• 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.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.36 no.8
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• pp.623-626
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• 2003

Desmoid tumors are benign neoplasms with high rates of recurrence. A case of huge desmoid tumor of the intrathoracic and intraabdominal space is presented. The patient was treated with resection, which involved hepatic left lobectomy and diaphragmatic resection and partial pericardiectorny and wedge resection of left lower lobe of lung. The resulting defect over the pericarium and diaphragm was reconstructed by bovine pericardium and Marlex mesh. Prevention of presumed local recurrence of desmoid tumors requires wide excision margin.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.43 no.4
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• pp.437-440
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• 2010

Cardiac mesotheliomas are rare. It is difficult to diagnose them at an early stage because the symptoms are nonspecific. Here we report two cases that had been initially diagnosed as constrictive pericarditis but later were definitively diagnosed, after pericardiectomy, as mesothelioma. The two patients complained of dyspnea that lasted 4 months and 10 years. Chest CT showed mild pericardial effusion and thickened pericardium, which was found enveloping the heart without any lumps. Median sternotomy showed that the overall pericardium was thickened by more than 10 mm. Pericardiectomy (phrenic nerve to phrenic nerve) was performed and post-operative histology confirmed malignant mesothelioma. In one patient the disease recurred near the pericardium post-operatively at 7 months and the patient died at 11 months. The other patient received chemotherapy and was still alive at post-operative month 16. Pericardial mesothelioma is an extremely rare disease exhibiting clinical signs similar to those of constrictive pericarditis, and should be diagnosed at an early stage of onset.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.30 no.10
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• pp.1044-1047
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• 1997

Pulmonary blastoma are a family of tumors in which the glands or mesenchyme composing the neoplasm are primitive or emb yonal in appearance. We report a pulmonary blastoma occurring in a 31 years old man. An abnormal shadow was detected in the right lower lung field in a routine chest X-ray film. The preoperative imaging films showed about a 5cm sized well circumscribed solid tumor of the right lung. A preoperative clinical diagnosis of primary lung cancer was considerd. The operative field showed that the hard, round mass, 6$\times$5$\times$4cm in diameter was localized in middle lobe of the right lung, and partially adhered to the upper lobe, pericardium and diaphragm. Right middle lobe lobectomy, right upper lobe wedge resection, partial pericardiectomy and diaphragm resection with plication was performed with radical Iymph node dissection. Histopathologic diagnosis was pulmonary blastoma (Biphasic blastoma). It is considered that the prognosis of biphasic blastoma is worse than WDFA(well differentiated fetal adenocarcinoma). There are no other available treatments except for surgical resection. It is suggeste that it is necessary to collect as many cases as possible, to make definite classifications and to examine the clinical course and prognosis of pulmonary blastoma.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.19 no.1
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• pp.68-74
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• 1986

15 patients with constrictive pericarditis who underwent interphrenic pericardiectomy from January, 1981 to April, 1983 and 11 patients who underwent radical pericardiectomy from May, 1983 to September, 1984 were compared to the clinical improvement and the results of pre- and postoperative cardiac catheterization. In the group of partial pericardiectomy the pericardium was removed anteriorly from the left phrenic nerve to the right phrenic nerve and in the group of radical pericardiectomy the pericardium was removed from almost entire surface of the heart including diaphragmatic surface and posterior wall of the left ventricle. The following results were obtained. 1. Both group of the patients showed marked symptomatic improvement early after operation. 2. The central venous pressure was decreased significantly after operation in both group of the patients. 3. The right atrial mean pressure and pulmonary arterial mean pressure decreased significantly after operation in both group of the patients and there was no significant difference in the amplitude of decrease between the two groups. 4. The right ventricular end-diastolic pressure and left ventricular end-diastolic pressure were decreased postoperatively in both group of the patients and the patients of the radical pericardiectomy showed more decrease than the patients of interphrenic pericardiectomy, and in the group of radical pericardiectomy the right and left ventricular end-diastolic pressure were normalized postoperatively but in the group of partial pericardiectomy they showed abnormally high pressure persistently. 5. The ejection fraction showed normal level pre- and postoperatively in both group of the patients.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.35 no.11
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• pp.807-811
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• 2002

Due to its less invasive nature and superior visual field, video-assisted thoracescopic excision of mediastinal mass is thought to be comparable to open thoracotomy. Material and Method : From January 1995 to August 2001, the medical records of 38 patients who underwent video-assisted thoracoscopic excision of mediastinal mass was retrospectively analyzed. The outcome of these patients were compared with 5 patients who converted to thoracotomy Result: Male to female ratio was 13(34.2%) : 25(65.8%), and mean age was 39.2$\pm$35.4 years. Regarding the pathology, there were 8 neurilemmomas(21.1%), 6 thymic cysts (15.8%), 5 teratomas(13.2%), 5 ganglioneuromas(13.2%), 4 bronchogenic cysts(10.5%), 3 pericardial cysts(7.9%), 3 thymomas(7.9%), and 2 lymphangiomas(5.3%). The mean operation time was 110.6$\pm$7.0 minutes, mean postoperative tube stay was 4.2$\pm$0.4 days, mean postoperative hospital stay was 5.2$\pm$0.4 days, and mean number of injection of analgesics was 1.9$\pm$0.4 times. Although the mean values for the above indices were less than those of the thoracotomy conversion cases, they were statistically insignificant. Postoperative complications of videoassisted thoracoscopic excision included chylothorax, prolonged air leakage, and unilateral phrenic nerve palsy, all of which recovered before patient discharge. There was, however, permanent unilateral ptosis in one patient. Conclusion : As video-assisted thoracoscopic excision of mediastinal mass is safe, less painful, conducive to earlier recovery and cosmetically more appealing, a more active application of this technique is recommeded.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.32 no.3
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• pp.276-280
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• 1999

Background: Post-pneumonectomy empyema(PPE) is an uncommon but a serious complication. The management remains as challenge for general thoracic surgeons. Material and Method: During the period of January 1990 to December 1996, we evaluated the results of 20 patients with post-pneumonectomy empyema. Result: Sex ratio were 15 male and 5 female patients with mean age of 41.5${\pm}$21.5 yrs. The occurrence ratio of left to right side was 8:12. The most common disease for prior pneumonectomy was pulmonary tuberculosis. The duration between pneumonectomy and PPE was variable in 1 month to 6yrs. Fever was the most frequent symptom and S. aureus was the most frequent pathogen. In 13 cases, there were combined with BPF. Four patients underwent trans-sternal closure, and Clagett procedure was performed. There was one recurrence that later underwent muscle plombage and omentopexy later. Nine patients underwent omentopexy, muscle plombage and thoracoplasty. There were 7 cases that were not combined with BPF. All 7 patients underwent thoracoplasty, and two of them were combined with muscle plombage. Mean follow-up duration is 40${\pm}$32.3 months. There were no late deaths nor recurrences of PPE. Conclusion: We conclude that early diagnosis and proper drainage in PPE patients are important in its initial stage of management, and also management is completely achieved in thoracoplasty with muscle plombage or omentopexy.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.32 no.3
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• pp.255-261
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• 1999

Background: Atrial fibrillation is one of the most prevalent of all arrhythmias and in up to 79% of the patients with mitral valve disease. This study examined whether the atrial fibrillation that occur in patients with mitral valve operation could be eliminated by a concommitant maze operation without cryoablation. Material and Method: From May 1997 to April 1998, 14 patients with atrial fibrillation associated with mitral valve disease underwent Maze III operation without cryoablation. Preoperatively there were 6 men and 8 women with an average age of 46.2${\pm}$10.7 years. Eleven patients had mitral stenosis, and three had mitral insufficiency. The associated heart diseases were aortic valve disease in 4, tricuspid valve regurgitation in 1 and ASD in 2. Using transthoracic echocardiography, the mean left atrial diameters was 54.7${\pm}$5.3 mm and thrombi were found in the left atrium of 2 patients. Postoperatively the ratio between the peak speed of the early filling wave and that of the atrial contraction wave (A/E ratio) was determined from transmitral flow measurement. Operations were mitral valve replacement in 13 including 4 aortic valve replacements, 1 DeVega annuloplasty and 2 ASD closures. Maze III operation was performed in 1 patient. Result: Five patients (38%) had recurred atrial fibrillation, which was reversed with flecainide or amiodarone at the average time of postoperative 38.8${\pm}$23.5 days. Postoperative complications were postoperative transient junctional rhythm in 6, transient atrial fibrillation in 5, reoperation for bleeding in 3, postpericardiotomy syndrome(1), unilateral vocal cord palsy(1), postoperative psychosis(1), and myocardial infarction(1). Postoperatively A/E ratio was 0.43${\pm}$0.22 and A wave found in 9(64%) patients. 3 to 14 months postoperatively (average follow- up, 8.1 months), all of patients had normal sinus rhythm and 9(64%) patients had left atrial contraction and 11(79%) patients were not on a regimen of antiarrhythmic medication. Conclusion: We conclude that Maze III operation without cryoablation is an effective surgical treatment in atrial fibrillation associated with the mitral valve disease.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.31 no.1
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• pp.40-45
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• 1998

Recently, video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery for mediastinal lesions has been considered a new effective therapeutic method. From March, 1992 to April, 1997, 33 cases of video assisted thoracoscopic surgery for mediastinal lesions were performed. Gender distribution was 16 males and 17 females. Average age was 42 years old(ranged from 14 to 69). The locations of lesions were anterior mediastinum in 14 cases, middle mediastinum in 5 cases, posterior mediastinum in 11 cases, and superior mediastinum in 3 cases. These included 9 neurilemmomas, 5 benign cystic teratoma, 4 pericardial cysts, 2 ganglioneuroma, 2 thymus, 2 thymic cyst, 1 thymoma, 2 esophageal leiomyomas, 1 dermoid cyst, 1 lipoma, 1 malignant lymphoma, 1 bronchogenic cyst, 1 pericardial effusion, and 1 Boerhaave's disease with empyema. Working window was needed in 6 cases. We converted to open thoracotomy in 6 cases. Reasons of convertion to open thoracotomy were large sized mass(1), severe adhesion(3), and difficult location to approach(2). The average operation time was 116min($\pm$56 min). The average chest tube drainage time was 4.7days. The average hospital stay was 8.7 days. Operative complications were atelectasis(2), empyema with mediastinitis(1), recurrent laryngeal nerve palsy(1), and plenic nerve palsy(1). In conclusion, VATS for mediastinal lesions were performed with shorter operation time and hospital stay, and lesser complications and pain than those of conventional thoracotomy.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.37 no.10
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• pp.833-838
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• 2004

Background: Despite the excellent early results after the repair of congenital bicuspid aortic valve (BAV) disease, the mid-term durability of the repaired valve has still controversies. Material and Method: To evaluate the mid-term results of BAV repair, retrospective review of medical records and echocardiographic data were done. Between 1994 and 2003, twenty-two patients underwent reparative procedure for either regurgitant or stenotic congenital bicuspid aortic valve (BAV). Result: Mean age was $41\pm14$ years with male predominance (Male=17, Female=5). The pathophysiologies of the BAV were regurgitation-dominant in 20 (91%) and stenosis-dominant in 2 (9%) cases. Various repair techniques were used for raphe, prolapsed leaflet, thickened leaflet, and commissures; 1) release of raphe in 19 (86%), 2) wedge resection and primary repair in 11 (50%), pericardial patch reinforcement after plication of the leaflet in 6 (27%), and plication of the leaflet in 3 (14%), 3) slicing of thickened leaflet was used in 12 (55%) cases, 4) commissuroplasty in 8 (36%), and commissurotomy in 6 (27%) cases. There was no in-hospital mortality. During the mean follow-up of $38\pm17$ months, one patient underwent aortic valve replacement after developing acute severe regurgitation from dehiscence of the suture on postoperative 2 months. New York Heart Association functional class was improved from $1.9\pm0.6$ to $1.2\pm0.5$ (p<0.01). Left ventricular end-systolic and diastolic dimension (LVESD/LVEDD) were also improved from $45\pm9$ and $67\pm10$ to $37\pm10$ and $56\pm10,$ respectively (p<0.01). The grade of aortic regurgitation (AR) was improved from preoperative $(3.1\pm1.2)$ to post-bypass $(0.9\pm0.7).$ However, the grade at last follow-up $(1.7\pm1.1)$ was deteriorated during the follow-up period (p<0.01). Freedom from grade III and more AR at one, three, and four year were 89.7%, 89.7%, and 39.9% respectively. Conclusion: Midterm clinical result of the BAV repair was favorable. But, the durability of the repaired valve was not satisfactory.