• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.25 no.12
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• pp.1542-1549
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• 1992

From March 1986 to August 1992, 18 patients underwent diaphragmatic plication for the diaphragmatic paralyses complicating various pediatric cardiac procedures. Age at operation ranged from 16 day to 84 months with mean age of 11.8 months. In order of decreasing incidence, the primary cardiac procedures included modified Blalock-Taussig shunt [ 5 ], Arterial switch operation [ 4 ], modified Fontan operation [ 2 ], and others [ 7 ]. The suspicious causes of phrenic nerve injury included overzealous pericardial resection [ 7 ], direct trauma during the procedure [ 6 ], dissection of fibrous adhesion around the phrenic nerve [ 3 ] and unknown etiology [ 2 ]. The involved sides of diaphragm were right in 10, left in 7 and bilateral in one. The diagnosis was suspected by the elevation of hem-idiaphragm on chest x-ray and confirmed by fluoroscopy. The interval between primary operation and plication ranged from the day of operation to 38 postoperative days [mean : 14 days]. The method of plication were "Central pleating technique" described by Schwartz in 16 and other techniques in 2. Five patients expired after plication and the cause of death were not thought to be correlated directly with the plication itself. In the remaining 13 survivors, extubation or cessation of positive ventilation could be done between the periods of the day of plication and 14th postoperative days [mean; 3.8day]. We have made the following conclusions : 1] Phrenic nerve paralyses are relatively common complication after pediatric cardiac procedures and the causes of phrenic nerve injury are mostly preventable; 2] Phrenic nerve palsy is associated with corisiderable morbidity; 3] diaphragmatic plication is safe, reliable and can be applicable in patients who are younger age and require prolonged positive pressure ventilation.ntilation.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.3 no.2
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• pp.113-120
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• 1970

Since the turn of the century there has been a constant search for a satisfactory method of controlling a large intrathoracic space following lobectomy. Primarily these methods consist of thoracoplasty, plombage, and phrenic nerve paralysis which are not completely satisfactory for they may result in loss of chest wall motility or diaphragmatic function. Incising the diaphragm at its periphery and resuturing to the chest wall at a level several rib spaces higher is an effective method of reducing intrathoracic space with minimal interference with pulmonary function. It is of particular value when the anticipated space problem is in the lower part of the thoracic cavity. Five cases are presented in which the diaphragm was peripherally detached and advanced to higher levels. Two cases were following lower lobectomy and three cases were following decortication for chronic empyema in which expansion was not good enough to adequately fill the space. Results in these cases were satisfactory.

• Korean Journal of Head & Neck Oncology
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• v.30 no.2
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• pp.74-78
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• 2014

갑상선 암 진단과 치료기술이 발전하면서 최근 그 수술 건 수가 급격하게 증가하고 있다. 하지만이와 관련된 합병증과 부작용을 면밀하게 평가해야 할 필요 역시 점차 늘어나고 있다. 갑상선 암 수술 후 발생할 수 있는 드문 합병증의 하나로 횡격막 신경마비(phrenic nerve paralysis)가 있다. 이러한 횡격막신경마비는 대부분 증상이 경미하고 쉽게 호전되어 임상적으로 크게 중요하게 다루어지지 않았다. 하지만, 갑상선 수술 후 갑작스런 호흡곤란이 발생한다면 횡격막 신경마비에 의한 횡격막 마비(diaphragmatic paralysis)와 관련되었을 가능성을 놓치지 말아야 한다. 저자들은 최근 갑상선암 수술 후 발생한 호흡곤란으로 2년 동안 심각한 호흡곤란을 호소하던 73세 여자환자에서 투시촬영(fluoroscopy) 상 편측으로 상승되고 운동성이 저하된 횡격막을 확인하여 일측성 횡격막신경마비(Unilateral phrenic nerve paralysis)를 확진 하였다. 갑상선수술 후 발생하는 일측 횡경막 신경마비는 임상에서 드물게 관찰되는 수술 합병증이기에 환자는 상당기간 이에 대한 감별이 제대로 이루어지지 않았다. 우리는 횡격막 마비의 조기 진단과 적극적인 치료를 통하여 심한 호흡곤란을 호소하는 환자의 증상 및 병의 경과를 호전 시킬 수 있었다.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.50 no.5
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• pp.382-385
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• 2017

A 47-year-old man with myasthenia gravis (MG) was admitted for a lung transplant. He had bronchiolitis obliterans after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation due to acute myeloid leukemia. MG developed after stem cell transplantation. Bilateral sequential lung transplantations and a total thymectomy were performed. The patient underwent right diaphragmatic plication simultaneously due to preoperatively diagnosed right diaphragmatic paralysis. A tracheostomy was performed and bilevel positive airway pressure (BiPAP) was applied on postoperative days 8 and 9, respectively. The patient was transferred to the general ward on postoperative day 12, successfully weaned off BiPAP on postoperative day 18, and finally discharged on postoperative day 62.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.6 no.2
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• pp.243-248
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• 1973

Eventration of the diaphragm is, by definition, abnormally high or elevated position of diaphragm as a result of paralysis, aplasia or atrophy of varing degrees of muscle fibers, and the cause of which may be congenital or acquired. The unbroken continuity of the diaphragm differentiates it from diaphragmatic hernia. The clinical manifestations of the condition, if present, are usually due to the interference of the ventilatory function of the lung and digesive dysfunction due to gastrointestinal distorsion. Treatment consists of surgical repair of the relaxed diaphragm to it`s normal position. A ease of left sided eventuration of the diaphragm, 31 year old officer, was found by chance after traffic accident with chief complaints of hemoptysis and multiple superficial contusions. Routine chest roentgenogram and barium study of the colon revealed moderately elevated left hemidiaphragm with displacement of the splenic flexure of the colon into the left chest. Past history revealed frequent attack of upper respiratory infection and some abnormal condition on his left chest announced by screen cheek of chest X-ray at the time of entrance for his army service 3 years before. Plication of the relaxed diaphragm through left thoracotomy was done and result was excellent as seen on Fig. 5. Cause of eventration of the left hemidiaphragm was due to paralysis of the left phrenic nerve which was tested during thoracotomy.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.35 no.10
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• pp.730-735
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• 2002

Diaphragm is innervated by phrenic nerve and lower intercostal nerves. For patients with avulsion injury of brachial plexus, an in situ graft of phrenic nerve is frequently used to neurotize a branch of the brachial plexus. We studied short-term and mid-term changes of diaphragmatic level and movement in patients with dissection of phrenic nerve for neurotization. Material and Method : Thirteen patients with division of either-side phrenic nerve for neurotization of musculocutaneous nerve were included in this study. With endoscopic surgical procedure, the intrathoracic phrenic nerve was entirely dissected and divided just above the diaphragm. The dissected phrenic nerve was taken out through thoracic inlet and neck wound and then anastomosed to the musculocutaneous nerve through a subcutaneous tunnel. With chest films and fluoroscopy, levels and movements of diaphragm were measured before and after operation. Result : There was no specific technical difficulty or even minor postoperative complications following endoscopic division of phrenic nerve. After division of phrenic nerve, diaphragm was soon elevated about 1.7 intercostal spaces compared with the preoperative level, but it did not show paradoxical motion in fluoroscopy. More than 1.5 months later, diaphragm returned downward close to the preoperative level (average level difference was 0.9 intercostal spaces; p＝NS). Movement of diaphragm was not significantly decreased compared with the preoperative one. Conclusion : After division of phrenic nerve, the affected diaphragm did not show a significant decrease in movement, and the elevated diaphragm returned downward with time. However, the decreased lung volumes in the last spirometry suggest the decreased inspiratory force following partial paralysis of diaphragm.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.43 no.5
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• pp.513-517
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• 2010

Background: Diaphragmatic plication through a thoracoscopic approach has been an effective modality to treat diaphragmatic enventration. However, the conventional technique for thoracoscopic plication has some disadvantages. We have developed an improved and simplified technique with utilizing the head up position, $CO_2$ insufflation and figure-of-eight sutures. Material and Method: Between October 2005 and September 2009, 9 patients with diaphragmatic paralysis underwent repair using our modified technique. The mean patient age was $38.5{\pm}53.0$ years (range: 2~76 years). Result: The mean operation time was $46.7{\pm}15.9$ min (range: 30~85 min). None of the patients died due to this procedure, but there was one case of prolonged air leakage, and a case of re-expansion pulmonary edema, which required 3 days of ventilator support after the procedure. The mean hospital stay was $6.22{\pm}2.04$ days (range: 4~11 days). The mean follow-up duration was $27.2{\pm}11.6$ months (range: 2~43 months). All the patients had their symptoms relieved and there was no recurrence of eventration except for one patient who developed more than 2 cm elevation of the diaphragm compared to the immediate post-operation status. Conclusion: With our technique, thoracoscopic diaphragmatic plication was feasible via using only three 5 mm ports and without a working window and the midterm results were favorable. Therefore, we advocate thoracoscopic diaphragmatic plication as a preferred technique to the conventional open plication technique.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.29 no.10
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• pp.1118-1122
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• 1996

From January 1990 through December 1995, 43 patients underwent diaphragmatic plication for the management of phrenic nerve palsy .complicating various pediatric cardiovascular surgery. Their mean age at plication was 11.1 months and sex ratio was 31 males to 12 females. In order of decreasing incidence, the primary cardiovascular procedures included modified Blalock-Taussig shunt (7), total correction for the Tetralogy of Falloff (7), arterial switch operation (6), unifocalization for the pulmonary atresia with VSD (3), modified Fontan operation (3), VSD patch closure (3) and others. The involved sides of diaphragm were right in 17, left in 2) and bilateral in 3. Extensive pericardial resection with electocauterization of resected margin was thought to be the most common cause of phrenic nerve palsy (20). The interval between primary operation and plication ranged from the day of operation to 98 days (median 11 days). The methods of plication were central pleating technique(plication with phrenic nerve branch preservation) in 41, and other technique In 2. 10 patients died after plication (7: early, 3; late), and the causes of death were thought to be unrelated to plication itself. Among the 36 early survivors, extubation or cessation of positive pressure ventilation could be accomplished between 1 and 24 days postoperatively(mean : 4.5). Cumulative follow-up was 92 patient years without major complications. Postoperative follow-up fluoroscopy was performed in 6 patients, and the location and movement of plicated diaphragms were satisfactory in 5 patients. We concluded that diaphragmatic plication with preservation of phrenic n rve branch could lead to cessation of positive pressure ventilation and complete recovery of diaphragmatic function in the long term, unless the phrenic nerve was irreversibly damaged.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.39 no.1 s.258
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• pp.12-17
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• 2006

Background: Circulatory arrest under deep hypothermia is an important auxiliary means for surgical correction of total anomalous pulmonary venous connection (TAPVC), However, cardiac operations under deep hypothermic circulatory arrest are associated with the risk of post-arrest neurologic abnormalities. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the results of the surgical correction of total anomalous pulmonary venous connection without the total circulatory arrest. Materiai and Method: Between April 2000 and October 2004, hospital records of 10 patients were reviewed retrospectively. Result: The locations for abnormal anatomical connections were supracardiac in 7 cases, cardiac in 1 case, and infracardiac in 2 cases. The mean cardiopulmonary bypass time and aorta cross clamp time were 116.8$\pm$40.7 and 69.5$\pm$24.1 minutes. There was no surgical mortality. Postoperative complications were post-repair pulmonary venous stenosis in 1 case, pneumonia in 1, pneumothorax in 1, wound infection in 1,and diaphragmatic paralysis in 1. All patients without pulmonary venous stenosis were in NYHA class I at mean follow-up of 16.6 months (3$\∼$49 months) Conclusion: We could obtain excellent results by repair without the total circulatory arrest for total anomalous pulmonary venous connection.