• Korean Journal of Bronchoesophagology
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• v.17 no.1
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• pp.53-56
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• 2011

Vocal cord paralysis (VCP) is a common complication after thyroidectomy despite the continuity of the recurrent laryngeal nerve (RLN) is preserved. Much efforts have been made into preventing VCP, but few of them focuses on the treatment strategies and prognosis after VCP take place. In this case, patient visited the clinic for papillary thyroid cancer in Rt. thyroid gland without VCP. She underwent total thyroidectomy with central neck dissection. During dissection, Rt main mass was encircling Rt. RLN. To make matters worse, Lt. RLN was severed due to tight attachment with Berry's ligament. After that, intratumoural dissection of Rt. RLN and end to end anastomosis of Lt. RLN were performed with microscopy to preserve the functions of RLNs as much as possible, otherwise permanent bilateral VCPs were inevitable. We report this case, since both vocal cords recovered from VCPs with symmetric, synchronous movements at postoperative follow up.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.37 no.8
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• pp.665-671
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• 2004

Background: Lymph node metastasis is commonly reported in thoracic esophageal cancer, even in the early esophageal cancer which may be localized only in the mucosa or within the submucosal layer. Although lymph node metastasis greatly influence long-term outcome and cure of the disease, endoscopic mucosal resection or photodynamic therapy without lymph node dissection is widely attempted. The investigation of the pattern of lymph node metastasis and results of surgical resection of superficial esophageal cancer is needed. Material and Method: Pattern of lymph node metastsis and depth of tumor invasion were studied retrospectively from 44 patients with early esophageal cancer who underwent radical resection of the tumor from December, 1995 to August, 2001. Result: Lymph node metastasis was found in 10 patients (22.7%) out of total of 44 patients. Lymph node metastasis was found in 0% (0 of 3), 0% (0 of 4), 50% (2 of 4), and 24.24% (8 of 33) of tumors that invaded the intraepitherium, lamina propria, muscularis mucosa, and submucosa respectively. Anatomically distant lymph node metastases were found more frequently in recurrent laryngeal nerve node(5 cases of 10 patients) and in intraperitoneal node (8 cases of 10). than intrathoracic node (3 cases of 10). There was no operative mortality, however, there were 1 hospital death in patient with lamina propria cancer, 1 late death in patient with submucosal cancer. Three-year survival rates (except hospital death) were 100% in mucosal cancer and 97.0% in submucosal cancer (p>0.05), and 100% in the node negative group and 90.0% in the node positive group (p>0.05). Conclusion: The survival rate of superficial esophageal cancer patient who was recieved operative resection was excellent. But, lymph node metastasis were found in superficial esophageal cancer, even in esophageal cancer limited to the muscularis mucosa. Systemic lymph node dissection which includes recurrent laryngeal nerve nodes and intraperitoneal nodes was recommended for favorable outcome in superficial esophageal cancer.

• Korean Journal of Head & Neck Oncology
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• v.9 no.2
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• pp.183-192
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• 1993

This study reports a prospective analysis of anatomical variations of recurrent laryngeal nerves during 300 thyroidectomies. During thyroidectomies for variable thyroid diseases. the course of recurrent laryngeal nerve was completely isolated from root of neck to the inferior comus of thyroid cartilage. In left side, nerve(53.7%) predominantly ran posterior to the inferior thyroidal artery(p<0.05) but in right side there was no predominant pattern. There were three nonrecurrent laryngeal nerves in the right side. About half of the cases in both sides(51.2% in right, 50.5% in left side) had one or more branches before terminating at cricothyroidal muscles. The average length of branches from inferior comus of thyroid cartilage to the origination of individual branch were l2.0mm in right side and 13.3mm in left side. In right side, majority(50.7%) of nerves ran though paratracheal space but difference did not reach the statistical but in left side, majority(88.3%) ran through tracheoesophageal groove and it was the dominant pattern(p<0.01), the overall status of passages of the nerve were relatively straight in left side(straight 87.8%, oblique 52.1%).

• Korean Journal of Head & Neck Oncology
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• v.31 no.1
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• pp.18-21
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• 2015

기관을 침범한 갑상선 악성종양을 제거한 후에 성문하부에 비교적 큰 기관 결손이 발생할 수 있다. 단단문합술은 넓은 부위의 결손부를 재건하는 방법으로 널리 받아들여지고 있지만, 문합부 파열, 반회후두신경마비, 재협착 등의 합병증이 발생할 수 있다. 본 증례는 기도를 침범한 갑상선 유두암종을 제거한 후 윤상연골과 기관연골의 비교적 큰 결손부를 흉쇄유돌근 근골막피판을 사용하여 안전하게 재건한 사례이다. 55세 남자 환자가 기도를 침범한 갑상선 유두상암으로 내원하였으며 기도침범은 윤상연골(둘레의 약 30%)과 4개의 기관연골(둘레의 약 50%)을 해당하는 넓은 부위였다. 수술 전 기관절개술을 시행하여 주위 기관연골의 상태가 좋지 않아 단단문합술 시행 후 문합부 파열 가능성이 있다고 판단하여 흉쇄유돌근 근골막피판을 이용하여 재건하기로 계획하였다. 갑상선 절제술, 경부림프절 절제술, 흉쇄유돌근 근골막피판을 이용한 재건술을 시행하였으며 수술 후 12일째 별다른 문제없이 퇴원하였다. 환자는 수술 후 현재 22개월 간 기도 협착 등의 별다른 합병증 없이 지내고 있다. 흉쇄유돌근 근골막피판은 성문하부나 기관지 전외측벽의 비교적 큰 결손부를 재건하는 데 유용하게 사용될 수 있다.

• Proceedings of the KOR-BRONCHOESO Conference
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• 1982.05a
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• pp.10.1-10
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• 1982

The use of phonosurgery in the recent development of laryngomicrosurgery has enabled the restoration of a normal voice in respect to functional laryngeal surgery which in Korea in the past limited to simple removal of benign laryngeal tumor such as laryngeal polyp or nodules and cordal injection of $Teflon^{{\circledR}}$ for the treatment of recurrent nerve paralysis under the vision of suspension laryngoscopy. Performance of phonosurgery for the treatment of cord paralysis, mutational dysphonia, vocal cord atrophy, hyperkinetic dysphonia and sulcus vocalis is a happy event in the view point of development of phonosurgery in Korea. In this aspect thyroplasty to change the position and physical characteristics of the cord outside the glottis instead of the direct handling of the vocal cord through direct endoscopy is popular. Among the 4 types of thyroplasty, classified by Insshiki(1974), type I thyroplasty(1ateral compression of vocal cord) and type IV thyroplasty(lengthening of vocal cord) were effective in the treatment of unilateral vocal cord paralysis. Advantages of this operation are the fine adjustment of the degree of lateral compression under local anesthesia according to the phonation of the patient during operation and avoidance of dyspnea and intralaryngeal hemorrhage due to the manipulation outside the internal perichondrium of the thyroid cartilage. We did 7 cases of thyroplasty for the treatment of unilateral vocal cord paralysis in the 7 months from September 1981 to March 1982. Before the operation aerodynamic study, psychoacoustical evaluation, stroboscopy and sound spectrographic analysis were done. Two months after the operation the above procedures were performed again. Results of preoperative and postoperative examination were compared and the following results were obtained. 1) In the aerodynamic study, maximum phonation time increased to 158% of the preoperative value and the phonation quotient and the mean flow rate decreased to 58% and 54% of preoperative values. 2) The degree of hoarseness improved in the psychoacoustical evaluation and the glottic chink during phonation was decreased in the stroboscopic examiantion. 3) In the sound spectrographic analysis, periodicity was much restored and noise distribution decreased especially in the high frequency area.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.45 no.1
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• pp.57-67
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• 1998

Purpose : This study was undertaken to determine the preoperative predictors of mortality and morbidity after lung cancer resection. Method: During the period from October 1, 1995 to August 31, 1996, a prospective study was conducted in 92 lung resection candidates diagnosed as lung cancer. For preoperative predictors of nonpulmonary factors, we considered age, sex, weight loss, hematocrit, serum albumin, EKG and concomitant illness, and for those of pulmonary factors, smoking history, presence of pneumonia, dyspnea scale(1 to 4), arterial blood gas analysis with room air breathing, routine pulmonary function test. And predicted postoperative(ppo) pulmonary factors such as PPO-$FEV_1$, ppo-diffusing capacity(DLco), predicted postoperative product(PPP) of ppo-$FEV_1%{\times}ppo$-DLco% and ppo-maximal $O_2$ uptake($VO_2$max) were also considered. Results: There were 78 men and 14 women with a median age of 62 years(range 42 to 82) and a mean $FEV_1$ of $2.37\pm0.06L$. Twenty nine patients had a decreased $FEV_1$ less than 2.0L. Pneumonectomy was performed in 26 patients, bilobectomy in 12, lobectomy in 54. Pulmonary complications developed in 10 patients, cardiac complications in 9, other complications(empyema, air leak, bleeding) in 11, and 16 patients were managed in intensive care unit for more than 48hours. Three patients died within 30 days after operation. The ppo-$VO_2$max was less than 10ml/kg/min in these three patients, but its statistical significance could not be determined due to small number of patients. In multivariate analysis, the predictor related to postoperative death was weight loss(p<0.05), and as for pulmonary complications, weight loss, dyspnea scale, ppo-DLco and extent of resection(p<0.05). Conclusions: Based on this study, preoperative nonpulmonary factors such as weight loss and dyspnea scale are more important than the pulmonary factors in the prediction of postoperative mortality and/or morbodity in lung resection candidates, but exercise pulmonary fuction test may be useful Our study suggests that ppo-$VO_2$max value less than 10ml/kg/min is associated with death after lung cancer resection but further studies are needed to validate this result.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.48 no.1
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• pp.14-23
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• 2000

Background: The evaluation of candidates for successful lung resection is important. Our study was conducted to determine the preoperative predictors of postoperative mortality and morbidity in lung cancer patients with impaired lung function. Method; Between October 1, 1995 and August 31, 1997, 36 lung resection candidates for lung cancer with $FEV_1$ of less than 2L or 60% of predicted value were included prospectively. Age, sex, weight loss, hematocrit, serum albumin, EKG and concomitant illness were considered as systemic potential predictors for successful lung resection. Smoking history, presence of pneumonia, dyspnea scale(l to 4), arterial blood gas analysis with room air breathing, routine pulmonary function test were also included for the analysis. In addition, predicted postoperative(ppo) pulmonary factors such as ppo-$FEV_1$ ppo-diffusing capacity(DLco), predicted postoperative product(PPP) of ppo-$FEV_1%{\times}$ppo-DLco% and ppo-maximal $O_2$ uptake($VO_2$max) were also measured. Results: There were 31 men and 5 women with the median age of 65 years(range, 44 to 82) and a mean $FEV_1$ of $1.78{\pm}0.06L$. Pneumonectomy was performed in 14 patients, bilobectomy in 8, lobectomy in 14. Pulmonary complications developed in 10 patients; cardiac complications in 3, other complications(empyema, air leak, bleeding) in 4. Twelve patients were managed in the intensive care unit for more than 48 hours. Two patients died within 30 days after operation. The ppo-$VO_2$max was less than 10 ml/kg/min in these two patients. MVV was the only predictor for the pulmonary complications. However, there was no predictor for the post operative death in this study. Conclusions: Based on the results, MVV was the useful predictor for postoperative pulmonary complications in lung cancer resection candidates with impaired lung function In addition, ppo-$VO_2$max value less than 10 ml/kg/min was associated with postoperative death, so exercise pulmonary function test could be useful as preoperative test. But further studies are needed to validate this result.