeds, all raw vegetables, tough/fibrous cooked vegetables, beans, sesame seeds, red pepper powder, fruits with seeds, nuts, corn, etc. Inadequate cleansing may result in missed polyps or other potential issues, requiring a repeat procedure for a more accurate examination.

Avoid alcoholic beverages 3-5 days before endoscopy, as it may make the sedative ineffective.

One(1) day before the procedure, you should consume soft foods (porridge, clear broth, eggs, pudding, castella, milk, etc.) the entire day. Make sure to finish your last meal by 5-6 pm on the day before the procedure.

Make sure to remove gel nail polish(including transparent ones) from both fingers and toes prior to the procedure.

Make sure you drink plenty of water to prevent dehydration. Stop drinking water 3 hours before the time you are scheduled to arrive at the hospital.

If inflammation or abnormal findings are detected in the course of Gastroscopy/-Colonoscopy, biopsies or Helicobacter pylori test may be performed at the discretion of the treating doctor to decide. Additional charges will be applied for these tests.

If a polyp is seen, it may be taken out during a colonoscopy with informed consent. Depending on the size and number of polyps, the procedure cost may vary from 1,000,000 to 3,000,000 KRW. You may be hospitalized for 1 day or so, depending on your medical condition.

For infection prevention matters, your doctor may not be able to remove polyps discovered during the colonoscopy if food is still present inside your colon.

You may experience a sore throat or abdominal cramps for several hours or days after the procedure.