• Archives of Plastic Surgery
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• v.36 no.6
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• pp.750-754
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• 2009

Purpose: The thoracodorsal vessels have been the standard recipient vessels for the majority of surgeons performing free abdominal flap breast reconstructions. Recently, the internal mammary vessels have been recommended as the first - choice recipient vessels for microvascular breast reconstruction. To approach the internal mammary vessel, 3rd or 4th rib cartilage excision is needed, but this method has some demerits - vessel injury, post operative pain and post operative chest hollowness. So, authors propose the approach method to the internal mammary vessel through intercostal space without rib cartilage resection. Methods: From November, 2008 to May, 2009, 13 patients underwent free abdominal flap breast reconstruction with approach to the internal mammary vessel through intercostal space without rib cartilage resection. Results: The mean patient age was 41.8 years, and the mean height was 159.3 cm. 11 patients underwent immediate breast reconstruction. Free DIEP flap reconstruction was performed in 7 patients, Free TRAM flap was performed in 5 patients, and Free SIEA flap was performed in 1 patient. Except 1 case, approach to the internal mammary vessel was took through 3rd intercostal space, and all width of intercostal space exceeded 1 cm. Conclusion: In the authors' experience, use of approach to the internal mammary vessels without rib cartilage resection method is safe and reliable to overcome demerits of rib cartilage resection method.

• Korean Journal of Adult Nursing
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• v.14 no.1
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• pp.34-43
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• 2002

More and more non-injured operations are being implemented these days, thanks to the development of medical technology. Still, however, most operations leave direct scars on patient' bodies, as well as accompanying pain. The massage as an independent nursing intervention can stimulate the circulation of the blood of tissue and muscle and increase the relationship between a patient and a nurse. The purpose of this study is to investigate the effect of foot massage on pain in post abdominal operative patients. The nonequivalent control group, pre-post test design is used for this study. From July 7, 2000 to February 20, 2001, the 40 patients who were operated under general anesthesia in a university hospital in Seoul were studied. They were divided into two groups ; 20 patients were part of the experimental group, and the others, in the control group. In order to evaluate the effect of foot massage, severity of pain was checked with the VAS (Visual Analog Scale) and also each patients' vital signs were measured with pulse rate, systolic blood pressure and diastolic blood pressure. The collected datas were processed by SAS version 6.12 program and analyzed by the Chi-square, Fisher's exact test, t-test and repeated measures ANOVA. The results of this study were as follows. 1. The severity of pain decreased significantly in the experimental group as compared to the control group following foot massage (t=-3.317, p= .002). 2. Measured vital signs in the experimental group had more reduction of that than in the control group following foot massage. - The pulse rate in the experimental group was lower than that in the control group following foot massage (F=7.73, p=.008). - The systolic blood pressure in the experimental group was lower than that in the control group following foot massage (F=25.75, p=.000). - The diastolic blood pressure in the experimental group was lower than that in the control group following foot massage (F=15.27, p=.000). In conclusion, foot massage is an effective dependent nursing intervention for pain control of post abdominal operative patients.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.13 no.2
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• pp.725-729
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• 2012

Background: The management of hepatolithiasis combined with intrahepatic cholangicarcinoma (IHHCC) remains a challenge due to poor prognosis. The aim of this study was to summarize our diagnosis and cure experience of IHHCC over the recent 10 years. Methods: From January 1996 to January 2006, 66 patients with IHHCC were reviewed retrospectively. Results: Of the 66 patients, 52 underwent surgical resection (radical resection in 38 and palliative in 14) and 8 patients abdominal exploration, while the other 6 cases received endoscopic retrograde biliary internal drainage and stent implantation. In this series, correct diagnosis of advanced stage was made during operation in 8 cases (8/60, 13.3%) and all of them (underwent unnecessary abdominal exploration, among them the positive rate of CA19-9 was 100%, and the positive rate of CEA was 87.6% (7/8), incidence rate of ascites was 100% and short-term significant weight loss was 100%, with median overall survival of only 4 months. Conclusion: Radical resection is mandatory for IHHCC patient to achieve long-term survival, the CT and MR imaging features of IHHCC being concentric enhancement. Patients with IHHCC have significant higher CA199 and significant higher CEA and short-term significant weight loss and ascites should be considered with advanced stage of IHHCC and unnecessary non-therapeutic laparotomies should be avoided.

• Journal of Trauma and Injury
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• v.22 no.1
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• pp.77-86
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• 2009

Purpose: The appropriate management of traumatic truncal arterial injury is often difficult to determine, particularly if the injury is associated with severe additional truncal lesions. The timing of repair is controversial when patients arrive alive at the hospital. Also, there is an argument about surgery versus stent-graft repair. This study's objective was to evaluate the appropriate method and the timing for treatment in cases of truncal abdominal injury associated with other abdominal lesions. Methods: The medical records at Ajou University Medical Center were reviewed for an 8-year period from January 1, 2001, to December 31, 2008. Twelve consecutive patients, who were diagnosed as having had a traumatic truncal arterial injury, were enrolled in our study. Patients who were dead before arriving at the hospital or were not associated with abdominal organ injury, were excluded. All patients involved were managed by using the ATLS (Advanced Trauma Life Support) guideline. Data on injury site, the timing and treatment method of repair, the overall complications, and the survival rate were collected and analyzed. Results: Every case showed a severe injury of more than 15 point on the ISS (injury severity score) scale. The male-to-female ratio was 9:3, and patients were 41 years old on the average. Sites of associated organ injury were the lung, spleen, bowel, liver, pelvic bone, kidney, heart, vertebra, pancreas, and diaphragm ordered from high frequency to lower frequency. There were 11 cases of surgery, and one case of conservative treatment. Two of the patients died after surgery for truncal organ injury: one from excessive bleeding after surgery and the other from multiple organ failure. Arterial injuries were diagnosed by using computed tomography in every case and 9 patients were treated by using an angiographic stent-graft repair. There were 3 patients whose vessels were normal on admission. Several weeks later, they were diagnosed as having a truncal arterial injury. Conclusion: In stable rupture of the truncal artery, initial conservative management is safe and allows management of the major associated lesions. Stent grafting of the truncal artery is a valuable therapeutic alternative to surgical repair, especially in patients considered to be a high risk for a conventional thoracotomy.

• Advances in pediatric surgery
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• v.20 no.2
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• pp.28-32
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• 2014

Purpose: Laparoscopic appendectomy (LA) has become a gold standard for children even in complicated appendicitis. The purpose of this study was to compare the postoperative surgical site infection rates between laparoscopic and open appendectomy (OA) group in pediatric complicated appendicitis. Methods: A total of 1,158 pediatric patients (age ${\leq}$ 15 years) underwent operation for appendicitis over a period of 8 years. Among these patients, 274 patients (23.7%) were diagnosed with complicated appendicitis by radiologic, operative and pathologic findings, and their clinical outcomes were retrospectively analyzed. Results: Of the 274 patients with complicated appendicitis, 108 patients underwent LA and 166 patients underwent OA. Patients in the LA group returned to oral intake earlier (1.9 days vs. 2.7 days; p<0.01) and had a shorter hospital stay (5.0 days vs. 6.3 days; p<0.01). However, rate of postoperative intra-abdominal infection (organ/space surgical site infection) was higher in the LA group (LA 15/108 [13.9%] vs. OA 12/166 [7.2%]; p<0.01). Readmission rate was also higher in the LA group (LA 9/108 [8.3%] vs. OA 3/166 [1.8%]; p<0.01). Conclusion: The minimally invasive laparoscopic technique has more advantages compared to the open procedure in terms of hospital stay and early recovery. However, intra-abdominal infection and readmission rates were higher in the laparoscopy group. Further studies should be performed to evaluate high rate of organ/space surgical infection rate of laparoscopic procedure in pediatric complicated appendicitis.

• Korean Journal of Adult Nursing
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• v.18 no.1
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• pp.125-135
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• 2006

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to identify pain intensity according to activities over postoperative days and to identify factors of patient satisfaction with pain management after abdominal surgery. Methods: The subjects were 123 patients who were admitted at a general surgical ward and had abdominal surgery from Mar. 2005 to June 2005. The collected data were analyzed using the SPSS 12.0 program. Results: The average postoperative pain scores were 6.13 at POD 1, 5.46 at POD 2, and 4.22 at POD 3. In stepwise multiple regression analysis a total of 40% of variance in satisfaction with pain management was accounted for by pain intensity on POD 3 at rest (29.4%) and attitude toward using pain medicine (6.6%), and side effects of pain medicine (4.0%). Conclusion: According to the findings of this study, patients had inadequate pain management after abdominal surgery. Therefore, nurses need to provide educational programs focused on changing attitudes toward using pain medicine, to reduce side effects of pain medicine, and to develop nursing intervention for relieving pain.

• The Korean Journal of Pain
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• v.3 no.2
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• pp.119-124
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• 1990

Reiestad and Stromskag recently introduced the interpleural installation of local anesthetic solutions as a technique for the management of postoperative pain in patients undergoing cholecystectomy, renal surgery, and breast surgery. This study was done to manage postoperative pain in the patients undergoing unilateral upper-abdominal surgery and thoracotomy. Twenty patients received 0.5% bupivacaine 20 ml with epinephrine (Children, received 10 ml). Results were as follows: 1) Analgesic effects appeared in 15.56 minutes; mean analgesic duration from the initial intrapleural injection was 10.5 hours. 2) Blood pressure increased more after the operation than before the operation. Blood pressure before injection of bupivacaine was highest (p<0.01). Heart rate was increased before injection and 10 minutes after injection of 0.5% bupivacaine (p<0.05). 3) The values of $PaCO_2$, were improved from $41.7{\pm}2.02\;mmHg$ ($PaCO_2$), $85.2{\pm}2.41\;mmHg$ ($PaO_2$) to $37.8{\pm}2.41\;mmHg$ ($PaCO_2$), $107.0{\pm}7.86\;mmHg$ ($PaO_2$) respectively (p<0.01). 4) Complication such as pneumothorax, atelectasis and CNS toxicity did not appear. 5) Intrapleural administration of local anesthetics after unilateral upper-abdominal and thoracic surgery provided a satisfactory pain control.

• Journal of Gastric Cancer
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• v.16 no.1
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• pp.28-33
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• 2016

Purpose: We evaluated the clinical outcomes of the non-operative management of post-gastrectomy duodenal stump leakage in patients with gastric cancer. Materials and Methods: A total of 1,230 patients underwent gastrectomy at our institution between 2010 and 2014. Duodenal stump leakage was diagnosed in 19 patients (1.5%), and these patients were included in this study. The management options varied with patient condition; patients were managed conservatively, with a pigtail catheter drain, or by tube duodenostomy via a Foley catheter. The patients' clinical outcomes were analyzed. Results: Duodenal stump leakage was diagnosed in all 19 patients within a median of 10 days (range, 1~20 days). The conservative group comprised of 5 patients (26.3%), the pigtail catheter group of 11 patients (57.9%), and the Foley catheter group of 3 patients (15.8%). All 3 management modalities were successful; none of the patients needed further operative intervention. The median hospital stay was 18, 33, and 42 days, respectively. Conclusions: Non-operative management of duodenal stump leakage for selected groups of patients with gastric cancer was effective for control of intra-abdominal sepsis. This management modality can help obviate the need for surgical intervention.

• Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology & Nutrition
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• v.23 no.3
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• pp.304-309
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• 2020

An 18-year-old woman with annular pancreas and duodenal duplication presented with recurrent acute pancreatitis and underwent a resection of duodenal duplication. However, the patient experienced recurrent abdominal pain after resection. Abdominal computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging showed a dilatation of the peripheral pancreatic duct and stenosis and malformation of both the Wirsung's and Santorini's duct due to multiple stones. The modified puestow procedure was performed. The main pancreatic ducts in the body and tail were opened, and the intrapancreatic common bile duct was preserved. A Roux-en-Y pancreatico-jejunostomy was performed for reconstructing the pancreaticobiliary system after removing the ductal protein plug. The patient experienced no abdominal pain, no significant elevation of the serum amylase and lipase levels, and no stone formation during the 2 years of follow-up. This procedure is considered to be beneficial for pediatric patients with chronic pancreatitis due to annular pancreas and duodenal duplication.

• Molecules and Cells
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• v.42 no.3
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• pp.218-227
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• 2019

This study was designed to determine the effects of the long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) plasmacytoma variant translocation 1 (PVT1) on vascular smooth muscle cell (VSMC) apoptosis and extracellular matrix (ECM) disruption in a murine abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) model. After injection of PVT1-silencing lentiviruses, AAA was induced in Apolipoprotein E-deficient ($ApoE^{-/-}$) male mice by angiotensin II (Ang II) infusion for four weeks. After Ang II infusion, mouse serum levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines were analysed, and aortic tissues were isolated for histological, RNA, and protein analysis. Our results also showed that PVT1 expression was significantly upregulated in abdominal aortic tissues from AAA patients compared with that in controls. Additionally, Ang II treatment significantly increased PVT1 expression, both in cultured mouse VSMCs and in AAA murine abdominal aortic tissues. Of note, the effects of Ang II in facilitating cell apoptosis, increasing matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-2 and MMP-9, reducing tissue inhibitor of MMP (TIMP)-1, and promoting switching from the contractile to synthetic phenotype in cultured VSMCs were enhanced by overexpression of PVT1 but attenuated by knockdown of PVT1. Furthermore, knockdown of PVT1 reversed Ang II-induced AAA-associated alterations in mice, as evidenced by attenuation of aortic diameter dilation, marked adventitial thickening, loss of elastin in the aorta, enhanced aortic cell apoptosis, elevated MMP-2 and MMP-9, reduced TIMP-1, and increased pro-inflammatory cytokines. In conclusion, our findings demonstrate that knockdown of lncRNA PVT1 suppresses VSMC apoptosis, ECM disruption, and serum pro-inflammatory cytokines in a murine Ang II-induced AAA model.