• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.30 no.6
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• pp.621-624
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• 1997

Conventional surgery for lower lumbar disc herniation is a common practice and its vascular complications have been reported rarely. If the hypotension is severe or prolonged postoperatively, one should suspect vascular injury and perform urgent laparotomy. We experienced two cases of major vascular injuries following semi-laminectomy and discectomy.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.43 no.6
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• pp.675-680
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• 2010

Background: The aim of this study was to identify the distinguishing clinicoradiologic findings of traumatic tracheobronchial injury. Material and Method: Between January 2003 and December 2009, six patients who underwent surgical repair for traumatic tracheobronchial injury due to blunt trauma were included in this study. We evaluated the mechanism of the injury, the coexisting injuries, the time until the making diagnosis and treatment, the diagnostic methods, the anatomic location of the injury and the surgical outcomes. Result: The mechanisms of injury were traffic accident and crushing forces. The frequent symptoms were subcutaneous emphysema, dyspnea and pain, and the common radiologic findings were pneumothorax, mediastinal emphysema, rib fracture and lung contusion. Only 2 patients were diagnosed by chest CT and the others were not diagnosed preoperatively. The location of injury was the trachea in 2 patients and the bronchial tree in 4 patients. There was no postoperative mortality or anastomotic leak; however, vocal cord palsy occurred in one patient. The most distinguishing sign was persistent lung collapse even though the chest tube was connected with negative pressure. Conclusion: Although it was not easy to diagnose traumatic tracheobronchial injury without a clinical suspicion, the distinguishing clinical symptoms and CT findings could help to make an early diagnosis without performing bronchoscopy.

• Proceedings of the KOR-BRONCHOESO Conference
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• 2003.09a
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• pp.108-108
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• 2003

식도 천공의 치료는 최근 치료법의 발전에도 불구하고 여전히 난해한 문제이다. 이 환자들은 천공의 원인이나 위치, 심한 정도가 다양한 이질적인 군이며, 반수 이상이 이미 식도에 기존의 질환을 가지고 있어 문제를 더욱 복잡하게 한다. 따라서 절대적이고 획일적인 치료방법은 아직 확립되어 있지 않으며 많은 다양한 방법들이 제시되고 있다. 2002년 11월부터 2003년 7월까지 총 8명의 환자가 식도 천공으로 동아대학교병원 흥부외과에서 치료를 받았으며, 원인별로는 의인성(iatrogenic) 손상이 6례, 자발성(spontaneous) 손상이 2례였고 부위별로는 경부가 3례, 흥부가 5례였다. 의인성 손상에는 내시경 검사중 정상 경부 식도에 발생한 1례, 부식성 식도협착 환자의 풍선 확장술과 스텐트 삽입시 흉부 식도에 발생한 경우가 각각 1례씩, 외상성 경추손상의 수술시 정상 경부 식도에 발생한 경우가 2례, 선천성 식도폐쇄증(esophageal atresia)의 술후 문합부 누출이 생긴 경우가 1례 있었으며, 자발성 손상에는 하부식도에 발생한 기압성(barogenic) 손상 1례와 상흉부 식도암 천공 1례가 있었다. 경부 식도 천공 3례는 모두 경부 배액(drainage)과 식이용 장루술(feeding jejunostomy)을 시행하였고, 부식성 식도협착이 있던 환자 2례는 식도절제술과 흉부내 식도-위 문합을 시행하였으며, Boerhaave씨 증후군 환자는 1차 봉합술, 술후 문합부 유출이 있었던 환자와 식도암 천공이 있었던 환자는 식도절제 및 경부 식도루(esophagostomy), 배액용 위루(gastrostomy), 식이용 장루술을 시행하였다. 모든 환자는 패혈증 등의 심각한 합병증으로의 진행 없이 회복되었다. 현재 위장관의 연속성이 유지 혹은 복원된 환자는 경구식이 중이며 그 외의 환자들은 장루를 통해 영양을 공급하며 식도재건술을 기다리고 있다. 식도 천공은 최근 항생제의 사용, 과영양요법(hyperalimentation), 술후 환자관리의 개선 등으로 치료에 많은 발전이 있었으나, 치료 방침에 있어서는 여전히 논란이 있으며 높은 사망률을 보이는 난제로 남아있다. 비록 일반적인 지침이 도움이 되겠지만, 치료 방침은 환자 개개인의 상황에 따라 적절하게 선택해야 하며, 임상경과에 따라 언제라도 방침을 변경할 수 있는 유연함이 필요하리라 생각한다.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.36 no.8
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• pp.590-594
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• 2003

Vascular injury has been increased with popular outside activities. However there are only a few studies for vascular trauma. We intended to find out the relationships between the vascular trauma and its prognosis. Material and Method: Forty-four patients were diagnosed and operated on for vascular injury in the Gyeongsang National University Hospital from 1992. to 1999. We reviewed their chart and analysed their data retrospectively. We studied to causes, treatments, and prognoses of traumatic vascular injury. Result: The transfer time between accident place and emergency department was mean 3,5 hour, and the operation preparing time was 8.8 hours. Five cases required amputation of extremity. All amputation cases were combined with communited bony fractures. Thirty-eight cases had combined other injuries, and almost combined injuries were muscular and neurological damages, Conclusion: The optimal treatment plan for vascular trauma was prompt diagnosis and quick management. It may decrease amputation rate and post-traumatic complications. Therefore we must be carefully evaluated the multiple traumatic patients for early diagnosis of vascular injury and operate quickly in emergency status.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.39 no.2 s.259
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• pp.127-133
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• 2006

Background: In the studies of the distribution of time to death in trauma patients, the early deaths within several hours after injury were a large component of total trauma deaths. Due to the development of trauma system, overall mortality of trauma was decreased, but trauma is still the major cause of deaths. Material and Method: From January 1994 to December 2003, trauma patients who had been admitted and had expired at tertiary hospital were enrolled. There was a total of 400 cases, a retrospective study was done to determine the distribution of trauma mortality according to the part of the body that were severely injured part and compared the difference between early deaths within 6 hours and late deaths after 6 hours. We also analysed the risk factors of early deaths due to trauma. Result: In severe injury to the head and abdomen, the distribution of mortality was bimodal. But, in severe chest injuries, the distribution was log-shape and most early deaths were almost of trauma related. The average of GCS were 5.86$\pm$4.15 for the early deaths and 8.24$\pm$5.02 for the late deaths (p < 0.05). The AIS of thorax were 2.66$\pm$1.87 for the early deaths and 1.55$\pm$1.76 for late deaths. The risk factors for early mortality were non-EMS transportation (odds ratio 3.474), high AIS (odds ratio 1.491) and GCS (odds ratio 0.859). Conclusion: In trauma patients, the causes of early mortality were severe brain injury and massive hemorrhage. Also severe chest injuries were the major cause of the early deaths in truama. Early diagnosis of chest injury can frequently be missed in the acute trauma setting. Therefore, high index of suspicion, a careful examination, and aggressive surgical treatment are important in multiple trauma patients.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.30 no.7
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• pp.713-718
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• 1997

Fracture of the sternum has been considered as a serious injury and also associated with major complications such as myocardial, major thoracic vascular, and spinal injury. Retrospective datas from blunt trauma victims admitted to our hospital were analyzed to determine significance of sternal fractures and possible associated injures. 101 sternal fractures by blunt trauma were admitted from january, 1986 to december, 1995. Frequency was about 3.51 olo of the nonpenetrating chest trauma. The ratio of male to female was 1.82 versus 1. Most common cause in the stemal fracture was high decelerating injury(73 cases). Most common fracture site was sternal body(75 cases). Average days of adm ssion were 26 days. Abnormal ECG findings were sinus bradycardia(Teases), complete or incomplete RBBB(6 cases), sinus tachycardia(4 cases), specific S-T change(3 cases), 1st degree A-V block(2 cases), LVH(1 case), PVC(1 case), and Low voltage(1 case). CPK-MB was increased about 32.Lolo of sternal fractures. Except of expired 2 patients, patients were treated with conservative treatment(94 cases) and open reductions & steel wire fixations(5 cases). Complication after operation was wound infection(1 case). Causes of death were 1 hypovolemia and 1 acute respiratory distress syndrome. In conclusion, although sternal fracture is less frequent, and mostly treats with conservative treatment, it shoed be carefully observed because of critical associated injuries.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.41 no.6
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• pp.807-810
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• 2008

From October 2005 to August 2006, sympathetic nerve reconstruction with using the intercostal nerve was performed in 4 patients with severe compensatory hyperhidrosis following thoracoscopic sympathetic surgery for facial hyperhidrosis. The interval between the initial sympathetic clipping and the sympathetic nerve reconstruction was a median of 23.1 months. The compensatory sweating after sympathetic nerve reconstruction was improved for 2 patients, but it was not improved for 2 patients. Thoracoscopic sympathetic nerve reconstruction may be one of the useful treatment methods for the patients with severe compensatory hyperhidrosis after they under go sympathetic nerve surgery for hyperhidrosis.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.28 no.9
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• pp.842-846
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• 1995

Recently, the trauma patients have been markedly increasing due to the vast increase of traffic accident, industrial disaster, incidental accident and violence. The authors have analysed of 22 patients of thoracic injuries combined with abdominal injuries and summarized as follows. The ratio of male to female was 3.4:1 and their age distribution was from 5 years to 68 years and mean age was 34.4 years. The etiologies of injury were traffic accident, stab wound, fall down and violence. Associated injuries were fractures, bowel perforation, kidney rupture, head injury, liver laceration, spleen rupture and so forth. The modes of treatment were closed thoracostomy, repair of diaphragm, ruptured bowel repair, explo-thoracotomy, splenectomy, hepatic lobectomy in this order of frequency. The postoperative complications were atelectasis, wound infection, pneumonia, empyema, acute renal failure, respiratory failure and bleeding. The mortality rate was 13.6% [3/22 and the causes of death were respiratory failure 1 case, acute renal failure 1 case and hypovolemic shock 1 case.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.32 no.9
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• pp.844-846
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• 1999

Chronic irritation to arterial wall by foreign material may give rise to delayed vascular injury. A 50 years old male patient with kyphoscoliosis had undergone fixation of orthopedic Cotrel-Dubousset(CD) rods and screws. Fourteen months after that surgery, a false aneurysm of the descending thoracic aorta associated with pulsating hematoma in the muscular chest wall developed. The false aneurysm was managed by resecting the diseased aortic segment and replacing the vascular graft.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.41 no.5
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• pp.675-678
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• 2008

A 42-year-old male was admitted because of an anterior neck injury due to accidental firing of a nail gun. On chest X-ray, the nail was stuck in the anterior neck, migrated to the chest, and then to the abdomen. Only the trachea was damaged, leaving no injury in the esophagus. The nail in the intestine was removed by colonoscopy. The patient showed complete recovery without complications after fasting and conservative treatment. We report this case with a literature review.