Park Needs Months of Rehab After Surgery

Ex-President Park Geun-hye's shoulder surgery at St. Mary's Hospital in Seoul went well, and she will take two to three months to recover, doctors said Tuesday.

Park had been treated for about a year for pain in her left shoulder while in jail for abuse of power, bribery, coercion and leaking government secrets since March 2017.

"I believe she experienced difficulties in getting dressed, going to the toilet, eating and other basic daily activities due to the pain," said Kim Yang-soo, the surgeon who performed the operation. "Injections and other medications were unsuccessful and the surgery was necessary."

Park will stay in the hospital for rehabilitation. Doctors expect her to make a full recovery within a year, though further surgery may become necessary. If her arthritis gets worse, there is no alternative to a prosthetic joint.

About half of the patients who receive surgery for a rotator cuff tear, like Park, end up getting the other shoulder operated as well.