• Journal of Trauma and Injury
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• v.36 no.3
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• pp.253-257
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• 2023

A century ago, cardiac injuries usually resulted in death. However, despite all the advances in medicine, these injuries still have high mortality and morbidity rates. In the present case, we describe a patient with a bullet injury to the right ventricle who survived at our hospital despite the limitations of our center with regard to modalities and equipment. A 30-year-old man was brought to our emergency department with a bullet wound to his left flank. He was hemodynamically unstable. After only 8 minutes in the hospital and without further investigations he was rushed to the operating room. During laparotomy, a clot was visible in the left diaphragm, which dislodged and caused extensive bleeding. The decision was made to perform a sternotomy in the absence of a sternal saw. An oblique 8-cm injury to the right ventricle was discovered following rapid exploration. It was repaired without the need for cardiopulmonary bypass surgery. After a few days in the hospital, the patient was discharged home. In the event of a penetrating cardiac injury, rapid decision-making is crucial for survival. Whenever possible, the patient should be transferred to the operating room, as emergency department thoracotomies are associated with a high mortality rate.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.31 no.8
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• pp.804-810
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• 1998

Background: Multiple trauma patients have rapidly increased due to traffic accidents, industrial disasters, incidental accidents, and violence. Multiple trauma can involve injuries to the heart, lung, and great vessels and influence the lives, necessitate prompt diagnosis and treatment. Most of the thoracic injuries can be managed with conservative method and simple surgical procedures, such as closed thoracostomy, but in certain cases open thoracotomy is necessary. Materials and methods: The author analyzed the surgical result of 70 cases of open thoracotomy after multiple organ injury including thoracic organ. Results: The most common type of thoracic lesion was hemothorax with or without pneumothorax and diaphragmatic rupture was the second. Sixty percent of the patients were associated with bone fractures, 42.9% with abdominal injuries, and 37.1% with head injuries. The modes of operation were ligations of torn vessels for bleeding control(48.6%), repair of diaphragm(35.7%), and repair of lung laceration(25.7%) in this order of frequency and additional procedures were splenectomy(14.3%), hepatic lobectomy (8.6%) and repair of liver lacerations(5.7%). Postoperative complications were atelectasis (8.6%), wound infection (8.6%), and pneumonia(4.3%). Postoperatively six patients died(The mortality rate was 8.6%) and the causes of death were respiratory failure(2), acute renal failure(2), sepsis(1), and hypovolemic shock(1).

• 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.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.43 no.1
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• pp.47-52
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• 2010

Background: Traumatic diaphragmatic rupture is not common, but it requires swiftly performing an emergency operation. This study was conducted to evaluate the prognostic factors for mortality after surgically treating traumatic diaphragmatic rupture. Material and Method: From Jan 2001 to Dec. 2008, we experienced 37 cases of multiple traumas with diaphragmatic injuries that were confirmed by surgical procedures. We evaluated various factors, including the type of injury, the associated injuries, the preoperative vital signs, the ISS, the time until surgery and the rupture size. Result: There were 30 patients with blunt trauma and 7 patients with penetrating trauma. Thirty-four patients had associated injuries and the mean ISS was 20.8. Postoperative complications occurred in 11 patients and hospital mortalities occurred in 6 patients. The prognostic factors that had an influence on the postoperative mortalities were the preoperative intubation state, the patient who exhibited hypotension and a high ISS. Conclusion: Traumatic diaphragmatic rupture is just one part of multiple traumas. The postoperative mortalities might depend on not only on the diaphragmatic rupture itself, but also on the severity of the associated injuries.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.7 no.2
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• pp.163-168
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• 1974

Five cases of traumatic diaphragmatic hernia were repaired in the Department of Thoracic Surgery, Seoul National University Hospital, during the period from 1967 to 1974. The first case, a 14-year aid girl, was diagnosed as diaphragmatic hernia during laparotomy because of jejunal perforation 3 days after traffic accident. Herniated stomach, transverse colon, spleen and left lobe of the liver were repositioned and the diaphragmatic rupture on left posterolateral portion was repaired with two layers of nonabsorbable sutures by transthoracic approach. The second case, a 26-year old man,was diagnosed immediately after traffic accident at a local clinic and transferred to this hospital 24 hours later. Herniated stomach, transverse colon and jejunum were repositioned amd diaphragmatic rupture,about 9 cm in length,from the posterolat.edge to the base of pericardium was sutured in two layers. The third case, a 26-year old man who had stab wound on the left lower lateral chest two years ago,was admitted with sudden abdominal pain and vomiting. Upper gastrointestinal series with barium meal revealed diaphragmatic hernia. The herniated stomach and transverse colon through the defect,about 3.5cm in diameter, at anterolateral portion on the left side,were repositioned and repaired with two layers of nonabsorbable sutures. The forth case, a 26-year old man, sustained blunt trauma to the chest by a roller and was transferred to the emergency room complaining of dyspnea 40 minutes after the accident. The diaphragmatic rupture extended from left midaxillary line to contralateral anterior axillary line,about 20cm long, at anterior portion of diaphragm, which was repaired with two layers, of nonabsorbable sutures. The fifth case, a 4-year old girl, had two separate diaphragmatic ruptures on both sides, which were caused by traffic accident. Immediate upper gastrointestinal series after injury showed herniated stomach, colon and spleen into left Chest cavity. Another small rupture with anterior edge of right lobe of the liver in chest cavity was noted. These were repaired with non-absorbable sutures via thoracotomy.

• Korean Journal of Materials Research
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• v.30 no.4
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• pp.197-203
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• 2020

Abdominal organs are the most vulnerable body parts under vehicle trauma, and there is high mortality from acute injuries in accidents. There are various ways to reduce this high mortality; one method is Resuscitative Endovascular Balloon Occlusion of the Aorta, which has recently become very popular as a minimally invasive alternative in the emergent management of patients with non-compressible hemorrhages below the diaphragm. However, high safety factor for patients is applied in actual clinical practice because there is no exact standard for the operating time. Therefore, in this study, the effects of the mechanical behavior of organ tissues for the duodenum, kidney, and liver on the operating time of Resuscitative Endovascular Balloon Occlusion of the Aorta is investigated in order to obtain data needed to establish standards of operating time. In characteristic analysis of organ tissues, uniaxial tensile test and compression test are conducted according to the operating time.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.70 no.3
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• pp.261-265
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• 2011

Cholethorax is a bilious pleural effusion caused by a pleurobiliary fistula or leakage of bile into the pleural space. Most cases of cholethorax arise from a complication of abdominal trauma, hepatobiliary infection, or invasive procedures or surgery of hepatobiliary system. However, we experienced a case of a patient with cholethorax of unknown origin. There was no evidence of pleurobiliary fistula or leakage of bile from the hepatobiliary system although we examined the patient with various diagnostic tools including chest and abdominal computed tomography, endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography, tubography, bronchofiberscopy, hepatobiliary scintigraphy and video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery. Herein we report a case of cholethorax for which the specific cause was not identified. The patient was improved by percutaneous drainage of pleural bile.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.40 no.1 s.270
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• pp.74-78
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• 2007

Systemic artery to pulmonary vessel fistula (SAPVF) is an abnormal communication between the systemic arterial circulation and the pulmonary circulation. Most SAPVF are congenital, but some SAPVF may also develop as a consequence of trauma, neoplasm, and inflammation of pleura or lung parenchyma. A 38-year-old man was referred to our department for hemoptysis. He underwent an operation for traumatic diaphragm rupture 16 years ago. Chest CT scan and angiography revealed SAPVF between several intercostal arteries and pulmonary vessels. He had an angiographic transcatheter embolization and the SAPVF disappeared at follow-up chest CT. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first case report of traumatic SAPVF in Korea.