• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.37 no.8
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• pp.718-721
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• 2004

Chylothorax is defined as an extravasation of chylous fluid to the pleural cavity due to various causes, and a spontaneous chylothorax associated with primary lymphedema is an exceedingly rare condition. We report a case of the chylothorax associated with lymphedema. A 14-year-old boy was admitted to our hospital for chest pain and dyspnea. He had been on medical treatment for lymphedema and his chest roentgenogram on admission revealed left pleural effusion. The diagnosis of chylothorax was confirmed by chemical analysis of the pleural fluid. The patient was treated successfully by ligation of the thoracic duct using video assisted thoracoscopic technique.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.52 no.3
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• pp.125-130
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• 2019

Background: To compare the outcomes of video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) in comparison to open thoracic surgery in pediatric patients suffering from empyema. Methods: A prospective study was carried out in 80 patients referred to the Department of Pediatric Surgery between 2015 and 2018. The patients were randomly divided into thoracotomy and VATS groups (groups I and II, respectively). Forty patients were in the thoracotomy group (16 males [40%], 24 females [60%]; average age, $5.77{\pm}4.08years$) and 40 patients were in the VATS group (18 males [45%], 22 females [55%]; average age, $6.27{\pm}3.67years$). There were no significant differences in age (p=0.61) or sex (p=0.26). Routine preliminary workups for all patients were ordered, and the patients were followed up for 90 days at regular intervals. Results: The average length of hospital stay ($16.28{\pm}7.83days$ vs. $15.83{\pm}9.44days$, p=0.04) and the duration of treatment needed for pain relief (10 days vs. 5 days, p=0.004) were longer in the thoracotomy group than in the VATS group. Thoracotomy patients had surgical wound infections in 27.3% of cases, whereas no cases of infection were reported in the VATS group (p=0.04). Conclusion: Our results indicate that VATS was not only less invasive than thoracotomy, but also showed promising results, such as an earlier discharge from the hospital and fewer postoperative complications.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.49 no.6
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• pp.456-460
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• 2016

Background: Surgical correction needs to be considered when diaphragm eventration leads to impaired ventilation and respiratory muscle fatigue. Plication to sufficiently tense the diaphragm by VATS is not as easy to achieve as plication by open surgery. We used pneumatic compression with carbon dioxide ($CO_2$) gas in thoracoscopic diaphragmatic plication and evaluated feasibility and efficacy. Methods: Eleven patients underwent thoracoscopic diaphragmatic plication between January 2008 and December 2013 in Pusan National University Hospital. Medical records were retrospectively reviewed, and compared between the group using $CO_2$ gas and group without using $CO_2$ gas, for operative time, plication technique, duration of hospital stay, postoperative chest tube drainage, pulmonary spirometry, dyspnea score pre- and postoperation, and postoperative recurrence. Results: The improvement of forced expiratory volume at 1 second in the group using $CO_2$ gas and the group not using $CO_2$ gas was $22.46{\pm}11.27$ and $21.08{\pm}5.39$ (p=0.84). The improvement of forced vital capacity 3 months after surgery was $16.74{\pm}10.18$ (with $CO_2$) and $15.6{\pm}0.89$ (without $CO_2$) (p=0.03). During follow-up ($17{\pm}17$ months), there was no dehiscence in plication site and relapse. No complications or hospital mortalities occurred. Conclusion: Thoracoscopic plication under single lung ventilation using $CO_2$ insufflation could be an effective, safe option to flatten the diaphragm.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.38 no.7 s.252
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• pp.507-509
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• 2005

Open heart surgery via right thoracotomy can be accomplished in atrial septal defects, and mitral valve diseases. Recently, thoracoscopic atrial septal defect closure, mitral valve repair, Maze operation, and minimal invasive direct coronary artery bypass (MIDCAB) are accomplished with AESOP 3000. However, there is no report of thoracoscopic aortic valve replacement in Korea. We report a successful thoracospic aortic valve replacement assisted with AESOP 3000 in a 31-year-old female patient.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.33 no.10
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• pp.812-816
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• 2000

Background ; To evaluate the efficacy of Fibrin glue to decrease recurrence in video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery(VATS) for a treatment of spontaneous penumothorax. Material and Method : All medical records of 17 patients who underwent a thoracoscopic wedge resections of bullae with stapling device with Fibrin glue in our institute between May 1998 and December 1999 were reviewed. variables analyzed include affected sites primary indication of VATS. duration from admission to discharge duration of postoperative stay duration of chest tube drainage recurrence and complication. There were 16 men and 1 woman. Result : There was no evidence of hemodynamic instability or arterial blood gas abnormalities encountered during the procedure. Mean age at the time of the VATS was 26.9 years (range 15 to 61 years) The mean duration from admission to discharge was 7.8 days and mean postoperative stay was 5.1days mean chest tube indwelling period was 4..0 days. There was no recurrence of pneumothorx. Conclusion : Thoracoscopic wedge resections with introduction of fibrin glue are safe and effective and requires only a short hospital stay. We believe that this thoracoscopic technique will further simplify the surgical treatment of pneumothorax.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.54 no.4
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• pp.235-238
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• 2021

The establishment of minimally invasive surgery is a complex and difficult task. Video-assisted thoracic surgery (VATS) refers to a minimally invasive surgical technique that represents a less invasive approach to thoracic surgery using thoracoscopy. For lung cancer or esophageal cancer surgery, planning and establishing a team for minimally invasive surgery for the first time is not a simple task. Technical advances in surgical devices and the enhanced skill of surgeons are cornerstones of the development of minimally invasive surgery. Here, we review the meaning of minimally invasive thoracic surgery and discuss how to establish a team approach for VATS procedures.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.39 no.8 s.265
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• pp.655-658
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• 2006

Mesothelial cyst is a rare mediastinal tumor and usually presents in the right cardiophrenic angle. However, it sometimes occurs in atypical locations and it’s locating in the posterior mediastinum, especially, is very rare. A large cystic mass of the posterior mediastinum between pericardium and vertebral body was incidentally recognized in a patient of a 30-year-old woman admitted due to traffic accident. Even though it was very large in size measuring 18 em at longest diameter and is extending mainly to the left pleural cavity, she had no symptomatic complaints. Complete excision was performed through video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery with a additional small working window, which was necessary for dissecting the deepest point to the right pleural cavity. She is in good condition without recurrence on long-term follow-up.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.14 no.10
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• pp.6061-6064
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• 2013

Objective: To explore the feasibility of pulmonary lobectomy combined with pulmonary arterioplasty by complete video-assisted thoracic surgery (VATS) in patients with lung cancer, and summarize its surgical methods. Materials and Methods: Twenty-one patients with lung cancer in Beijing Chest Hospital Affiliated to Capital Medical University from Feb., 2010 to Jun., 2013 were selected, males and females accounting for 15 and 6 cases, respectively. Ten underwent right upper lobectomy, 5 right lower lobectomy, 4 left upper lobectomy (in which left upper sleeve lobectomy was conducted for 2) and 2 left lower lobectomy. At the same time, local resection of pulmonary arterioplasty was performed for 12 patients, and sleeve resection of pulmonary arterioplasty for 9. Results: Twenty-one patients recovered well after surgery. Thoracic drainage tube was maintained for 3-8 days, with an average of 4.9 days, and hospital stays were 8-15 days, with an average of 11 days. There were no deaths in the perioperative period, and the complications like pulmonary embolism, bronchopleural fistula, chest infection and pulmonary atelectasis did not occur after surgery. Conclusions: Performance of pulmonary lobectomy and pulmonary arterioplasty together by complete VATS is a safe and effective surgical method, which can expand the indications of patients with lung cancer undergoing thoracoscopic pulmonary lobectomy, and make more patients profit from such minimally invasive treatment.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.34 no.4
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• pp.351-355
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• 2001

개흉술에 의한 수술적 폐쇄방법 및 경도관 동맥관 폐쇄술은 동맥관 개존중의 치료방법으로 발전되어 왔으나, 이러한 술식은 개흉술에 의한 합병증, 지속적인 단락 및 용혈의 가능성, 기구의 이동이나 색전증의 발생, 지속적인 단락시 세균성 심내막염 방지를 위한 지속적인 항생제 사용등의 단점이 있어 저자들은 흉강경을 이용한 수술을 시행하였다. 총 6례의 환자에서 흉강경을 이용한 동맥관 개존증 수술을 시행하였으며. 이중 대동맥 외막(adventitia) 박리중 지형이 잘 되지 않았던 1례에서는 소개흉술(minithoracotomy)로 전환하였다. 술 후 이시행한 이학적 검사상에서 모든 환아에 심잡음이 소실되었음을 확인할 수 있었으며, 흉부 방사선 검사상 점진적인 폐혈관음영의 감소를 관찰할 수 있었으며 수술중 동맥관 파열이나 불완전한 동맥관 폐쇄, 기흉, 애성(hoarseness) 등의 합병증은 발생되지 않았다. 환아들은 술후 평균 3.4일째 퇴원하였으며, 퇴원후 외래추적 관찰검사시 시행한 심초음파 검사상 동맥관의 재개통이나, 잔류단락은 관찰되지 않았다. 본원에서는 개흉술 및 경도관 동맥관 폐쇄술의 단점을 방지할수 있으며, 성공적인 동맥관 폐쇄, 작은 피부절개 반흔에 의한 미용적 효과, 짧은 재원기간등의 장점을 가진 흉강경을 이용항 동맥관 결찰술을 시해앟여 문헌 고찰과 함께 보고하는 바이다.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.57 no.2
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• pp.138-142
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• 2004

Background : To evaluate exudative pleural fluid, thoracentesis for microbiological and cytological examination and pleural biopsy by using a Cope needle are traditionally performed. Even after these studies, about 20% of patients remain undiagnosed. We evaluated the diagnostic accuracy and complications of 2-mm minithoracoscopy instead of blind biopsy in patients with undiagnosed exudative pleural effusion. Method : Fifteen patients with exudative pleural effusion underwent thoracoscopy between April 2002 and August 2003. The indication was undiagnosed pleural effusions after having performed sputum and pleural fluid exami-nations both microbiologically and cytologically. Results : The median age of the patients was 56 years (range 21-77). Pleural effusions were lymphocyte-dominant in 11 patients (73.3%) and neutrophil-dominant in 3 (20.0%). The remaining patient (6.7%) had pleural-fluid eosinophilia. Minithoracoscopic biopsy revealed accurate diagnosis in 14 patients (93.3%), consisting of tuberculous pleurisy in 8 (66.7%), malignant effusions in 4 (33.3%), and parapneumonic effusions in 2 (13.3%). One was diagnosed as having paragonimiasis from thoracoscopic findings and clinical considerations. There was no procedure-associated mortality. There were six cases of new onset fever (40%) and one of pneumothorax (6.7 %). Conclusion : Two-millimeter minithoracoscopy, which is less invasive than conventional thoracoscopy, was an accurate and safe method for undiagnosed exudative pleural effusion.