• The Journal of Korean Medicine
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• v.38 no.4
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• pp.90-103
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• 2017

Objectives: This study was designed to confirm the effects of the Korean Medicine health promotion program targeting young children. One important aspect of the Korean Medicine health promotion program for children is to bring awareness of health benefits of introducing Korean Medicine methods to young children and to promote incorporating such methods in children's daily activities to develop healthy habits. Methods: The following experiment was conducted for 6 weeks, and the participants were in the age between 2 to 6 years old from 6 child care centers in Wonju and Chungju. 268 participants were in the intervention group, and 277 in the control group. To measure the outcomes of the Children Korean Medicine health program, the intervention group received Korean Medicine prevention programs (children education, parent education, growth exercises, common cold prevention scarf, and pear herb tea), control group did not. This research collected and compared the following data as the children's health indicators to measure the outcomes before and after the program: medical services usage, the number of absences, early leaves, and tardiness to the child care centers due to the participant's health condition. Results: After applying the children's health promotion programs on children between the age of 2-6, there was a decrease in the overall medical services usage, absences, early leaves, and tardiness to the child care center. This health promotion program was purely based on Korean medical theories and Korean Medicine resources without any conventional medical mediation. Conclusions: It can be concluded that a positive change was noted in raising awareness of Korean Medicine through educating both the parents and children. By learning to incorporate Korean Medicine prevention practices to daily habits, not only was there a reduction in the Medical services usage, but the children also became familiar and comfortable with Korean Medicine and its treatment procedures; the overall satisfaction level of the program was also high.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.51 no.1
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• pp.1-7
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• 2018

Background: Sutureless aortic valve replacement (SU-AVR) has been developed as an alternative surgical treatment for patients with symptomatic severe aortic stenosis (AS). The aim of this study was to evaluate the clinical outcomes of SU-AVR through an assessment of hemodynamic performance and safety. Methods: From December 2014 to June 2016, a total of 12 consecutive patients with severe AS underwent SU-AVR. The endpoints were overall survival and valve-related complications (paravalvular leakage, valve thrombosis, migration, endocarditis, and permanent pacemaker implantation). The mean follow-up duration was $18.1{\pm}8.6months$. Results: The mean age of the patients was $77.1{\pm}5.8years$ and their mean Society of Thoracic Surgeons score was $9.2{\pm}17.7$. The mean cardiopulmonary bypass and aortic cross-clamp times were $94.5{\pm}37.3$ minutes and $54.9{\pm}12.5minutes$, respectively. Follow-up echocardiography showed good prosthesis function with low transvalvular pressure gradients (mean, $13.9{\pm}8.6mm\;Hg$ and peak, $27.2{\pm}15.0mm\;Hg$) at a mean of $9.9{\pm}4.2months$. No cases of primary paravalvular leakage, valve thrombosis, migration, or endocarditis were reported. A new permanent pacemaker was implanted in 1 patient (8.3%). The 1-year overall survival rate was $83.3%{\pm}10.8%$. Conclusion: Our initial experience with SU-AVR demonstrated excellent early clinical outcomes with good hemodynamic results. However, there was a high incidence of permanent pacemaker implantation compared to the rate for conventional AVR, which is a problem that should be solved.

• Radiation Oncology Journal
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• v.31 no.4
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• pp.191-198
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• 2013

Purpose: To observe long-term clinical outcomes for patients with early-stage breast cancer treated with forward intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT), including local control and clinical toxicities. Materials and Methods: We retrospectively analyzed a total of 214 patients with stage I-II breast cancer who were treated with breast conserving surgery followed by adjuvant breast radiation therapy between 2001 and 2008. All patients were treated using forward IMRT. The whole breast was irradiated to a dose of 50 to 50.4 Gy followed by an 8 to 12 Gy electron boost to the surgical bed. Results: The median age was 46 years (range, 21 to 82 years) and the medial follow-up time was 7.3 years (range, 2.4 to 11.7 years). Stage T1 was 139 (65%) and T2 was 75 (35%), respectively. Ipsilateral breast recurrence was observed in 3 patients. The 5- and 10-year local control rates were 99.1% and 97.8%, respectively. The cosmetic outcome was evaluated according to the Harvard scale and 89.4% of patients were scored as excellent or good. Conclusion: The whole breast radiation therapy as an adjuvant treatment using a forward IMRT technique showed excellent long-term local control as well as favorable outcomes of toxicity and cosmesis.

• The Journal of Advanced Prosthodontics
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• v.10 no.2
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• pp.85-92
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• 2018

PURPOSE. This research evaluated clinical outcomes of two types of hydroxyapatite (HA)-coated implants: OT (Osstem TS III-HA, Osstem implant Co., Busan, Korea) and ZM (Zimmer TSV-HA, Zimmer dental, Carlsbad, USA). MATERIALS AND METHODS. The research was conducted on 303 implants (89 of OT, 214 of ZM), which were placed from January 16, 2010 to December 20, 2012. The prognosis was evaluated in terms of success rates, survival rates, annual marginal bone loss, and implant stability quotients (ISQ). The samples were classified into immediate, early, conventional, and delayed groups according to the loading time. RESULTS. Overall, there were no significant differences between OT and ZM in success rates, survival rates, and annual marginal bone loss, except for the result of secondary stability. OT showed $77.83{\pm}8.23ISQ$, which was marginally higher than $76.09{\pm}6.90ISQ$ of ZM (P<.05). In terms of healing periods, only immediate loading showed statistically significant differences (P<.05). Differences between OT and ZM were observed in terms of two indices, the annual marginal bone loss ($0.17{\pm}0.58mm/year$ < $0.45{\pm}0.80mm/year$) and secondary stability ($84.36{\pm}3.80ISQ$ > $82.48{\pm}3.69ISQ$) (P<.05). OT and ZM did not have any statistically significant differences in early, conventional, and delayed loading (P>.05). CONCLUSION. OT (97.75%) and ZM (98.50%) showed relatively good outcomes in terms of survival rates. In general, OT and ZM did not show statistically significant differences in most indices (P>.05), although OT performed marginally better than ZM in the immediate loading and 1-stage surgery (P<.05).

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.45 no.3
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• pp.155-160
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• 2012

Background: Cryosurgery was recently introduced as a treatment for varicose veins in the lower extremities. Cryosurgery with freezing probes can be used to remove the great saphenous vein (GSV) via an inguinal incision alone. The aim of this study was to assess early outcomes and the feasibility of cryosurgery for varicose veins. Materials and Methods: Forty patients were enrolled in the present study from March 2009 to July 2010. All patients underwent careful physical examinations, and their GSV reflux was demonstrated by duplex ultrasonography. Clinical severity was measured according to the clinical-etiology-anatomy-pathophysiology (CEAP) classification. The impaired GSVs were removed with rigid cryoprobes after freezing. Patients had follow-up appointments at 1 week, 1 month, 3 months, and 6 months after surgery. Sclerotherapy was performed during follow-up on an outpatient basis as needed. Results: A total of 19 men and 21 women were enrolled. The mean follow-up duration was 3.4 months (range, 1 to 12 months). The clinical severity ranged from CEAP 2 to CEAP 6a. Thirty-eight patients underwent concomitant phlebectomy during surgery. No recurrences were reported during follow-up. There were three cases of minor complications. Two patients had paresthesia, and one had thrombophlebitis. Conclusion: Using cryosurgery techniques to treat varicose veins, the complication rates were minimal and outcomes were comparable to those of previous reports. This procedure is a safe and feasible treatment modality for varicose veins.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.15 no.8
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• pp.3567-3570
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• 2014

Background: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the most common cancers in men and the third most common cancer in woman in Thailand. This retrospective study was designed to assess the prevalence, clinical manifestations, treatment outcomes and prognosis of HCC in the central region of Thailand. Materials and Methods: The authors retrospectively reviewed all HCC patients aged more than 15 years old in Thammasat university hospital (TUH) during the period from January 2007 to December 2012. Clinical information, biochemical tests and radiologic findings were collected from review of medical records. Results: There were 308 patients with HCC, which accounted for the prevalence of 5.19% of all cancers diagnosed in TUH during the study period. Of these, 125 (40.5%) had complete information retrievable from their medical records and met the inclusion criteria, 99 (79.2%) were males. The mean age was 57.4 years. A quarter of HCC patients in this study presented without any symptom before diagnosis. The common clinical presentations in the remaining patients were hepatomegaly 64/125 (51.2%), abdominal pain 56/125 (44.8%) and ascites 16/125 (20.8%). Cirrhosis was seen in almost all patients (92.8%). The most common causes of HCC in this study were chronic hepatitis B (49.6%) and C (19.2%). Based on Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer staging, 75.4% presented at intermediate or late stage. Patients receiving curative therapy with either surgical treatment or radiofrequency ablation had significantly longer survival time after the HCC diagnosis than the palliative therapy group (11.0 months vs 4.0 months, p value= 0.004). The mean survival time after the HCC diagnosis was 10.5 months. Conclusions: The common causes of HCC in central region of Thailand were chronic hepatitis B and C. Surgical therapy or RFA seemed to provide better outcomes than other treatments but only in patients with early stage lesions. Most of the patients in this study presented with advanced diseases and had grave prognosis. Appropriate screening patients at risk for HCC might be an appropriate way to achieve early diagnosis and improve the treatment outcome.

• Archives of Plastic Surgery
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• v.40 no.5
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• pp.553-558
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• 2013

Background Skin-sparing mastectomy with immediate breast reconstruction is increasingly becoming a proven surgical option for early-stage breast cancer patients. Areola-sparing mastectomy (ASM) has also recently become a popular procedure. The purpose of this article is to investigate the reconstructive and aesthetic issues experienced with one-stage nipple and breast reconstruction using ASM. Methods Among the patients who underwent mastectomy between March 2008 and March 2010, 5 women with a low probability of nipple-areolar complex malignant involvement underwent ASM and immediate breast reconstruction with simultaneous nipple reconstruction using the modified C-V flap. The cosmetic outcomes of this series were reviewed by plastic surgeons and patient self-assessment and satisfaction were assessed via telephone interview. Results During the average 11-month follow-up period, there were no cases of cancer recurrence, the aesthetic outcomes were graded as excellent to very good, and all of the patients were satisfied. Two patients developed a gutter-like depression around the reconstructed nipple, and one patient developed skin erosion in a small area of the areola, which healed with conservative dressing. The other complications, such as necrosis of the skin flap or areola, seroma, hematoma, or fat necrosis did not occur. Conclusions Since one-stage nipple and breast reconstruction following ASM is an oncologically safe, cost-effective, and aesthetically satisfactory procedure, it is a good surgical option for early breast cancer patients.

• Clinics in Shoulder and Elbow
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• v.17 no.2
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• pp.57-63
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• 2014

Background: To compare the effect of different starting periods of rehabilitative exercise (early or delayed passive exercise) on the rate of retear and other clinical outcomes after the arthroscopic repair of the rotator cuff. Methods: In total, 103 patients who underwent arthroscopic repair of the rotator cuff were included in the study. Determined at 2 weeks post-operation, patients who were incapable of passive forward elevation greater than $90^{\circ}$ were allotted to the early exercise group (group I: 79 patients; 42 males, 37 females), whilst those capable were allotted to the delayed exercise group (group II: 24 patients; 14 males, 10 females). The group I started passive exercise, i.e. stretching, within 2 weeks of operation, whilst group II started within 6 weeks. The results were compared on average 15.8 months (11-49 months) post-operation using the passive range of motion, the Visual Analog Scale (VAS) pain score, and the University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA) and Constant scores. Stiffness was defined as passive forward elevation or external rotation of less than $30^{\circ}C$ compared to the contralateral side. Follow-up magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) was carried out on average 1 year post-operation and the rate of retear was compared with Sugaya's criteria. Results: There were no differences between the two groups in gender, age, smoking, presence of diabetes, arm dominance, period of tear unattended, pre-operative range of motion, shape and size of tear, degree of tendon retraction, and tendon quality. There were no significant differences in clinical outcomes. Whilst stiffness was more frequent in group II (p-value 0.03), retear was more frequent in group I (p-value 0.028) according to the MRI follow-up. Conclusions: During rehabilitation after the arthroscopic repair of the rotator cuff, the delay of passive exercise seems to decrease the rate of retear but increase the risk of stiffness.

• Archives of Plastic Surgery
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• v.47 no.1
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• pp.49-53
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• 2020

Background Identifying patients who may be at high risk for wound complications postsarcoma resection and reconstruction is essential for improving functional outcomes and quality of life. Currently, the effect of timing on sarcoma reconstruction has been poorly investigated. The purpose of this study was to compare outcomes of delayed and immediate reconstruction in the setting of sarcoma resection requiring flap reconstruction in the lower extremity. Methods A retrospective review of the senior author's sarcoma reconstruction patients from January 2005 to July 2017 was completed. All patients undergoing flap reconstruction of the lower extremity were included. Complications in the early postoperative period were compared between delayed and immediate reconstructive procedures. Results A total of 32 patients (7 delayed, 25 immediate) were included in this study. There was a significantly increased rate of overall complications (100% vs. 28.0%, P=0.001) and rate of hematomas (28.6% vs. 0.0%, P=0.042) in the delayed reconstruction group. Other complications including dehiscence, seroma, infection, venous thrombosis, and total/partial flap loss were also increased in the delayed reconstruction group, but this was not considered to be significant. Conclusions This study suggests that delayed reconstruction following sarcoma resection of the lower extremity had a higher incidence of overall complications and hematoma formation. We emphasize the importance of early plastic and reconstructive surgeon referral and the necessity to closely monitor delayed reconstruction patients for complications.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.51 no.6
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• pp.367-375
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• 2018

Background: It is unclear whether mitral valve (MV) repair for degenerative mitral regurgitation (MR) provides the same advantages in the elderly that it does in the general population. Methods: From 1994 to 2016, 188 elderly patients (mean age, $68.3{\pm}5.50years$) underwent MV repair (n=153) or MV replacement (n=35) for primary degenerative MR. Early and long-term outcomes were compared before and after propensity score matching (PSM). Results: Before PSM, there was a significant difference in operative mortality (p=0.011). Overall survival and freedom from cardiac-related death (CRD) at 5, 10, and 15 years were significantly higher in patients who underwent MV repair (p=0.039 and p=0.007, respectively). In the multivariable analysis, MV replacement was an independent risk factor of CRD. After PSM, operative mortality was not significantly lower in patients who underwent MV repair (p=0.125). Overall survival and freedom from CRD at 5, 10, and 15 years showed no significant difference between the 2 groups in the PSM cohort (p=0.207, p=0.47, respectively). There was no significant difference in freedom from reoperation before or after PSM (p=0.963 and p=0.575, respectively). Conclusion: MV repair for primary degenerative MR might be a valid option in the elderly population if successful repair is possible.