• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.29 no.12
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• pp.1377-1380
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• 1996

Severe hemodynamic dysfunction may follow after the closure of the median sternotomy in patients with myocardial edema, cardiac dilatation, and severe postoperative bleeding. In extreme cases, myocardial edema may be so severe that cardiac function is compromised merely by the edges of the open sternum touching the heart. Sternotomy remained open and delayed sternal closure is already described adjunct in complicated cardiac operations. We experi nced a case of delayed sternal closure after 16 hours of CABG using synthes DCP wide plate in a 54-year old obese female patient. Our experience conims that delayed sternal closure Is an effective at simple means of dealing with severe myocardial edema so we report this case with literature review.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.36 no.6
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• pp.431-435
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• 2003

Deep sternal wound infection (with or without acute mediastinitis) is a serious complication of open heart surgery, with high rates of associated morbidity and mortality, and prolonged hospitallization. The result of treatment largely depends on timely diagnosis and appropriate surgical management. Postoperative deep sternal wound infections in 4 cases were successfully treated with extensive debridement, pressurized jet irrigation with antibiotic solution, sternal refixation by Robicsek method, and dilute antibiotic irrigation via irrigation-suction system. We report 4 cases with review of articles.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.31 no.2
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• pp.190-193
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• 1998

We experienced a case of primary sternal tuberculosis with destroyed midsternum and bony defect. An 22-year-old female was admitted to our hospital two times for severe sternal pain and spontaneous fracture without history of trauma. On hospital admission, chest X-ray and chest CT showed destruction of midsternum and soft tissue swelling. Fine needle aspiration cytology revealed tuberculous osteomyelitis with cold abscess. And the patient was treated with usual anti-tubeculosis medication for preoperative preparation. At operation, we confirmed midsternal destruction with cold abscess and multiple sinus tracts. After removal of diseased sternal segment and cold abscess, we performed sternal reconstruction with autologus iliac bone graft. The pathologic report was compatible with tuberculous osteomyelitis and caseous necrosis The postoperative course was smooth and uneventful, and she remains well without sternal instability two months later.

• 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.42 no.6
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• pp.763-769
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• 2009

Background: In the majority of cases, sternal instability and wound infection concomitantly present after a cardiac operation following conventional median sternotomy, and these complications have a major influence on the postoperative course. The aim of this study is to compare the results of the different sternal wiring techniques of sternal infection. Material and Method: Between April 2004 and December 2008, 157 adult patients underwent cardiac in group A, whereas 71 patients who had undergone modified Robicsek sternal wiring were included in group B. The incidences of sternal wound complications in the two groups were assessed. Result: The mean age of the group B patients was older than that of the group A patients ($61{\pm}10$ years vs $57{\pm}13$ years). The incidence of preoperative left ventricular dysfunction (ejection fraction <30%), chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, renal failure requiring dialysis and diabetes mellitus were significantly higher in Group B, whereas the other perioperative risk factors for infection were not significantly different between the two groups. Two patients in group A experienced superficial wound infection, whereas 4 patients in group B displayed superficial wound infection, but the difference was not statistically significant (p=0.255). Yet poststernotomy deep sternal wound infection appeared in 6 patients of group A, whereas none of the patients in group B displayed this malady. Conclusion: The modified Robicsek sternal wiring technique showed greater sternal stability even for the patient with a high risk for infection, and the technique caused a lower incidence of deep sternal wound infection.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.31 no.3
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• pp.291-297
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• 1998

Sternal fractures, once thought of as an uncommon phenomenon, have occurred with an increasing frequency, paralleling the incidence of motor vehicle accidents. The tremendous force necessary to cause sternal fracture and this bone's prominent position overlying major intrathoracic and mediastinal structures, have important implications in the assessment and treatment of patients. This evaluation is based on the review of 72 patients of traumatic sternal fracture treated at the Department of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, Seoul Adventist Hospital during the last 4 years from March 1993 to February 1997. The frequency was 12.2% of nonpenetrating chest trauma and average age was 43.2 years old. Automobile accidents(84%) and sternal body fractures(95.8%) with anterior displacements(19.4%) was the most common cause and fracture site. Increase of cardiac isoenzymes was more frequent and higher in sternal fracture than chest contusion but there was no relationship between the time to take normalization of them and the mode of trauma.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.35 no.5
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• pp.375-380
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• 2002

Background: Sternal infection after open heart surgery is a serious complication associated with high rate of mortality. We reviewed the effect of improved operating room and intensive care unit un the sternal infection by analyzing the incidence and condition of that around the movement of operating room and intensive care unit in July 1997. Material and method: We reviewed a total of 453 patients. Group I contains 237 patients who underwent open heart surgery between January 1997 and December 1978 before we moved the intensive care unit and of operating room, and Group II contains 216 patients who underwent open heart surgery between January 2000 and July 2001 after we moved. We only included adult patients over age 15 who underwent cardiopulmonary bypass through median sternotomy and excluded the mortality cases except sternal infections in this study. Result: Sternal infection developed in 18 patients(8.0%) in Group I, and in only 1 patient(0.49%) in Group II. Emergency operation, cardiopulmonary bypass time, operation tilde, transfusion, tracheostomy, and reoperation are significantly associated with sternal infection among the known risk factors. The logistic regression analysis containing those six factors revealed that the movement of intensive care unit and operating roots is effective on the decreasing sternal infection(p=0.029, 95% confidence interval 0.011 ∼ 0.788). Conclusion: Although there have been studies on manly risk factors associated with the sternal infection after open heart surgery, we think that the improvement of operting room and intensive care unit is a method for decreasing the incidence of sternal infection.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.29 no.12
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• pp.1398-1400
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• 1996

The cardiac anatomic position immediately beneath the sternum leaves it vulnerable to injury when this bone is fractured. Cardiac rupture, however, is uncommon but survival following this injury is rare. We report the case of one patient who survived right ventricle perforation resulting from sternal fracture. The patient developed signs of pericardial tamponade and was brought to the operating theatre immediately for surgery through the emergency anterolateral thoracotomy Perforation of th right ventricle was repaired by direct closure without cardiopulmonary bypass. We believe that patients with cardiac rupture who reach the hospital alive can often be saved by prompt diagnosis and surgery.

• Journal of Veterinary Clinics
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• v.16 no.1
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• pp.95-99
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• 1999

돼지 심장의 해부학적 구조에 대해서는 많은 연구가 보고되어 있으나 흉골 정중선 절개와 방정중선 절개 후 절개선에 나타나는 돼지 심장 대혈관들의 외과적 해부구조에 대한 보고는 아직 없고 심장적출 및 수술에 외과적 해부구조의 숙지가 필수적이므로, 체중 15kg - 25kg의 돼지 12마리를 4마리씩 3군, 즉 정중선절개군, 우측방정중선절개군, 좌측방정중선절개군으로 나누어 흉골열개 후 나타난 심장 대혈관들의 육안적 외과구조를 보고하고 심장적출술을 시도해 각 수술절개 접근법에 따른 수술의 용이성을 관찰하여 더 나은 수술접근법을 선택하는데 필요한 정보를 제공하고자 본 실험을 실시하였다. 그 결과, 우측과 좌측 방정중선절개법에 의해 흉골을 완전 열개시에는 제 1흉골과 갑상연골 부위에서 정중선으로 접근하는 초승달형 절개를 통해 internal mammary artery의 절개 위험성을 피할 수 있음을 발견하였고 흉골정중선절개에서는 상행대동맥의 정 중앙부에 aortic cannula를 쉽게 장착할 수 있었고 특히 비숙련자에게 더 적절한 수술 방법임을 알 수 있었다. 한편 숙련자가 심장적출이 아닌 동맥관개존증등과 같은 심장수술의 경우에는 방 정중선절개로써 환축의 수술 후 통증을 감소시키고 조기치유가 가능하다면, 초승달형 절개법을 응용한 방정중선 절개를 권할 수 있고 이에 따른 임상적 관찰이 요구되는 바이다.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.35 no.2
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• pp.166-169
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• 2002

Poststernotomy mediastinitis is a rare but potentially life-threatening complication of cardiac surgery. Up to present, poststernotomy wound infection has been treated by closure of wound directly or by use of myocutaneous flaps after irrigation and debridement of wound. We describe a new treatment of poststemotomy wound infection by using the vacuum-assisted closure technique. This technique was successfully applied in 3 patients with poststernotomy wound infection and mediastinitis, and a healed sternotomy wound could be achieved using this new technique.