• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.39 no.7 s.264
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• pp.544-548
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• 2006

Background: The purpose of this study is to evaluate the validity of a combined high saphenous vein division and sclerotherapy without sacrificing saphenous vein for varicose vein. Material and Method: Between August 2004 and October 2005, 70 limbs in 50 patients were treated by a combined high saphenous vein division and sclero-therapy. The operative indication is valvular incompetence of femoral-saphenous or popliteal-saphenous junction. Patients received local anesthesia and were treated by a combined high saphenous vein division, ligation of incompetent perforating vein and $1{\sim}3%$ sclerosant. Patients received 1 day hospitalization and applied in com-pression stocking for 6 weeks. Patients followed after 1 week, 1 and 3 months. Result: Mean age of patients was $50{\pm}11$. The female was more common. 8 patients was no symptom, another 42 patients complained of pain, heaviness and fatigue of limbs. The symptoms of varicose vein disappeared 1 month after the procedure in all symptomatic patients. 8 patients needed a adjuvant sclerotherapy for residual varicose vein on 1 week after the procedure. There were only minor complications such as hematoma (1), wound infection (1), thrombophlebitis (20), skin blister (10), hyper-pigmentation (1), and skin ulcer (1). Conclusion: We concluded that a combined high saphenous vein division and sclerotherapy without sacrificing saphenous vein for varicose vein is simple, less invasive, economical, and effective treatment for primary varicose vein, and it has a special advantage that saphenous vein can be used as a bypass conduit later. The method was selective in old aged patients.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.31 no.7
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• pp.643-649
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• 1998

Background: For the patient with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease requiring long-term oxygen therapy, oxygen concentrator machines are already widely available for use in home. In this study, we used mongrel dogs as test subjects to compare the functional efficiency and safety of the oxygen concentrator developed by our own research team with those of the imported FORLIFE(TM) machine made by AIRSEP Corp. Method and method: To test mechanical reliability, the concentrations of oxygen delivered were measured after 4 hours of continuous operation. Sixteen mongrel dogs were divided into two equal groups. Mongrel dogs in group A were given oxygen using the imported oxygen concentrator, and those in group B using the machine developed. 5 l/min of oxygen were given, after which vital signs were analyzed, arterial blood gases measured, and blood chemistry tests carried out. Results: After 4 hours of continuous operation, the imported model performed better, giving 98${\pm}$3% oxygen, compared to our model, which gave 91${\pm}$1%. In the animal experiments, oxygen concentrations were measured at the inlet of face mask 1, 2, 3, and 4 hours after continuous administration, and there was no statistically significant difference(repeated measures of analysis of variance p=0.70) between the values of 70.6${\pm}$2.5%, 67.1${\pm}$2.9%, 68.2${\pm}$2.6%, and 64.9${\pm}$3.9% that were measured from group A, and the values of 65.1${\pm}$4.8%, 65.2${\pm}$3.6%, 68.7${\pm}$4.3%, and 66.0${\pm}$5.0% measured from group B. Before oxygen administration, and at 1, 2, 3, and 4 hours after oxygen administration, arterial blood partial pressure of oxygen 87.2${\pm}$2.5 mmHg, 347.4${\pm}$29.3 mmHg, 353.4${\pm}$21.2 mmHg, 343.0${\pm}$28.8 mmHg, and 321.6${\pm}$24.4 mmHg, respectively, were read from group A, which were not statistically different (p=0.24) to the values of 102.5${\pm}$9.6 mmHg, 300.3${\pm}$17.1 mmHg, 321.6${\pm}$23.7 mmHg, 303.4${\pm}$27.4 mmHg, and 273.5${\pm}$25.9 mmHg read from group B. Nonetheless, the arterial blood partial pressure of oxygen values appear to be somewhat higher in dogs that were given oxygen using the imported oxygen concentrator. Conclusions: From these results the prototype oxygen concentrator developed appears to function relatively satisfactorily compared to the imported, established model, but may be criticized for the excessive noise generated and poor long-term endurance or consistency, which need improvement.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.40 no.5 s.274
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• pp.369-375
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• 2007

Background: Patients suffering with pectus carinatum complain of cosmetic problems when they stand and this in spite of wearing cloths. The standard surgical treatment of pectus carinatum is resection of the deformed cartilages, but the wide operative scar, post-operative pain and complications related with such an operation can occur. Therefore, we have peformed compressive brace therapy as a non-operative treatment for pectus carinatum and we observed the effects and the efficiency of this treatment. Material and Method: From January, 2001 to December, 2006, 109 patients wore the compressive brace for all day. The degree of satisfaction was evaluated after $6\sim9$ months of wearing the compressive brace. The degree of satisfaction was evaluated by a score of from $1\sim4$. A score of 1 was assigned when the status was worse, 2 when it was the same, 3 when there was partial improvement and 4 when remarkable improvement was observed. The degree of satisfaction was assessed subjectively by the parent if the patient was a child younger than middle school age, and the patients older than middle school age assessed the score themselves. Result: The mean score of the overall degree of satisfaction was $3.93{\pm}0.33$. Recurrence of pectus carinatum after removal of compressive brace occurred in 6 patients (5.5%) of the total 109 patients. But 4 patients of the total 6 recurred patients stopped wearing of compressive brace against our advice. The 6 recurred patients were re-corrected by re-wearing the compressive brace within 3 months after they originally removed the compressive brace. The complications were discomfort with initially wearing the compressive brace, which occurred in all patients, skin rash due to the compressive brace for 76 patients (69.7%) and skin discolorization with excessive compression for f6 patients (5.5%). The skin rash and discolorization returned to normal within a few months after removal of the compressive brace. Conclusion: This study demonstrated that non-surgical treatment with using the compressive brace for patients with pectus carinatum was effective, and especially for children and teenagers. Non-surgical treatment with using a compressive brace would be helpful for the patients suffering with pectus carinatum and who dislike surgical operations because of their fear about general anesthesia and operation-related complications. Yet long-term follow up is necessary to accurately evaluate the effectiveness of this compressive brace and the recurrences after removal of the compressive brace.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.43 no.2
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• pp.139-143
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• 2010

Background: Thoracic empyema remains a serious problem despite the availability of modern diagnostic methods and appropriate antibiotics. The condition presents in many different forms and stages that require different therapeutic options. Video-assisted thoracic surgery (VATS) has become increasingly popular for use in the treatment of empyema. Material and Method: From January 2005 to May 2009, VATS was performed in 36 patients with pleural empyema and for whom chest-tube drainage and antibiotic therapy had failed or the CT scan showed multiseptate disease. The perioperative clinical factors were analyzed for all the study patients. Result: All the patients underwent VATS, but it was necessary to convert to thoracotomy in one patient. The mean operation time was $90{\pm}38.5\;min$. For the operative evaluation, 11 patients were compatible with ATS stage III. The duration of chesttube insertion was $11.9{\pm}5.8$ (3~24) days. One patient did not improve and therefore this patient underwent additional open drainage. At discharge, costophrenic angle blunting was observed in 22 patients, pleural thickening was noted in 20 patients, both were noted in 17 patients and neither was noted in 11 patients. However, at follow-up, each of these changes was observed in 9, 7, 4 and 24 patients, respectively. All except one patient showed radiographic improvement. Conclusion: VATS is suitable for the treatment of early and fibrinopurulent thoracic empyema, and even in selected patients with stage III disease.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.43 no.3
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• pp.266-272
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• 2010

Background: Deep vein thrombosis (DVT) is a serious disease that causes life-threatening pulmonary embolism and chronic venous insufficiency. Anticoagulation is the standard therapy for DVT. However, the results of standard anticoagulation for treating DVT have been disappointing, so endovascular treatment is commonly performed nowadays. The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of an endovascular procedure for treating patients with DVT. Material and Method: We retrospectively evaluated the clinical data of 29 DVT patients who underwent an endovascular procedure between December 2006 and July 2008. We compared the results of the 29 patients with the results of another 45 patients who were treated with only aspirin and heparin. Result: The patient’s mean age was 55.4 years in the intervention group and 53.7 years in the control group. DVT occurred more frequently in the females. Catheter-directed thrombolysis was performed in 22 patients (75.8%). Aspiration thrombectomy was performed in 18 patients (62%) and a endovascular stent was placed in 25 patients (86.2%). Fifteen patients (51.7%) underwent percutaneous insertion of a retrievable IVC filter for the prevention of pulmonary embolism. In the control group, thirty nine patients (86.7%) were treated with low-molecular heparin, and seven patients (15.6%) who were contraindicated for warfarin were treated with aspirin. No bleeding complications occurred during thrombolysis or anticoagulation. We analyzed the statistical data according to recurrence of DVT and the incidence of post-thrombotic syndrome (PTS) during the follow-up period. The intervention group had a significantly lower incidence of PTS (p-value=0.008), but they had the same result as the control group for the recurrence of DVT. In addition, death from the DVT did not occur in the intervention group. Thus, we obtained better clinical outcomes in the intervention group as compared to those in the anticoagulation only group. Conclusion: Endovascular procedures are effective alternative modalities, as compared to systemic anticoagulation, for the treatment of DVT. But more studies are needed to determine the specific indications and to validate the long-term efficacy of endovascular procedures for the treatment of DVT.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.41 no.4
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• pp.447-456
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• 2008

Background: Caspase-3 is a cysteine protease that plays a major role in the process of apoptotic cell death. The dysregulated expression of c-myc contributes to the tumorigenesis in a variety of human cancers. The aim of this study was to investigate the expressions of caspase-3 and c-myc and their significances as prognosis markers in patients with completely resected non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Material and Method: A total 130 consecutive patients who had undergone complete resection without pre-operative radio-therapy or chemotherapy between May 1996 and December 2003 for NSCLC were retrospectively reviewed. The median follow-up period of the patients was 50 months (range: $3{\sim}128$ months). The expressions of caspase-3 and c-myc were immuno-histochemically examined, and these were correlated with the clinico-pathologic data. Result: The prevalence of caspase-3 and c-myc expressions in the patients was 68% (88/130) and 59% (77/130), respectively. Significant association was found between the frequency of the expressions of caspase-3 and c-myc (p=0.025). The caspase-3 and c-myc expressions were not significantly associated with the prognosis in all the patients. However, according to stages, a positive caspase-3 expression was significantly correlated with a favorable prognosis for patients with stage IIIa disease (median survival period: 35 months vs. 10 months, p=0.021). Multivariate analysis showed the pathologic stage to be significantly correlated with a good prognosis in all the patients (p=0.024), and with a positive caspase-3 expression, well differentiated tumor and negative neuronal invasion in the patients with stage llla disease (p=0.005, p=0.003, p=0.004, respectively). Conclusion: Caspase-3 and c-myc were frequently expressed in NSCLC, suggesting its possible involvement in tumor development. The caspase-3 expression, as determined with performing immunohistochemical staining, may be a favorable prognostic indicator in patients with completely resected NSCLC an advanced stage (IIIa).

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.41 no.4
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• pp.457-462
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• 2008

Background: Emergency airway access is essential when a patient has dyspnea that's due to tracheal or bronchial obstruction. Such methods as laser therapy and PDT are now being used for the treatment of tracheal obstruction that's due to benign diseases or nonsurgical malignant diseases. Cryotherapy is a method that uses extreme hypothermia for freezing a tumor to cause necrosis. In this study, we have evaluated the clinical effectiveness of performing endobronchial cryoablation through a flexible bronchoscope. Material and Method: 10 patients with tracheal obstruction that was due to endotracheal tumors were evaluated between May 2005 and May 2007. Eight were male and the mean age of the 10 patients was $59.4{\pm}18.4$ years. Three cases of tracheal obstruction were due to benign tumors and 7 were due to malignant tumors. The obstruction sites were 3 at the trachea, 3 at the carina and 4 at the bronchus. A flexible bronchoscope was inserted and the tumor was eliminated using a flexible cryoprobe. Follow up bronchoscopy was performed at 1 week and 1 month after cryoablation, and then we evaluated the decrease of dyspnea, the improvement of the performance and the complications of the procedures. Result: Complete remission was achieved in 4 patients and partial remission was achieved in 6 patients. Complications such as hemoptysis (100%), and cough (50%) were noted. Hemoptysis was spontaneously resolved in 3 to 8 days (mean: 4.9 days). A decrease in dyspnea and improvement in the performance was noted in all patients. Conclusion: Endobronchial stenosis plays a detrimental role in the life quality of a terminal cancer patient. Due to its simplicity and effectiveness for controlling bleeding, endobronchial cryoablation is considered to be a safe method that is clinically applicable to a wide range of tumors, including the removal of large tumors. We concluded that endobronchial cryoablation through a flexible bronchoscope is a safe, effective method for treating tracheobroncheal obstructions.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.41 no.4
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• pp.430-438
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• 2008

Background: All the patients with mechanical valves require warfarin therapy in order to prevent them from developing thromboembolic complications. According to the ACC/AHA practice guidelines, after AVR with bileaflet mechanical prostheses in patients with no risk factors, warfarin is indicated to achieve an INR of 2.0 to 3.0. After MVR with any mechanical valve, warfarin is indicated to achieve an INR of 2.5 to 3.5. But in our clinical experience, bleeding complications (epistaxis, hematuria, uterine bleeding, intracerebral hemorrhage etc.) frequently developed in patients who maintained their INR within this value. So, we retrospectively reviewed the patients with bileaflet mechanical heart valve prosthesis and we determined the optimal anticoagulation value. Material and Method: From January 1984 to February 2007, 311 patients have been followed up at a national medical center. We classified the AVR patients (n=60) into three groups as follows: an INR from 1.5 to 2.0 in Group I, an INR from 2.0 to 2.5 in Group II and an INR from 2.5 to 3.0 in Group III. We classified the MVR (n=171) and DVR (n=80) patients into four groups as follows: an INR from 1.5 to 2.0 in Group I, an INR from 2.0 to 2.5 in Group II, an INR from 2.5 to 3.0 in Group III and an INR from 3.0 to 3.5 in Group III. We compared the groups for their thromboembolic and bleeding complications by means of the Kaplan Meier method. Result: In the AVR patients, 2 thromboembolic complications and 4 bleeding complications occurred and the log rank test failed to identify any statistical significance between the groups for thethromboembolic complication rate, but groups I and II had lower bleeding complication rates than did group III. Thirteen thromboembolic complication and 15 bleeding complication occurred in the MVR and DVR patients, and the log rank test also failed to identify statistical significance between the groups for the thromboembolic complication rate, but groups I and II had lower bleeding complication rates that did groups III and IV. Conclusion: The thromboembolic complication rate was not statistically different between groups I and II and groups III and IV, but the bleeding complication rates of groups I and II were lower than those of groups III and IV. So this outcome encouraged us to continue using our low intensive anticoagulation regime, that is, an INR of 1.5 to 2.5.

• Journal of Food Hygiene and Safety
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• v.2 no.3
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• pp.109-119
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• 1987

This Study was conducted to provide fundamental data necessary for the improvement of milk quality. Milk quality was evaluated by 3 methods; milk fat percent measurement, methylene blue reduction test (MBRT), and somatic cell count measurement. At the same time, condition of hygienic management of dairy facilities and cows was investigated in each of 234 dairy farms located in Gyunggi area from May, 1986 to April, 1987. The results were as follows 1. Average milk fat percents among farms were 3.67%, 3.64%, 3.43%, 3.48% in January, April, July and October, respectively. The diUerences of milk fat percent from month to month were statistically significant (p<0.005). and the seasonal average was 3.56%. 2. Numbers of farms which produced bulk milk of first grade by MBRT were 153(65.4%), 157(67.1%), 76(32.5%) and 141(60.2%) in January, April, July and October, respectively. The diUerences among months were statistically significant (p<0.005). Also, significant diUerences of grade by milking quantity (p<0.05), presence of milk cooler (p<0.01), and collection means (p<0.05) were demonstrated. 3. Number8 of farms which produced bulk milk of fir8t grade in somatic cell count measurement were 227(97.0%), 226(96.6%), 218(93.2%) and 223(95.3%) in January, April, July and October, respectively. And diUerences of grade by the pratice of teat dipping, dry cow therapy and manner in which udder washing towel was used statisticaJJy 8ignificant (p<0.01).

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.41 no.4
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• pp.397-404
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• 1994

Background: To decide the optimal antibiotics and application of chest tube, examination of pleural fluid is fundamental in the management of empyema. Some criteria for drainage of pleural fluid have been recommended but some controversies have been suggested. Recently, newer radiologic methods including ultrasound and computed tomography scanning, have been applied to the diagnosis and management of pleural effusions. We undertook a retrospective analysis of 30 patients with pleural effusion who had CT scans of the chest in order to apply the criteria of Light et al retrospectively to patients with loculation and to correlate the radiologic appearance of pleural effusions with pleural fluid chemistry. Method: We analyzed the records of 30 out of 147 patients with pleural effusion undergoing chest CT scans. Results: 1) Six of the pleural fluid cultures yielded gram negative organisms and three anaerobic bacterias and one Staphylococcus aureus and one non-hemolytic Streptococci. No organism was cultured in ninteen cases(63.0%). 2) The reasons for taking chest CT scans were to rule out malignancy or parenchymal lung disease(46.7%), poor response to antibiotics(40.0%), hard to aspirate pleural fluid(10.0%) and to decide the site for chest tube insertion(3.3%). 3) There was no significant correlations between ATS stages and loculation but there was a tendency to loculate in stage III. 4) There was a significant inverse relationship between the level of pH and loculation(p<0.05) but there appeared to be no relationship between pleural fluid, LDH, glucose, protein, loculation and pleural thickening. 5) In 12 out of 30, therapeutic measures were changed according to the chest CT scan findings. Conclusion: We were unable to identify any correlations between the plerual fluid chemistry, ATS stages and loculations except pH, and we suggest that tube thoracotomy should be individualized according to the clinical judgement and serial observation. All patients with empyema do not need a chest CT scan but a CT scan can provide determination of loculation, guiding and assessing therapy which should decrease morbidity and hospital stay.