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Lee, Kwang-Woong

Seoul National University · Medicine

About the Lab

Professor Lee Kwang-Woong's research lab specializes in advanced liver transplantation techniques, with a primary focus on improving outcomes in living donor liver transplantation (LDLT). The lab investigates innovative surgical approaches—such as high hilar dissection and pure laparoscopic donor hepatectomy—to enhance graft and patient survival while minimizing complications like biliary stricture. It also explores expanding the criteria for liver transplantation in hepatocellular carcinoma, particularly in cases with portal vein tumor thrombus, aiming to identify prognostic factors and optimize patient selection.

living donor liver transplantationsurgical techniquebiliary complicationshepatocellular carcinomadonor hepatectomy

Research Overview

Papers
424
Total Citations
7,303
Papers (5y)
146
Primary Field
Medicine

Research Output Trend

Figures are computed from collected data and may differ slightly.

Publications per year (5y)
146total
2021
2022
2023
2024
2025
Citations per year (5y)
1,035total
20212022202320242025

Selected Papers

15
1
Article|153 citations·2006
Factors Affecting Graft Survival After Liver Transplantation from Donation After Cardiac Death Donors
Kwang‐Woong Lee, Christopher E. Simpkins, Robert A. Montgomery, Jayme E. Locke, Dorry L. Segev, Warren R. Maley
SJR Q1Transplantation

DCD livers from young donors with short DWIT and CIT should be given greater consideration in order to expand the number of available donor organs.

SurgeryMedicine
2
Article|88 citations·2004
High hilar dissection: New technique to reduce biliary complication in living donor liver transplantation
Kwang‐Woong Lee, Jae‐Won Joh, Sung Joo Kim, Seong Ho Choi, Jin Seok Heo, Hwan Hyo Lee, Jean Wan Park, Suk‐Koo Lee
SJR Q1Liver TransplantationOA

Biliary complications after living donor liver transplantation (LDLT) continue to be problematic. For reducing the biliary complications, the authors applied an intrahepatic Glissonian approach to the recipient hepatectomy. We called this Glissonian dissection technique at the high hilar level high hilar dissection (HHD). In this study, we introduced this HHD technique and evaluated its outcome in 31 recipients of a living donor liver transplant (LDLT). With total occlusion of hepatoduodenal lig

SurgeryMedicine
3
Article|85 citations·2016
Macrovascular invasion is not an absolute contraindication for living donor liver transplantation
Kwang‐Woong Lee, Suk‐Won Suh, YoungRok Choi, Jaehong Jeong, Nam‐Joon Yi, Hyeyoung Kim, Kyung Chul Yoon, Suk Kyun Hong, Hyo‐Sin Kim, K. L. Lee, Kyung‐Suk Suh
SJR Q1Liver Transplantation

The indication of liver transplantation (LT) for the treatment of advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is expanding. However, portal vein tumor thrombus (PVTT) has been still accepted as an absolute contraindication. We experienced an unexpectedly good prognosis in selected patients. Therefore, we tried to identify the prognostic factors after LT for HCC with major PVTT. Among 282 patients who underwent living donor liver transplantation (LDLT) for HCC from January 2009 to December 2013, 11 (

HepatologyMedicine
4
Article|77 citations·2013
Living-Donor Liver Transplantation Associated With Higher Incidence of Hepatocellular Carcinoma Recurrence Than Deceased-Donor Liver Transplantation
Min-Su Park, Kwang‐Woong Lee, Suk‐Won Suh, Tae You, YoungRok Choi, Hyeyoung Kim, Geun Hong, Nam‐Joon Yi, Choon Hyuck David Kwon, Jae‐Won Joh, Suk‐Koo Lee, Kyung‐Suk Suh
SJR Q1Transplantation

In conclusion, LDLT showed poorer outcome than DDLT. This should be considered to select optimal strategy for HCC.

SurgeryMedicine
5
Article|77 citations·2018
One Hundred Fifteen Cases of Pure Laparoscopic Living Donor Right Hepatectomy at a Single Center
Kwang‐Woong Lee, Suk Kyun Hong, Kyung‐Suk Suh, Hyo‐Sin Kim, Sung-Woo Ahn, Kyung Chul Yoon, Jeong‐Moo Lee, Jae‐Hyung Cho, Hyeyoung Kim, Nam‐Joon Yi
SJR Q1Transplantation

BACKGROUND: The pure laparoscopic approach to donor hepatectomy is being taken more often. However, few centers perform pure laparoscopic donor right hepatectomy (PLDRH) because it requires a high level of surgical skill. Studies reporting initial outcomes of PLDRH may prompt further implementation of the technique and help reduce initial learning curves at other transplant centers. This study reports performance of PLDRH at a single center with extensive experience of adult living donor liver t

SurgeryMedicine
6
letter|71 citations·2016
Optimal bile duct division using real‐time indocyanine green near‐infrared fluorescence cholangiography during laparoscopic donor hepatectomy
Suk Kyun Hong, Kwang‐Woong Lee, Hyo‐Sin Kim, Kyung Chul Yoon, Sung Woo Ahn, Jin Yong Choi, Hyeyoung Kim, Nam‐Joon Yi, Kyung‐Suk Suh
SJR Q1Liver TransplantationOA

Hong, Suk Kyun M.D.; Lee, Kwang‐Woong M.D., Ph.D.; Kim, Hyo‐Sin M.D.; Yoon, Kyung Chul M.D.; Ahn, Sung‐Woo M.D.; Choi, Jin Yong M.D.; Kim, Hyeyoung M.D.; Yi, Nam‐Joon M.D., Ph.D.; Suh, Kyung‐Suk M.D., Ph.D. Author Information

Pulmonary and Respiratory MedicineMedicine
7
Article|57 citations·2010
Tailored telescopic reconstruction of the bile duct in living donor liver transplantation
Seong Hoon Kim, Kwang‐Woong Lee, Young-Kyu Kim, Seong Yeon Cho, Sung‐Sik Han, Sang‐Jae Park
SJR Q1Liver Transplantation

Duct-to-duct reconstruction (DDR) of the bile duct has recently become the preferred choice in living donor liver transplantation (LDLT), but biliary complications still remain the most common cause of morbidity. We introduce our new technique of tailored telescopic reconstruction (TTR) of the bile duct for reducing bile duct complications in LDLT: the hilar plate covering the right and left hepatic ducts is bisected lengthwise through the right or left hepatic duct opening to make a funnel-shap

SurgeryMedicine
8
Article|55 citations·2014
Clinical outcomes of and patient satisfaction with different incision methods for donor hepatectomy in living donor liver transplantation
Suk‐Won Suh, Kwang‐Woong Lee, Jeong‐Moo Lee, YoungRok Choi, Nam‐Joon Yi, Kyung‐Suk Suh
SJR Q1Liver Transplantation

With the decrease in the average donor age and the increase in the proportion of female donors, both donor safety and cosmetic appearance are major concerns for some living donors in living donor liver transplantation (LDLT) because a large abdominal incision is needed that may influence the donor's quality of life. In all, 429 donors who underwent donor hepatectomy for LDLT from April 2010 to February 2013 were included in the study. Donors were divided into 3 groups based on the type of incisi

SurgeryMedicine
9
Article|53 citations·2014
Prediction of aggressiveness in early-stage hepatocellular carcinoma for selection of surgical resection
Suk‐Won Suh, Kwang‐Woong Lee, Jeong‐Moo Lee, Tae You, YoungRok Choi, Hyeyoung Kim, Hae Won Lee, Jeong Min Lee, Nam‐Joon Yi, Kyung‐Suk Suh
SJR Q1Journal of Hepatology
HepatologyMedicine
10
Article|51 citations·2010
Usefulness 18F-FDG positron emission tomography/computed tomography for detecting recurrence of hepatocellular carcinoma in posttransplant patients
Young-Kyu Kim, Kwang‐Woong Lee, Seong Yeon Cho, Sung‐Sik Han, Seong Hoon Kim, Seok-Ki Kim, Sang‐Jae Park
SJR Q1Liver TransplantationOA

(18)F-fluoro-2-deoxy-D-glucose ((18)F-FDG) positron emission tomography (PET)/computed tomography (CT) has recently been shown to be able to predict a poor outcome after liver transplantation (LT) for patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). However, there are few reports on the usefulness of PET during follow-up after LT. In this study, we assessed the efficacy of (18)F-FDG PET/CT for the detection of HCC recurrence after LT. From February 2005 to December 2008, out of 93 adult LT cases (9

HepatologyMedicine
11
Article|39 citations·2017
Evaluation of donor workups and exclusions in a single‐center experience of living donor liver transplantation
Adianto Nugroho, Ok‐Kyung Kim, Kwang‐Woong Lee, Sanghee Song, Hyeyoung Kim, Suk Kyun Hong, Kyung Chul Yoon, Hyo‐Sin Kim, YoungRok Choi, Hae Won Lee, Nam‐Joon Yi, Kyung‐Suk Suh
SJR Q1Liver Transplantation

The process of evaluating potential donors in liver transplantation is important to ensure donor safety and provide optimal recipient outcomes. However, there has been no report about donor exclusion rates and reasons for such exclusion in Korea. In this study, we aimed to elucidate the outcomes of potential living liver donor evaluation in a major living donor liver transplantation center. From July 2011 to June 2015, prospectively collected data of 726 potential donors for 588 matched recipien

SurgeryMedicine
12
Article|39 citations·2004
Cold-inducible Transcription Factor, CaCBF, Is Associated with a Homeodomain Leucine Zipper Protein in Hot Pepper (Capsicum annuum L.)
Sihyun Kim, Chung Sun An, Young‐Nam Hong, Kwang‐Woong Lee
SJR Q1Molecules and CellsOA

C-Repeat/drought responsive element binding factor (CBF1/DREB1b) is a well known transcriptional activator that is induced at low temperature and in turn induces the CBF regulon (CBF-targeted genes). We have cloned and characterized two CBF1-like cDNAs, CaCBF1A and CaCBF1B, from hot pepper. CaCBF1A and CaCBF1B were not produced in response to mechanical wounding or abscisic acid but were induced by low-temperature stress at 4 degrees . When plants were returned to 25 degrees , their transcript l

Plant ScienceAgricultural and Biological Sciences
13
Article|36 citations·2019
Long-term Survival of 10,116 Korean Live Liver Donors
Suk Kyun Hong, Sunho Choe, Nam‐Joon Yi, Aesun Shin, Eun Kyung Choe, Kyung Chul Yoon, Kwang‐Woong Lee, Kyung‐Suk Suh
SJR Q1Annals of Surgery

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the long-term mortality of Korean live liver donors using data from a national donor registry by comparing it with the mortality of the general population. SUMMARY OF BACKGROUND DATA: Although live liver donors generally have a healthy status, their long-term mortality has not been properly addressed in a large donor registry. METHODS: Data of 10,116 live liver donors were drawn from a mandated national registry of Korean live liver donors between 2000 and 2015. Matched co

SurgeryMedicine
14
Article|35 citations·2012
The Right Posterior Bile Duct Anatomy of the Donor Is Important in Biliary Complications of the Recipients After Living-Donor Liver Transplantation
Young Min Jeon, Kwang‐Woong Lee, Nam‐Joon Yi, Jeong Min Lee, Geun Hong, YoungRok Choi, Minsoo Park, Hyeyoung Kim, Kyung‐Suk Suh
SJR Q1Annals of Surgery

The anatomy of the RPBD of the donor influenced the biliary outcome in the recipients. A short RBD and a long caudal segment of the RPBD of the donor were significant risk factors for biliary complications in LDLT.

SurgeryMedicine
15
Article|32 citations·2011
Use of an upper midline incision for living donor partial hepatectomy: A series of 143 consecutive cases
Kwang‐Woong Lee, Seong Hoon Kim, Sung‐Sik Han, Young-Kyu Kim, Seong Yeon Cho, Tae You, Sang‐Jae Park
SJR Q1Liver Transplantation

Over a period of 2 years, we used an upper midline incision (UMI) without laparoscopic assistance in 143 consecutive living donor partial hepatectomy (LDPH) procedures, regardless of the graft type or the donor age, sex, body mass index, or body shape. Here we report surgical recommendations based on our experience with the use of UMIs in this context. The celiac axis (CA) depth ratio (the depth-to-width ratio for the trunk at the CA) was measured to define the shape of the abdominal cavity. A q

SurgeryMedicine

Research Areas

SurgeryHepatologyEpidemiologyTransplantationMolecular BiologyPulmonary and Respiratory Medicine

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