• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.31 no.7
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• pp.722-724
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• 1998

Acute mediastinitis and subsequent graft infection following aorta surgery poses a difficult problem, as infected synthetic material must be completely removed for resolution of infection. Here we report a case of successful management of acute mediastinitis following hemiarch replacement for acute aortic dissection with omental flap transfer leaving infected graft in situ.

• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
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• v.50 no.3
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• pp.298-301
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• 2007

Chylothorax is a rare complication following cardiac surgery for congenital heart diseases. Although conservative management is successful in the majority of cases, surgical intervention is required in a refractory one. Recently, subcutaneous or intravenous infusion of octreotide has been used as a safe treatment that helps avoiding surgical intervention. Herein, we report two cases of postoperative chylothorax treated with parenteral octreotide and conservative therapy.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.30 no.8
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• pp.815-818
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• 1997

Prosthetic valve endocarditis(PVE), although uncommon, is associated with significant mortality if the infection spreads into the paravavular structures with later abscess formation. However, combined antibiotic and surgical treatment is often successful. Accurate diagnosis by on echocardiography, effective myocardial protection during operation and increased surgical experience have improved the short-term and long-term outcomes for patients with PVE. A 35-year-old male had a history of replacement of aortic and mitral valve, and tricuspid annuloplasty on August 1994, was admitted due to sudden onset of aphasia, leftward deviation of both eyeballs and spiking fever and diagnosed of having PVE by echocardiography. Reoperation was done after 6weeks of antibiotic treatment. On the operative field, we could notice circumferential vegetation along aortic valve annulus, paravalvular leakage and abscess pocket. The mitral valve amlulus was healthy. The patient underwent redo aortic valve replacement using cryopreserved aortic homograft after radical debridement of infected issue. During the follow up of 7 months period the homograft was well functioning without recurrence of symptoms.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.31 no.11
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• pp.1102-1105
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• 1998

Chronic granulomatous disease in childhood is a rare inheritable disorder of phagocytic cells in which defective production of the reactive intermediates of oxygen predisposes the patient to severe recuring pyogenic infections. The lung is the most common site of infection and pulmonary disease is the primary cause of death for greater than 50% of children with chronic granulomatous disease. Although the role of surgery in management of this disease remains undefined, rapid diagnosis of the underlying pulmonary problem is crucial to determine the most appropriate antimicrobial therapy and surgical techniques such as lobectomy of involved areas lead to more rapid recovery and thus allow the antibiotics to be more efficacious in these cases. We have treated a one month old male baby who had the chronic granulomatous disease with pulmonary infection. Wide surgical resection of the affected lobe and use of antibiotics and antifungals were carried out with good clinical results. He was well after the operation.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.43 no.4
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• pp.381-386
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• 2010

Background: Sternal wound infection (SWI) is an important complication after cardiac surgery. The aim of this study was to investigate the predictors affecting sternal wound infection and preventive factors including short term Vancomycin therapy in patients who underwent coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG). Material and Method: A retrospective study was done using data collected from January 2001 through December 2007. This included 219 patients who had isolated CABG. The definition of SWI was documentation from a microbiological study and a requirement for simple closure or other surgical revision. Result: The overall incidence of SWI was 7.8% (n=17). The causative organisms were methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA, n=13), methicillin resistant Staphylococcus epidermidis (n=2), Pseudomonas aeruginosa (n=1), and Candida albicans (n=1). Ten cases had deep sternal wound infection with mediastinitis; 7 cases had a superficial wound infection. Infection-related mortality was low (1/17; 6%). Diabetes mellitus (p=0.006) and smoking history (p=0.020) were factors that predicted high risk. Short term use of vancomycin decreased the incidence of MRSA-associated SWI (p=0.009). For treatment, curettage and rewiring or flap were needed in most cases (88%, n=14). Conclusion: Patients who had diabetes mellitus and a smoking history need careful management. Short term use of vancomycin is effective for prevention of SWI with MRSA.

• Journal of Oral Medicine and Pain
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• v.34 no.1
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• pp.1-9
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• 2009

Liver transplantation is definitive treatment for the patients suffering from hepatitis, severe liver cirrhosis and liver cancer. In these patients, systemic infections under immunosuppression may occur easily. Therefore, primary object of dental treatments before liver transplantation is absolute removal of oral infection source. In addition, comprehensive dental management plan is essential for success of liver transplantation. The present study has been performed to investigate decayed, missing and filled permanent teeth index(DMFT index), degree of oral hygiene, past medical history, need of dental treatment, completion of dental treatment need and time interval between dental visit and operation date of liver transplantation in liver transplant candidates. Obtained results were as follows; 1. Decayed teeth of the patients were 2.68, missing teeth were 4.02 and filled teeth were 3.42. DMFT index was 10.12. 2. Twenty percents of patients showed moderate to severe food impactions, 42.2% of patients had moderate to heavy calculus and 37.8% of patients displayed gingival inflammation with swelling. 3. Patients needed periodontal treatments more than any other dental treatments. Periodontal treatments were needed for 88.9% of patients, operative & endodontic treatments were 46.7% of patients and 33.3% of patients needed for oral & maxillofacial surgical treatments. 4. Among 90 patients, time interval between scheduled operation date of liver transplantation and dental visit was within 2 weeks for 32.2% of patients, within 1 week for 20.0% of patients. In conclusion, most liver transplant candidates needed dental treatments for removal of potential infection sources. However because of insufficient interval between dental visit and operation date, they had taken liver transplantation procedures without comprehensive dental management. Development of preventive and comprehensive dental management program is mandatory for these patients. Cooperative interdisciplinary management will play a positive role for successful liver transplantation.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.34 no.6
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• pp.485-489
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• 2001

Background: The most important factor in preventing sternal complications is stable sternal approximation. We have tried to find the most effective sternal closure method by examining the incidence of sternal dehiscence with or without infection in patients with cardiac surgery through median sternotomy. Material and Method: This study was performed in 489 patients over 45 years of age with median sternotomy for open cardiac surgery. Simple closure with interrupted 6 wires was performed in 159 patients, figure-of-8 closure technique in 119, overlapping interrupted closure using 10 wires in 150, and combined closure technique of interrupted simple closure and figure-of-8 suture closure in 61. Two hundred thirty-four patients underwent valve and aortic operations and 213 patients coronary artery bypass surgery. Result: Sternal dehiscence with or without infection occurred in 12 (2.5 %) patients. The complication developed in 5 of 159 patients (3.1%) with six interrupted simple closure, in 4 of 119 patients (3.4%) with figure-of-8 closure, and in 3 of 150 patients (2.0%) with overlapping interrupted closure using 10 wires, but there was no complication in 61 patients with combined closure technique (relative risk for other closure techniques, p<0.05). There was no significant difference in the incidence of the sternal complication between valve and aortic operation group and coronary artery bypass group (3.0% vs 2.3%, not significant), but diabetes mellitus was a significant independent risk factor (odds ratio and multivariate analysis, p<0.05). Conclusion: The sternal closure technique that combines simple interrupted suture closure and figure-of-8 suture closure may be a more useful technique to enhance sternal stabilization compared to other closure techniques, such as simple interrupted closure, 8-figure closure, and overlapping interrupted closure.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.43 no.6
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• pp.781-784
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• 2010

A 74-year-old woman presented at our hospital with hemoptysis. Three months ago, she had endovascular stent-grafting done by a general surgeon for a saccular thoracic aneurysm that was found accidentally following an episode of fever and chills. Despite a lasting fever after the procedure, she was discharged without further treatment and follow-up. She was subsequently admitted to the hospital for evaluation and several exams were performed. Chest CT scans and an esophagoscopy identified an aorto-esophageal fistula at the level of the aorta that was covered by a previous stent-graft. After extensive administration of antibiotics, surgery was done - esophagectomy, cervical esophago-gastrostomy and replacement of the thoracic aorta. She was later discharged uneventfully.

• 대한관절경학회:학술대회논문집
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• 2006.11a
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• pp.109-110
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• 2006

• Korean Journal of Clinical Pharmacy
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• v.10 no.1
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• pp.1-6
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• 2000

백내장 수술 추 염증치료를 위해 일반적으로 부작용이 많은 국소 점안 스테로이드를 사용해왔다. 최근 NSAID계열의 점안액이 항염증 치료약물로 개발되면서 선택적인 약물치료가 가능하게 되었으나 단일치료약물로 사용하는 경우는 드물다. 본 연구는 NSAID계 diclofenac 점안액의 백내장 수술 후 염증치료 효과를 스테로이드체 dexamethasone 점안액과 비교하여 단일 치료약물로서 사용할 수 있는 지 연구하고자하였다. 백내장 수술을 받은 환자로서 안압이 22 mmHg 이상 당뇨환자, 수술대상 눈에 이미 질환 및 수술 경력이 있는 자를 제외하였다. 백내장 수술 후 항염종 약물로서 diclofenac 또는 dexamethasone을 28일 동안 투여하고 항염증효과의 평가를 위하여 세극등 검사로저 전방내 염증세포와 결막, 각막등의 전안부 관찰을 수술 전, 수술 후 1, 3, 7, 14, 28일에 시행하였고, 시력검사는 수술 추 7, 28일에 시행하였다. 안전성의 평가는 안압검사와 세극등 검사상 관찰된 이상소견으로 평가하였다. 총 73명의 연구대상 중 dexameasone군은 41명, diclofenac군은 32명이며 두 군간에 나이, 백내장의 심한 정도, 안구질환 등에 있어 유의한 차이가 없었다 전방내 항염증세포수의 감소에서 두 군간에 유의할 만한 차이가 없었고, 수술 후 최대 교정 시력에서도 동일한 효과를 보였다. 안전성에서 안압의 상승이 두군간에 통계적인 유의한 차이를 보이지 않았으나 dexamethasone군에서 1명의 환자가 45 mmHg 이상 증가하여 약물치료가 필요하였으나 diclofenac군에서는 안압이 상승한 환자가 없었다. 결론적으로 효능 및 안전성에서 두 약물간에 통제적, 임상적으로 유의한 차이가 없었으며 diclofenac 점안액은 백내장 수술 후 항염증치료제로서 충분한 효과가 있으며 안압상승, 감염 등 부작용이 우려되는 dexamethasone점안액의 대체약물로 사용될 수 있을 것으로 평가된다.