• Korean Journal of Bronchoesophagology
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• v.6 no.2
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• pp.159-163
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• 2000

The patient with findings of diffuse infiltrative lung on chest X-ray has various causes; therefore, the prognosis is different and the treatment should be changed according to the cause. We are trying to identify the meaning of operative lung biopsy and to 11nd a more accurate and effective procedure. We reviewed 46 medical records of patients with the findings of diffuse infiltrative lung on chest X-ray who had undergone operative lung biopsy or biopsies for 8 years. The open lung biopsy were done in 22 cases(47.8%) and thoracoscopic lung biopsy in 24 cases(52.2%). There is no significant difference in the rate of diagnosis(p=0.452) and the incidence of complications(p=0.155) between these groups. The number of cases with more than two biopsies are 9(19.6%) and that of one biopsy are 37(80.4%). There are no statistical difference in the rate of diagnosis(p=0.928) and the incidence of complications(p=0.125). The postoperative complications occurred in 8 cases,7 cases of air leak more than 7 days and 1 case of respiratory insufficiency. In the diagnosis and treatment of the patients with findings of infiltrative lung on chest X-ray, the operative lung biopsy is the very necessary course, and shows satisfactory rate of diagnosis with negligible complications.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.39 no.11 s.268
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• pp.844-849
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• 2006

Background: The diffuse infiltrative lung disease requires surgical lung biopsy for its final diagnosis. We evaluated the effect of surgical lung biopsy for final diagnosis of duffuse interstitial lung disease and compared video assisted thoracoscopic lung biopsy(TLB) with open lung biopsy(OLB). Material and Method: We evaluated the patients who underwent surgical lung biopsy from March 2000 from December 2005, retrospectively, We divide to two groups(OLB and TLB group) and compared them. Result: There were 36 patients and cough was the most common pre- operative symptom. Surgery time, anesthetic time, hospital stay, duration of chest tube indwelling, specimen volume and the rate of post-operative complication were not significantly different between two groups. Histologic diagnosis was confirmed in all cases. There was one post-operative death who had suffered from respiratory failure since pre-operative period. Conclusion: Surgical lung biopsy is effective method in final diagnosis for diffuse infiltrative lung disease. Video assisted thoracoscopic lung biopsy is lesser invasive method than open lung biopsy and provide similar results, so it is basic diagnostic method of surgical lung biopsy.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.32 no.2
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• pp.164-170
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• 1999

Background: The diffuse infiltrative lung disease often requires biopsy for its final diagnosis. Unlike the limited exposure that can be achieved through small thoracotomy incisions in open lung biopsy technique, the thoracoscopic approach allows visualization and biopsy of nearly entire surface of the lung without morbidity of large standard thoracotomy. The purpose of this study was to compare the diagnostic efficacy and operative safety of thoracoscopic lung biopsy(TLB) with open lung biopsy(OLB) in the diagnosis of diffuse infiltrative lung disease. Material and Method: From March 1993 to August 1997, 81 patients were referred for diagnostic lung biopsy. 51 of them underwent standard open lung biopsy and the remaining 30 patients underwent thoracoscopic lung biopsy. Result: Mean operative time was 63 minutes for TLB and 79 minutes for OLB (p=0.04). The volume of biopsy specimen was not different between two groups(TLB 7.8 cm3, OLB 6.9 cm3 : p=0.72) and the diagnostic accuracy of each methods was comparable (TLB 100%, OLB 96%). The duration of hospital stay was significantly less in TLB (TLB 13days, OLB 22days : p=0.01). The duration of parenteral narcotics administration was also less for TLB(TLB 2.5days, OLB 5.2days, p=0.05). Meanwhile, the duration of chest tube drainage, the frequency of parenteral narcotic injection were not significantly different between two groups. Complications occurred in 2 among the TLB patients (6.67%) and 4 among the OLB patients (7.84%). There was no operative mortality in both groups. Conclusion: We concluded that TLB is a good alternative procedure to OLB in the diagnosis of diffuse infiltrative lung disease with lower morbidity and comparable diagnostic accuracy.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.26 no.6
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• pp.463-469
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• 1993

From May 1986 to May 1992, 72 patients were diagnosed and operated for primary lung cancer, among them 65 patients were clinically evaluated at the department of Thoracic & Cardiovascular Surgery, Masan Koryo General Hospital. 1. There were 52 males 13 females[M:F=4:1], and 5th, 6th decade of life[72%] was peak incidence. 2. The preoperative diagnosis and its positive rate were sputum cytology 35%, bronchoscopy 47%, pleural effusion cytology 80%, and pleural biopsy 50%. 3. The classification histologic types were squamous cell cancer 71%, adenocarcinoma 17%, undifferentiated cell carcinoma 4.6%, and staging classification were Stage I 31%, Stage II 22%, Stage IIIa 26%, and Stage IIIb 20%. 4. The operative methods were lobectomy 52%, pneumonectomy 36%, and open biopsy 12%, and operability was 89%, resectability was 88%. 5. The postoperative complications developed 13 patients[22%], and operative mortality was 5%. 6. The overall actuarial survival rate was 1year 70%, 2year 42%, 3year 32%, 4year 26%, and 5year 22%, according to Stage 5year survival rate was Stage I 37%, Stage II 22%, Stage IIIa 3year 12%, Stage IIIb 2year 23%. And according to operative method lobectomy 23%, pneumonectomy 19%.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.26 no.2
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• pp.86-88
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• 1993

We have experienced 59 cases of videothoracoscopic operation for 7 months from January to August 1992 at Yongdong Severance Hospital, Yonsei University College of medicine. There were pneumothorax in 21 cases, mediastinal mass in 12 cases, diffuse intestitial lung disease in 7 cases, Buerger's disease in 1 case, metastatic lung cancer in 1 case and sclerosing hemangioma in 1 case. We had performed a variety of procedures (bullectomy in 21 cases, sympathectomy in 17 cases, mass excision in 12 cases, lung biopsy in 8 cases, lobectomy in 1 case). The patients were uneventful in post-operative courses.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.34 no.7
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• pp.539-546
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• 2001

Background: Pulmonary complications in immunocompromised patients are often fatal. Empirical treatment is usually applied based on the clinical and radiological findings because of the risk of the aggressive diagnostic procedures such as open lung biopsy. However, recent advancements in operative procedures and perioperative management has decreased the procedure-related risks. We have prospectively analyzed the risks and benefits of the early application of open lung biopsy in such patients. Material and Method: Forty-two consecutive immunocompromised patients with critical pulmonary complications were included from June, 1996 to December, 1999. The definition of the immunocompromised is as those with chemotherapy and/or other modality for hematologic disorders, with usage of immunosuppressive drug after transplantation, with usage of steroid for more than 1 month, and with primary immunodeficiency disorders. The indication of open lung biopsy was those with no significant improvement after a week of aggressive application of empirical treatment or with rapidly aggressive process. The underlying disease included hematologic disorder(31 patients), post-transplantation(3 patients), chemotherapy for solid tumor(2 patients), and others(6 patients). Operations were done through thoracotomy(conventional or mini-) or VATS.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.23 no.1
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• pp.73-80
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• 1990

A total of 129 patients with a confirmed diagnosis of primary lung cancer were treated at Dep. of Thoracic k Cardiovascular Surgery, National Medical Center, Seoul, Korea, between July, 1981 and Dec., 1988. Particular emphasis was given in this review to the 72 patients that underwent surgical resection of their primary lung lesion. Factors such as histology, type of resection, sex, age, staging, and degree of dissemination were considered possible influences on survival. The age group of fifty k sixty decade occupied 55.8 %, and the youngest being 24 years and oldest 78 years. The incidence ratio of male to female was 3,2:1. The subjective symptoms of the patients were coughing [72.6%], chest pain [48.2%] and hemoptysis [35.6%], which were due to primary local influence. The confirmed diagnostic procedures were bronchoscopic biopsy, sputum cytology needle aspiration biopsy, open lung biopsy, anterior mediastinotomy & lymph node biopsy. By pathologic classifications, the squamous cell carcinoma was the most prevalent, 67 cases [51.9 %], and the adenocarcinoma in 36 cases [27.9%], undifferentiated small cell carcinoma in 13 cases [10.1 %], undifferentiated large cell carcinoma in 9 cases [6.9%], bronchioloalveolar carcinoma was 4 cases [3.1%]. The lymph node dissection with pneumonectomy [42 cases], lobectomy [14 cases] and pneumonectomy [6 cases], lobectomy [9 cases] without lymph node dissection were performed. The post operative TNM Staging[AJC] in 72 cases were Stage I in 24 cases, Stage II in 27 cases, and Stage III in 21 cases. Overall resectable was possible in 72 cases [55.8 %], and the operation mortality was 5.6 % [4 cases].

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.28 no.1
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• pp.42-46
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• 1995

Vertical axillary muscle sparing thoracotomy is newly appeared and excellent alternative method of standard posterolateral thoracotomy.It has many advantages compared to standard posterolateral thoracotomy , less postoperative pain, well preserved thoracic muscle strength, full range of motion of the shoulder girdle and attractive cosmetic results. We performed vertical axillary muscle sparing thoracotomy in 36 patients from November 1993 to July 1994. The ages of the patients ranged from 6 months to 71 years[mean 45.1 years , and the patients consisted of 20 males and 16 females.The preoperative diagnosis were as follows : lung cancer in 17 patients, tbc destroyed lung in 7, bronchiectasis in 3, bullous emphysema in 3 and the others are mediastinal tumor, bronchogenic cyst, lung abscess, empyema, esophageal diverticulum, and CCAM [congenital cystic adenomatoid malformation . The operative procedures were as follows : lobectomy and bilobectomy in 16 patients, segmentectomy in 4, wedge resection in 3, penumonectomy in 7, and the others were open biopsy, lobectomy with diaphragm excision, sleeve right upper lobectomy, decortication, mediastinal mass excision, and esophageal diverticulectomy. We had 6 complications : postoperative bleeding in 2 cases, operative wound infection, arrrhythmia[atrial fibrillation , Horner`s syndrome, hoarseness. The subcutaneous seroma occurred in 4 cases but did not require drainage and relieved within 4 weeks spontaneously. We concluded that vertical axillary muscle sparing thoracotomy could be done in most of all thoracic surgery with safety. Comparing to standard posterolateral thoracotomy vertical axillary muscle sparing thoracotomy has many advantages such as less postoperative pain, well preserved muscle strengths and good cosmetic results.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.27 no.11
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• pp.957-960
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• 1994

The endobronchial hamartoma is a relatively rare benign tumor of the lung. The symptoms of the endobronchial hamartoma are produced by obstruction of the bronchus and its sequelae. This patient was 51 year old male and complained dypnea, cough and purulent sputum for 2 years. On bronchoscopic view, a yellowish pedunculated mass nearly total occluding right main bronchial lumen was found. Endoscopic biopsy revealed squamous cell metaplasia of the bronchial mucosa. The operation was done with the right pneumonectomy. The pathologic result of the operative specimen was endobronchial hamartoma arisen from the right upper lobe bronchus.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.26 no.5
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• pp.373-379
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• 1993

Primary lung cancer has increased markedly in its incidence and prevalence rate recently in Korea. In frequency, it occupies the second rank cancer preceded by stomach cancer in korean male. From February 1986 to December 1992, we have operated on 55 cases of primary lung cancer in Korea Veterans Hospital and followed them. The results are as follows; 1. The peak incidence of age of primary lung cancer was 6th decade and 5th decade and those were 87.3% of study group, mainly in male. 2. Symptoms were cough [63.6%], dyspnea [41.8%], chest pain and discomfort [38.2%], blood tinged sputum and hemoptysis [21.8%]. Symptoms were frequently encountered before hospitalization and asymptomatic cases were 9.1% of study group. 3. Methods of diagnostic confirmation were bronchoscopic biopsy [52.7%], percutaneous needle aspiration[PCNA][21.8%], sputum cytolgy [12.7%], open biopsy [12.7%]. 4. Histopathologically, squamous cell carcinoma [76.4%] was the most frequent cancer and adenocarcinoma [10.9%], giant cell cancer [7.3%], and the others in order. 5. Methods of operation were pneumonectomy [32.7%], bilobectomy [18.2%], lobectomy [27.3%], lobectomy and segmenectomy [1.8%], exploration [20%], and overall resectability was 80%. 6. Operative mortality was 5.5% [3 cases] and there were 5 cases of complication. 7. Postoperative long-term follow up reveals that the cumulative survival rates in 6 months, 12 months, 26 months, 34 months, 43 months, 64 months were 89.5%, 71.7%, 66.7%, 57.2%, 50.8%, 42.3% respecively.