• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.21 no.1
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• pp.191-195
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• 1988

Chylothorax in the neonatal period is a rare cause of respiratory distress. Surgical ligation of the thoracic duct is rarely necessary in congenital chylothorax. A 3 day-old newborn delivered by the cesarean section showed signs of respiratory distress suddenly and diagnosed as chylothorax on the right hemithorax. Conservative management such as multiple thoracenteses and tube thoracostomy drainage with nutritional support failed to close the leakage. At age of 60 days, we performed a supradiaphragmatic mass ligature of the thoracic duct visualized after injection of methylene blue into the thigh subcutaneously. Postoperatively, chylous effusion occurred in the left hemithorax and successfully treated with chest tube drainage for several days.

• Perinatology
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• v.29 no.4
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• pp.175-179
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• 2018

Pneumatocele (PC) is a thin-walled cyst of the lung that can occur at all ages and with various etiologies. However, there is no fully accepted consensus for the management of PC in a neonatal intensive care unit. Although the management of PC is generally expectant, it is difficult to decide how long conservative management should be maintained, especially under Korea's medical care environment and the parents' worry and anxiety. We report a male neonate, born at $27^{+5}weeks$ gestation, weighing 1,000 g, who had a post infectious PC caused by methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus sepsis. We treated conservatively for about 100 days (roughly 14 weeks), but unfortunately after a few days of chest retraction, acute exacerbation occurred, video assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) was deemed necessary and performed. The purpose of this publication is to describe the clinical course, aggravation and relief after VATS management with a review of the literature.

• Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology & Nutrition
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• v.11 no.1
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• pp.65-69
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• 2008

A two-month-old baby had acholic stool, neonatal hyperbilirubinemia and congenital heart disease. Atresia of the hepatic duct was confirmed by open cholangiography, which showed a non-opacified intrahepatic bile duct. Liver biopsy and the Kasai operation were performed. Because the liver biopsy pathology revealed a paucity of intrahepatic bile ducts, the patient was diagnosed with the Alagille syndrome. We report the case of an infant diagnosed with the Alagille syndrome with atresia of the hepatic duct.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• v.47 no.2
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• pp.89-94
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• 2010

Objective : To evaluate the role of cranial sonography and computed tomography in the diagnosis of neonatal intracranial hemorrhage and hypoxic-ischemic injury in an Indian set-up. Methods : The study included 100 neonates who underwent cranial sonography and computed tomography (CT) in the first month of life for suspected intracranial ischemia and hemorrhage. Two observers rated the images for possible intracranial lesions and a kappa statistic for interobserver agreement was calculated. Results : There was no significant difference in the kappa values of CT and ultrasonography (USG) for the diagnosis of germinal matrix hemorrhage/intraventricular hemorrhage (GMH/IVH) and periventricular leucomalacia (PVL) and both showed good interobserver agreement. USG, however detected more cases of GMH/IVH (24 cases) and PVL (19) cases than CT (22 cases and 16 cases of IVH and PVL, respectively). CT had significantly better interobserver agreement for the diagnosis of hypoxic ischemic injury (HII) in term infants and also detected more cases (33) as compared to USG (18). CT also detected 6 cases of extraaxial hemorrhages as compared to 1 detected by USG. Conclusion : USG is better modality for imaging preterm neonates with suspected IVH or PVL. However, USG is unreliable in the imaging of term newborns with suspected HII where CT or magnetic resonance image scan is a better modality.

• Advances in pediatric surgery
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• v.14 no.2
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• pp.144-152
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• 2008

Necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) is the most common gastrointestinal emergency in the neonatal population. The aim of this study is to evaluate surgical indication and prognostic factors of NEC. Clinical data of seventy patients, diagnosed as NEC between January 2000 & January 2007, were reviewed retrospectively. Fifty-seven patients had medical treatment and 7 of them died. Thirteen patients who presented with pneumoperitoneum on plain abdominal film or were refractory to medical treatment received surgical treatment, and 5 of them died. All the expired 12 patients weighed less than 2500 g. Twenty out of seventy patients showed thrombocytopenia, and 11 patients of them died. The finding of pneumoperitoneum and thrombocytopenia could be the most important surgical indication. Prematurity, low birth weight and thrombocytopenia were related to a bad prognosis. NEC patients who presents with these findings must be considered for close observation and intensive care.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.50 no.4
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• pp.242-246
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• 2017

Background: Patent ductus arteriosus (PDA) ligation is usually performed by congenital cardiac surgeons. However, due to the uneven distribution of congenital cardiac surgeons in South Korea, many institutions depend solely on adult cardiac surgeons for congenital cardiac diseases. We report the outcomes of PDA ligations performed by adult cardiac surgeons at our institution. Methods: The electronic medical records of 852 neonates at Chung-Ang University Hospital, Seoul, South Korea from November 2010 to May 2014 were reviewed to identify patients with PDA. Results: Of the 111 neonates with a diagnosis of PDA, 26 (23%) underwent PDA ligation. PDAs were ligated within 28 days of birth (mean, $14.5{\pm}7.8days$), and the mean gestational age of these patients was $30.3{\pm}4.6weeks$ (range, 26 to 40 weeks) with a mean birth weight of $1,292.5{\pm}703.5g$ (range, 480 to 3,020 g). No residual shunts through the PDA were found on postoperative echocardiography. There was 1 case of 30-day mortality (3.8%) due to pneumonia, and 6 cases of in-hospital mortality (23.1%) after 30 days, which is comparable to results from other centers with congenital cardiac surgery programs. Conclusion: Although our outcomes may not be generalizable to all hospital settings without a congenital cardiac surgery program, in select centers, PDA ligations can be performed safely by adult cardiac surgeons if no congenital cardiac surgery program is available.

• Advances in pediatric surgery
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• v.4 no.1
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• pp.16-26
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• 1998

Parenteral nutrition has been an essential part of postoperative care of neonates requiring major surgery who are unable to tolerate enteral feeding for long periods during the postoperative period. However, TPN via central venous catheters(central TPN), used in increasing trend, still presents significant morbidity. To find out whether TPN via peripheral veins(peripheral TPN) could be used as a viable alternative for postoperative parenteral nutrition in neonates, a clinical study was carried out by a retrospective analysis of 53 neonates subjected to peripheral TPN for more than 7 days after surgery. Operations consisted of procedures for esophageal atresia with tracheoesophageal fistula, gastroschisis and omphalocele. Surgery was performed at the Division of Pediatric Surgery, Department of Surgery, Hanyang University Hospitall, from 1983 to 1994. The mean total duration of TPN was 13.3 days (range; 7-58 days), the average daily total fluid intake was 117.6 ml/kg during TPN and 158.6 ml/kg during subsequent oral feeding. The average daily total calorie intake was 57.7 kcal/kg during full strength TPN and 101.3 kcal/kg during subsequent oral feeding. The mean urine output was maintained at 3.5 ml/kg/ hour during TPN and at 3.6 ml/kg/hour during subsequent oral feeding. The increment of body weight observed during TPN was 132 g in TEF, 53 g in gastroschisis and 3 g in omphalocele patients, while loss of body weight was not observed. The mortality rate was 5.7 %(3/53) and was related to the underlying congenital anomalies, not the TPN. The most common complication of peripheral TPN observed was laboratory findings suggestive of liver dysfunction in 23 cases(43.4 %) with no significant clinical symptom or signs in any case, transient pulmonary edema in one case, and generalized edema in one case. None of the major complications usually expected associated with central TPN were observed. The result of this study suggest that peripheral TPN can be used for adeguate postoperative nutritional support in neonates requiring 2 to 3 weeks of TPN.

• Neonatal Medicine
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• v.17 no.1
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• pp.109-115
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• 2010

Persistent pulmonary hypertension in newborns (PPHN) is a disorder of the vascular transition from fetal to neonatal circulation. It results in cyanosis due to right-to-left shunting of the blood through the ductus arteriosus and/or foramen ovale manifesting as hypoxemic respiratory failure. We managed two cases of PPHN after meconium aspiration with high frequency oscillating ventilators and inhaled nitric oxide. They did not respond to conventional management. Veno-venous extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) was provided, and ECMO weaning was possible resulting survivals in two cases. We report two PPHN cases, which were treated successfully with veno-venous ECMO for the first time in Korea.

• Advances in pediatric surgery
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• v.10 no.1
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• pp.17-21
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• 2004

Improvement in prenatal ultrasonography is leading to diagnose choledochal cyst before birth and before onset of classical symptom more frequently. But, there is a controversy about optimal timing for Cyst excision of prenatally diagnosed asymptomatic choledochal cyst. To identify the most appropriate timing for surgery in prenatally diagnosed choledochal Cysts, we analyzed 6 patients who had operation for choledochal cysts within 30days after birth at the division of Pediatric Surgery, Samsung Medical Center and Inha University School of Medicine, from June 1995 to June 2002. Males were four and females 2, the mean age at operation was 11.2 days, and the median age 8.0 days. The range of gestational ages of the antenatal diagnosis of bile duct dilatation was 24 weeks to 32 weeks, mean was 38.3 weeks, and mean birth weight was 3,298.3 g. After birth, abdominal ultrasonography, hepatobiliary scintigraphy, and magnetic resonance cholangiopancratography (MRCP) were performed. Mean age at operation was 11.2 days. All patients had the cyst excision and Rouxen-Y hepaticojejunostomy. Immediate postoperative complication was not found. During the median follow-up period of 41 months, one patient was admitted due to cholangitis, and the other due to variceal bleeding. Early operative treatment of asymptomatic newborn is safe and effective to prevent developing complications later in life.

• Advances in pediatric surgery
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• v.12 no.1
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• pp.1-10
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• 2006

Recent advances in neonatal management have resulted in a dramatic increase in survival of very low birth weight infants. These critically ill infants, however, continue to pose significant challenges in management and ethics. There is little information on the outcome of the micropremie (birth weight less than 800 g) that require surgery. The records of 171 micropremies treated over a 15 year period (beginning in 1989) at Asan Medical Center was reviewed retrospectively. Forty-one (24.0 %) infants required surgical interventions by pediatric surgeons. There were 90 boys and 81 girls. The smallest infant, weighed 396g at birth, had esophageal atresia and died before surgery. The smallest survivor, birth weight 645 g, received anenterostomy for necrotizing enterocolitis at the weight of 590 g. The gestational age of the group rangedfrom 21 to 36 weeks. The most common surgical problem was inguinal hernia. There were 20 inguinal hernias, and repairs were performed on17 infants. Excluding 2 cases, hernia repair was performed at the time of discharge. There was only one recurrence of adirect inguinal hernia. Necrotizing enterocolitis developed in 17 patients, 11 were operated upon, two had peritoneal drainages, and 9 had enterostomies. Five of 11 surgical infants died after operation and three of the nonsurgical infants died of various complications. Although micropremies have potentially high risks of serious complications and death, the outcome can improve with careful surgical observation and judgment.