• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.55 no.5
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• pp.388-396
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• 2022

Background: In this study, we present recent trends in heart valve surgery in Korea through analyses of data from the Korea Heart Valve Surgery Registry (KHVSR). Methods: We enrolled 8,981 patients who were registered in the KHVSR from 2017 to 2020. Yearly trends in patients' baseline characteristics, surgical profiles, and early mortality rates were explored. The observed/expected mortality ratio (O/E ratio), calculated from the actual mortality in the KHVSR and the predicted mortality estimated using the EuroSCORE II, was also analyzed. Results: The proportion of aortic valve surgery significantly increased from 56.8% in 2017 to 60.3% in 2020. The proportion of all combined procedures and minimally invasive surgery significantly increased over the 4-year study period. The operative mortality rate was 2.9% in the entire cohort, while mitral valve repair showed the lowest mortality risk (0.9%). The mortality rates of isolated aortic valve replacement (AVR) significantly decreased from 2.1% in 2017 to 0.8% in 2020 (p=0.016). Overall, the O/E ratio was 0.784 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.677-0.902) demonstrating significantly lower actual mortality risks than expected based on the EuroSCORE II. In particular, the O/E ratios were as low as 0.364 (95% CI, 0.208-0.591) for isolated AVR. Conclusion: The recent data from the KHVSR showed increasing trends for complex procedures and minimally invasive surgery in heart valve surgery in Korea, and demonstrated remarkably low risks of operative mortality.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.34 no.1
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• pp.21-27
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• 2001

Objectives : To develop a model that will predict the mortality of patients undergoing Coronary Artery Bypass Graft (CABG) and evaluate the perfermance of hospitals. Methods : Data from 564 CABGs peformed in six general hospitals were collected through medical record abstraction by registered nurses. Variables studied involved risk factors determined by severity measures. Risk modeling was performed through logistic repression and validated with cross-validation. The statistical performance of the developed model was evaluated using c-statistic, $R^2$, and Hosmer-Lemeshow statistic. Hospital performance was assessed by severity-adjusted mortalities. Results : The developed model included age, sex, BUN, EKG rhythm, Congestive Heart Failure at admission. acute mental change within 24 hours, and previous angina pectoris history. The c-statistic and $R^2$ were 0.791 and 0.001, respectively. Hosmer-Lemeshow statistic was 10.3(p value=0.2415). One hospital had a significantly higher mortality rate than the average mortality rate, while others were net significantly different. Conclusion : Comparing the quality of service by severity adjusted mortality rates, there were significant differences in hospital performance. The severity adjusted mortality rate of CABG surgery may He an indicator for evaluating hospital performance in Korea.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.56 no.2
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• pp.99-107
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• 2023

Background: The neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) has been suggested as a novel predictive marker of cardiovascular disease. However, its prognostic role in patients under-going coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) is unclear. This study aimed to determine the association between the preoperative NLR and early mortality in patients undergoing CABG. Methods: Cardiac surgery was performed in 2,504 patients at Seoul St. Mary's Hospital from January 2010 to December 2021. This study retrospectively reviewed 920 patients who underwent isolated CABG, excluding those for whom the preoperative NLR was unavailable. The primary endpoints were the 30- and 90-day mortality after isolated CABG. Risk factor analysis was performed using logistic regression analysis. Based on the optimal cut-off value of preoperative NLR on the receiver operating characteristic curve, high and low NLR groups were compared. Results: The 30- and 90-day mortality rates were 3.8% (n=35) and 7.0% (n=64), respectively. In the multivariable analysis, preoperative NLR was significantly associated with 30-day mortality (odds ratio [OR], 1.28; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.17-1.39; p<0.001) and 90-day mortality (OR, 1.17; 95% CI, 1.07-1.28; p<0.001). The optimal cut-off value of the preoperative NLR was 3.4. Compared to the low NLR group (<3.4), the high NLR group (≥3.4) showed higher 30- and 90-day mortality rates (1.4% vs. 12.1%, p<0.001; 2.8% vs. 21.3%, p<0.001, respectively). Conclusion: Preoperative NLR was strongly associated with early mortality after isolated CABG, especially in patients with a high preoperative NLR (≥3.4). Further studies with larger cohorts are necessary to validate these results.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• v.66 no.1
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• pp.95-104
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• 2023

Objective : Hypernatremia is a common complication encountered during the treatment of neurocritically ill patients. However, it is unclear whether clinical outcomes correlate with the severity of hypernatremia in such patients. Therefore, we investigated the impact of hypernatremia on mortality of these patients, depending on the degree of hypernatremia. Methods : Among neurosurgical patients admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU) in a tertiary hospital from January 2013 to December 2019, patients who were hospitalized in the ICU for more than 5 days and whose serum sodium levels were obtained during ICU admission were included. Hypernatremia was defined as the highest serum sodium level exceeding 150 mEq/L observed. We classified the patients into four subgroups according to the severity of hypernatremia and performed propensity score matching analysis. Results : Among 1146 patients, 353 patients (30.8%) showed hypernatremia. Based on propensity score matching, 290 pairs were included in the analysis. The hypernatremia group had higher rates of in-hospital mortality and 28-day mortality in both overall and matched population (both p<0.001 and p=0.001, respectively). In multivariable analysis of propensity score-matched population, moderate and severe hypernatremia were significantly associated with in-hospital mortality (adjusted odds ratio [OR], 4.58; 95% confidence interval [CI], 2.15-9.75 and adjusted OR, 6.93; 95% CI, 3.46-13.90, respectively) and 28-day mortality (adjusted OR, 3.51; 95% CI, 1.54-7.98 and adjusted OR, 10.60; 95% CI, 5.10-21.90, respectively) compared with the absence of hypernatremia. However, clinical outcomes, including in-hospital mortality and 28-day mortality, were not significantly different between the group without hypernatremia and the group with mild hypernatremia (p=0.720 and p=0.690, respectively). The mortality rates of patients with moderate and severe hypernatremia were significantly higher in both overall and matched population. Interestingly, the mild hypernatremia group of matched population showed the best survival rate. Conclusion : Moderate and severe hypernatremia were associated with poor clinical outcomes in neurocritically ill patients. However, the prognosis of patients with mild hypernatremia was similar with that of patients without hypernatremia. Therefore, mild hypernatremia may be allowed during treatment of intracranial hypertension using hyperosmolar therapy.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.14 no.10
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• pp.5681-5685
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• 2013

Background: To compare breast cancer incidence and mortality trends in Central Serbia between males and females in the period 1999-2009. Materials and Methods: In this descriptive study, mortality data were obtained from the National Statistics Institute and morbidity data were derived from Institute of Public Health of Serbia for the period of interest. Results: Breast cancer is a leading cancer in the female population of Central Serbia, whereas in male population it is not on the list of 10 leading localizations, concerning both incidence as well as mortality. In the period 1999-2009 the average standardized incidence rates of breast cancer were 60.5/100,000 in women and 1.4/100,000 in men, while average standardized mortality rates were 20.4/100,000 and 0.4/100,000. The average standardized incidence and mortality rates were about 45 times higher in females than males. Male breast cancer comprises approximately 2.1% of all breast cancer cases. The average age-specific mortality and incidence rates increased with age in both sexes. In the observed period standardized mortality rates of breast cancer increased significantly only in men ($y=0.320+0.0215{\times}$, p=0.044). Conclusions: The increase of breast cancer incidence in both sexes and mortality in men, indicate an urgent need for Serbian health professionals to apply existing cancer control and preventive measures. Male breast cancer is more present than in other world regions, with an outstanding increase of mortality, which demands a timely identification (screening) and adequate treatment. A national policy including mammography should be considered in the light of the newest findings.

• Health Policy and Management
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• v.24 no.4
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• pp.380-388
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• 2014

Background: The volume of surgery has been examined as a major source of variation in outcome after surgery. This study investigated the direct effect of surgery volume to in hospitals mortality and the moderating effect of structural complexity-the level of diversity and sophistication of technology a hospital applied in patient care-to the volume outcome relationship. Methods: Discharge summary data of 11,827 cancer patients who underwent surgery and were discharged during a month period in 2010 and 2011 were analyzed. The analytic model included the independent variables such as surgery volume of a hospital, structural complexity measured by the number of diagnosis a hospital examined, and their interaction term. This study used a hierarchical logistic regression model to test for an association between hospital complexity and mortality rates and to test for the moderating effect in the volume outcome relationship. Results: As structural complexity increased the probability of in-hospital mortality after cancer surgery reduced. The interaction term between surgery volume and structural complexity was also statistically significant. The interaction effect was the strongest among the patients group who had surgery in low volume hospitals. Conclusion: The structural complexity and volume of surgery should be considered simultaneously in studying volume outcome relationship and in developing policies that aim to reduce mortality after cancer surgery.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• v.66 no.6
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• pp.690-702
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• 2023

Objective : To analyze the outcomes of coil embolization (CE) for unruptured intracranial aneurysm (UIA) according to region and hospital size based on National Health Insurance Service data in South Korea. Methods : The incidence of complications, including intracranial hemorrhage (ICRH) and cerebral infarction (CI), occurring within 3 months and the 1-year mortality rates in UIA patients who underwent CE in 2018 were analyzed. Hospitals were classified as tertiary referral general hospitals (TRGHs), general hospitals (GHs) or semigeneral hospitals (sGHs) according to their size, and the administrative districts of South Korea were divided into 15 regions. Results : In 2018, 8425 (TRGHs, 4438; GHs, 3617; sGHs, 370) CEs were performed for UIAs. Complications occurred in 5.69% of patients seen at TRGHs, 13.48% at GHs, and 20.45% at sGHs. The complication rate in TRGHs was significantly lower than that in GHs (p=0.039) or sGHs (p=0.005), and that in GHs was significantly lower than that in sGHs (p=0.030). The mortality rates in TRGHs, GHs, and sGHs were 0.81%, 2.16%, and 3.92%, respectively, with no significant difference. Despite no significant difference in the mortality rates, the complication rate significantly increased as the number of CE procedures per hospital decreased (p=0.001; rho=-0.635). Among the hospitals where more than 30 CEs were performed for UIAs, the incidence of CIs (p=0.096, rho=-0.205) and the mortality rates (3 months, p=0.048, rho=-0.243; 1 year, p=0.009, rho=-0.315) significantly decreased as the number of CEs that were performed increased and no significant difference in the incidence of post-CE ICRH was observed. Conclusion : The complication rate in patients who underwent CE for UIA increased as the hospital size and physicians' experience in conducting CEs decreased. We recommend nationwide quality control policies CEs for UIAs.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• v.59 no.2
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• pp.149-153
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• 2016

Objective : The aim of the present study is to estimate the incidence trend of head injury and the mortality based on traffic accident statistics and to investigate the impacts of rapid industrialization and economic growth on epidemiology of head injury in Korea over the period 1970-2012 including both pre-industrialized and post-industrialized stages. Methods : We collected data of head injury estimated from traffic accident statistics and seven hospital based reports to see incidence trends between 1970 and 2012. We also investigated the population structure and Gross National Income (GNI) per capita of Korea over the same period. The age specific data were investigated from 1992 to 2012. Results : The incidence of head injury gradually rose in the 1970s and the 1980s but stabilized until the 1990s with transient rise and then started to decline slowly in the 2000s. The mortality grew until 1991 but gradually declined ever since. However, the old age groups showed rather slight increase in both rates. The degree of decrease in the mortality has been more rapid than the incidence on head injury. Conclusion : In Korea during the low income stage, rapid industrialization cause considerable increase in the mortality and the incidence of head injury. During the high income stage, the incidence of head injury gradually declined and the mortality dropped more rapidly than the incidence due to preventive measures and satisfactory medical care. Nevertheless, the old age groups revealed rather slight increase in both rates owing to the large population structure and the declining birth rate.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.33 no.3
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• pp.231-239
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• 2000

Background: This retrospective study tries to identify specific risk factors that may increase complication rates after the surgical treatment of tuberculous destroyed lung. Material and method: A retrospective study was performed on forty-seven patients, who received surgical treatment for tuberculous destroyed lung in the Department of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery at Hanyang University Hospital from 1988 to 1998, to identify specific preoperative risk factors related to postoperative complications. Fisher's exact test was used to identify the correlations between the complications and right pneumonectomy, preoperative FEV1, predicted postoperative FEV1, massive hemoptysis, postoperative persistent empyema. Result: Hospital mortality and morbidity rates of the patients who received surgical treatment for tuberculous destroyed lung were 6.4% and 29.7%, respectively. In view of the hospital mortality and morbidity rates as a whole, predicted postoperative FEV1 less than 0.8L(p<0.005), preoperative FEV1 less than 1.8L(p=0.01), massive hemoptysis(p<0.005), postoperative persistent positive sputum cultures(p<0.0005), and the presence of multi drug resistant tuberculosis(p<0.05) presented statistically significant correlations. Among the postoperative complications, bronchopleural fistula, the most common complication, was found to have statistically significant corrleations with the preoperative empyema(p<0.05) and postoperative persistent positive sputum cultures(p<0.05). Conclusion: Although mortality and morbidity rates after surgical treatment of tuberculous destroyed lung were relatively low, when predicted postoperative FEV1 was less than 0.8L, when preoperative FEV1 was less than 1.8L, when massive hemoptysis was present, when postoperative sputum cultures were persistently positive, and when multi drug resistant tuberculosis was present, the rates were significantly higher.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.55 no.3
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• pp.189-196
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• 2022

Background: This study investigated the predictive value of the frailty index calculated using laboratory data and vital signs (FI-L) in patients who underwent coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG). Methods: This study included 508 patients (age 67.3±9.7 years, male 78.0%) who underwent CABG between 2018 and 2021. The FI-L, which estimates patients' frailty based on laboratory data and vital signs, was calculated as the ratio of variables outside the normal range for 32 preoperative parameters. The primary endpoints were operative and medium-term all-cause mortality. The secondary endpoints were early postoperative complications and major adverse cardiac and cerebrovascular events (MACCEs). Results: The mean FI-L was 20.9%±10.9%. The early mortality rate was 1.6% (n=8). Postoperative complications were atrial fibrillation (n=148, 29.1%), respiratory complications (n=38, 7.5%), and acute kidney injury (n=15, 3.0%). The 1- and 3-year survival rates were 96.0% and 88.7%, and the 1- and 3-year cumulative incidence rates of MACCEs were 4.87% and 8.98%. In multivariable analyses, the FI-L showed statistically significant associations with medium-term all-cause mortality (hazard ratio [HR], 1.042; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.010-1.076), MACCEs (subdistribution HR, 1.054; 95% CI, 1.030-1.078), atrial fibrillation (odds ratio [OR], 1.02; 95% CI, 1.002-1.039), acute kidney injury (OR, 1.06; 95% CI, 1.014-1.108), and re-operation for bleeding (OR, 1.09; 95% CI, 1.032-1.152). The minimal p-value approach showed that 32% was the best cutoff for the FI-L as a predictor of all-cause mortality post-CABG. Conclusion: The FI-L was a significant prognostic factor related to all-cause mortality and postoperative complications in patients who underwent CABG.