• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.31 no.6
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• pp.576-580
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• 1998

This study is to clarify the results of atrial septal defect(ASD) repair and mitral valve surgery through right anterolateral thoracotomy since 1989, and those of more generalized application of minimal invasive cardiac surgery since August 1997. We retrospectively analyzed the results of open heart surgery(OHS) through other than full sternotomy carried out until October 1997. There were 28 cases of OHS done through right anterolateral thoracotomy(17 cases of ASD, 4 cases of mitral valve repair, 6 cases of mitral valve replacement, and 1 redo mitral and tricuspid valve repalcement) which has demonstrated no surgical mortality or morbidity except only 1 case of reoperation for bleeding. During the period between August and October 1997, we performed near routine application of upper sternotomy or transverse sternotomy in aortic valve cases and routine application of minimal incision in cases with ASD and there was no evidence of early and late complications associated with this approach. We conclude that OHS with the use of minimal incisions is very safe, cosmetically excellent, and superior in terms of the amount of bleeding. The indication for minimal incision, therefore, should be extended afterwards.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.32 no.7
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• pp.686-689
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• 1999

Descending necrotizing mediastinitis(DNM) is a rare complication of the oropharyngeal and cervical infection. Descending necrotizing mediastinitis requires an early and aggressive surgical approach to reduce the high morbidity and mortality associated with this disease. A 39-year-old man complained of odynophagia, neck swelling, and disturbance of swallowing with dyspnea. CT scans of the neck suggested a peritonsillar abscess and retropharyngeal and peripharyngeal abscess. He underwent cervical drainage. He remained febrile and complained of severe both pain in both shoulders. On postoperative day 5, a follow-up CT scan confirmed a mediastinal abscess. Reexploration of the neck and right thoracotomy for debridement and drainage of the mediastinal abscess were performed.. A large amount of pus was drained from the anterior and posterior mediastinum and its necrotic tissue was debrided. The patient's condition and radiologic findings gradually improved. Cultures of the drain fluid revealed Klebsiella pneumoniae. He was discharged on the 85th hospital day. In our experience, both transcervical drainage and aggressive mediastinal exploration via thoracotomy can lead to an improvement in the survival of the patient with descending necrotizing mediastinitis. CT scanning is useful for early diagnosis of mediastinitis and for follow up.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.34 no.2
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• pp.148-155
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• 2001

배경: 본 연구는 1987년부터 1997년까지 원자력병원에서 수술을 시행한 500명의 식도암환자를 대상으로 하여 휴향적 방법을 통해 조기 및 장기성적, 재발양상, 예후인자 등을 보고하고자 한다. 대상 및 방법: 대상환자 중에서 발병암이 있는 경우, 인두식도 경계부위나 위식도 경계부위 암, 고식적 우회술 또는 인공식도 삽입예 그리고 시험적 개흉술이나 개복술 만을 시행한 경우는 제외 시켰다. 식도 절제는 대부분 우측 개흉술을 이용한 Ivor Lewis 술식을 사용하였고 대부분의 문합은 stapler를 사용하였다. Extended lymph node dissection은 1994년 8월부터 시행하였고 그 이전에는 standard lymph node dissection을 하였다. 96.8%에서 위를 식도 대체장기로 사용하였고 경부에서 절제 및 재건술을 시행한 경우를 제외한 모든 식도재건은 후종격동을 통해 시행하였다. 결과: 474예(94.8%)가 편평상피 세포암이었고 대부분(58.2%)은 중부식도에 위치하였다. 술후병기는 47.4%가 stage III이었고 25%가 stage IIA이었다. 392예에서 근치적 절제가 가능하였고 74예는 고식적 절제를 시행하였으며, 식도열공을 통한 식도절제술과 경부에서의 유리공장 이식술을 시행한 34예는 위분류에서 제외하였다. 술후 유병율은 38.4%이었고 수술 사망률은 5.8%로 호흡기 감염, 문합부 유출이 주요 원인이었다. 대상환자의 99.8%에서 추적은 가능하였고 수술사망 예를 포함한 전체환자의 1, 2, 5년 생존율은 각각 63.5%, 38.9%, 19.4% 이었다. Standard lymph node dissection 그룹에서의 1, 2, 5년 생존율이 60.7%, 35.9%, 16.9%이었으나 extended lymph node dissection그룹에서는 1, 2, 4년 생존율이 70.2%, 46.5%, 30.9%이었다. 근치적 절제의 경우는 1, 2, 5년 생존률이 69.4%, 43.9%, 21.9%이었고, 고식적 절제의 경우는 37.8%, 17.6%, 7.3%이었다. 수술사망을 제외한 근치적 절제술과 extended lymph node dissection을 함께 시행한 경우의 4년 생존율은 35.6%이었다. 수술후 재발은 226예에서 발견되었고 주로 국소임파절(69%; 경부, 종격동, 복부)이었으며, 전신재발은 간, 폐, 뼈, 뇌 등의 순이었다. 결론: 저자들은 적절한 술후 환자관리가 선행되어야 하지만 근치적 절제와 광범위한 임파절 절제가 장기성적의 향상에 필수적 요소이고, 진행된 식도암에 있어서는 보다 효과적인 보강적 복합치료가 연구되어야 할 것으로 생각된다.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.41 no.5
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• pp.630-632
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• 2008

Minimally invasive cardiac surgery using AESOP (Automated Endoscope System for Optimal Positioning) offers certain advantages such as better a cosmetic outcome, a shortened post operative recovery time and a shorten hospital stay, and these advantages are not achieved by conventional cardiac surgery. We report here on our first robot-assisted (AESOP) left minithoracotomy surgery in a 26 year-old female with a subarteral ventricular septal defect, and this might have been treated by median sternotomy before the development of AESOP.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.41 no.5
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• pp.651-654
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• 2008

Posttraumatic psoudoaneurysrns of the subclavian artery are very rare. A 49-year-old woman who had been involved in a car accident ten years before presentation was initially diagnosed with a mediastinal tumor at a local clinic. Exploratory thoracotomy was performed for evaluation and treatment. During the operation, a hematoma was evacuated, and primary repair was undertaken to stop massive bleeding. Computed tomography angiography revealed a pseudoaneurysm of the left subclavian artery. The patient was treated with aneurysmectomy and end-to-end anastomosis. The postoperative course was uneventful.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.43 no.4
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• pp.421-423
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• 2010

A 52-year-old female presented with pain and swelling owing to recurrent inflammation on a generator pocket. She had undergone a permanent pacemaker implantation (DDD type) 7 years previously. We planned to insert a new pacemaker after removal of the previous generator and wires through a surgical approach. However, she had a history of the left modified radical mastectomy (MRM) with radiation therapy for breast cancer. For this patient, it would be difficult to care for the postoperative wound if we approached via the median sternotomy. Therefore, we decided to use a right atrial approach via a right thoracotomy. We removed the previous pacing wires through an atriotomy and inserted a new pacemaker using epicardial pacing leads without cardiopulmonary bypass.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.32 no.2
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• pp.158-163
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• 1999

Background: The author studied to define the current indications for surgical management of chest tuberculosis and to analyze the results of the operative procedures. Material and Method: The records of 87 patients among 107 patients operated on between January 1992 and May 1995 were reviewed. These patients were divided into 4 groups. Group I patients (n=45) underwent decortication with or without wedge resection of the lesion. Group II patients(n=23) underwent radical curettages of chest wall involving rib caries with or without thoracotomy. Group III patients(n=12) underwent standard pneumonectomy or pleuropneumonectomy. Group IV patients(n=7) underwent exploratory thoracotomy or wedge resection of tuberculous lung lesion. Result: Statistical analysis revealed an inverse correlation between AIs and intratumoral microvessel densities in squamous cell lung carcinoma(Spearman rank correlation coefficient r=- 0.229, p=0.047). Conclusion: The author concludes that surgery for chest tuberculosis is the definite management for therapeutic indications and surgical radication of tuberculous carriers for management of chest tuberculosis is safe and has satisfactory results.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.37 no.10
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• pp.856-860
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• 2004

Interrupted aortic arch with concomitant intracardiac defects is a rare congenital anomaly that has an unfavorable natural course. We report a successful staged operation of interrupted aortic arch with apical muscular ventricular septal defect associating esophageal atresia with tracheoesophageal fistula in a 3-day-old neonate weighing 2.6 kg. We repaired esophageal atresia through the right thoracotomy and subsequently performed extended end-to-end anastomosis of the aortic arch with pulmonary artery banding through the left thoracotomy at same operation. The apical muscular VSD was repaired 87 day after first operation. The patient required multiple additional interventions before closure of the apical muscular ventricular septal defect, such as pyloromyotomy for idiopathic hypertrophic pyloric stenosis, anterior aortopexy for airway obstruction, and balloon aortoplasty for residual coarctation. She is now doing well.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.43 no.5
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• pp.525-528
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• 2010

Congenital interruption of the inferior vena cava (IVC) can lead to secondary hepatic congestion, portal hypertension, and liver cirrhosis. A 49-year-old woman was admitted to the gynecology department with symptoms of menorrhalgia, known uterine myoma, and anemia. Abdominal computed tomography (CT) and venography performed at our hospital revealed congenital interruption of the IVC. The patient underwent retrohepatic cavoatrial bypass surgery with a polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) 16-mm ringed graft via posterolateral thoracotomy, and recovered without major complications. A retroperitoneal approach via posterolateral thoracotomy provides appropriate visualization during dorsal cavoatrial bypass in treating patients with congenital interruption of IVC.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.43 no.2
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• pp.184-187
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• 2010

Although it is a rare complication of cardiac surgery, constrictive pericarditis still remains a difficult problem that needs an appropriate treatment after cardiac surgery. We had two patients with constrictive pericarditis presenting with unexplained right heart failure early after cardiac surgery, and the diagnosis of constrictive pericarditis was made by a specific finding of septal bounce shown in echocardiographic study. On the postoperative 40th day and 31st day, they underwent pericardiectomy by a left limited anterolateral thoracotomy. For one to two weeks since pericardiectomy, the cardiac failure symptoms were gradually relieved. For patients without improvement of the constrictive symptom and sign even with conservative medical therapy for constrictive pericarditis developed early after cardiac surgery, pericardiectomy by a left limited anterolateral thoracotomy is considered as a useful therapeutic mode.