• Journal of Chest Surgery
• /
• v.28 no.8
• /
• pp.754-758
• /
• 1995

Between February 1987 and April 1994,30 modified Blalock- Taussing shunts[MBTS were carried out at the Department of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery of the Keimyung University Dongsan Medical Center.The operation consists of interposing between the subclavian artery and the pulmonary artery a polytetrafluoroethylene graft.There were 19 boys and 11 girls.The average age at the time of shunt construction was 14 months [range 4 days to 5 years .Seventy-six percent [23/30 were less than 1 year of age.Cardiac defects treated with MBTS included tetralogy of Fallot[10 , pulmonary atresia with ventricular septal defect[8 , pulmonary atresia with intact ventricular septum[4 , uni-ventricular heart[3 , and other complex cardiac anomalies[5 .Prosthesis of 4mm were used in 13 cases, and 5mm in 17.Of the 30 operations, 21 were performed on the right side and 9 on the left side.The hemoglobin level decreased from 21.1 gm/dl preoperatively to 16.3 gm/dl postoperatively and systemic oxygen saturation level increased from 60.5 % preoperatively to 85.4 % postoperatively.In the 30 patients who recieved MBTS, there were one early [3% and three late deaths [10% .Seven patients have had an corrective operation and two patient required second palliative procedure.The remaining patients are awaiting further operation with ingestion of aspirin [5 mg/kg/day as an antiplatelet agent.These results indicate that the MBTS provide excellent palliation at a low operative mortality for most patients.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
• /
• v.16 no.6
• /
• pp.2151-2159
• /
• 2015

Pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors (pNETs) are rare and heterogenous tumors and surgery to remove the primary tumor is the mainstay of treatment for resectable disease. However, curative surgery is often not feasible, because half of patients with pNET have metastases at the time of diagnosis. Palliative dubulking surgery and liver-directed therapies are appropriate options for these patients. Streptozocin-based regimens are standard, although temozolamide-based treatments are rapidly gaining wide clinical application. Somatostatin analogs are mainly indicated in hormonally active tumors to ameliorate symptoms. In addition, anti-tumoral activity has been proven in well-differentiated NETs. Recently, there has been tremendous progress in the molecular biology of pNETs; thereby, the efficacy of sunitinib and everolimus in the treatment of patients with metastatic pNETs has been proven by large placebo-controlled phase III trials. Currently, there are no definitively proven predictive biomarkers to evaluate response to medical therapies in patients with pNET. Therefore, further studies are needed to individualize and optimize their management. This article reviews systemic chemotherapy, targeted therapies, and anti-secretory treatments for the management of patients with unresectable or metastatic pNETs, summarized in the light of recent advances.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
• /
• v.6 no.1
• /
• pp.63-68
• /
• 1973

Two patients operated upon for tricuspid atresia by Glenn operation are presented. They were five years old and four years old females who were cyanotic shortly after birth, and remained cyanotic. On physical examination, cyanosis on digits and lips, clubbing of fingers, thrill and grade III systolic murmur on 4th I.C.S. along left sternal border were noted. In the first case, chest roentgenograms showed normal pulmonary markings, and the electrocardiogram was interpreted as showing left ventricular hypertrophy with left axis deviation and peaked P-wave in lead IL Right heart catheterization showed high pressure in right atrium and the catheter tip was easily inserted into the left atrium through septal defect. In the second case, chest roentgenograms showed cardiomegaly with sparse pulmonary vascular markings and narrowed vascular pedicle, and the electrocardiogram showed left ventricular hypertrophy with some element of right atrial hypertrophy. Angiocardiogram showed changes characteristic of tricuspid atresia, including "right ventricular window" The findings of right heart catheterization were similar to those of first case. On the basis of these observations, they were diagnosed as tricuspid atresia, and Glenn operation was performed. Normal position of great vessels combined with ventricular septal defect and pulmonary stenosis were noted on the first case, and on second case, transposition of great vessels was additional finding. Postoperative course was uneventful and favorable outcome was obtained.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
• /
• v.5 no.1
• /
• pp.29-34
• /
• 1972

Interventricular Septal Defect is probably the most common congenital cardiac lesion. Despite rapid technical advances and increasing surgical experience the risk of surgical intervention for correction of Ventricular Septal Defect in infants with pulmonary hypertension remains formidable. Since Sirak et al [1959] reported a succesful case of two stage approach to their surgical correction, it has led to a policy of primary palliation,followed by complete correction as a secondary procedure, after age 3 to 4 years. Most surgeon prefer to perform complete correction of Ventricular Septal Defect when body weight exceeds 30 Lbs. and before development of so-called Eisenmengers complex, for the good postoperative results. Authors report 2 cases of Ventricular Septal Defect with pulmonary hupertenslon, who was underwent pulmonary artery banding as a palliative procedure in the Department of Surgery,Severance Hospital Yonsei University. Case 1:4 year old male, initially a complete correction of Ventricular Septal Defect was attempted by the help of mild hypothermia and extracorporeal circulation. During the procedure of a construction of an extracorporeal by- pass, a sudden cardiac arrest developed. After resuscitation of the heart,pulmonary artery banding was performed as a palliation. On the first postoperative day the patient developed generalized tonic convulsion, cyanosis, vomiting and eventually shock. Patient discharged home after a full recovery. Case 2.: 9 month old female, the pulmonary artery constricted with Teflon patch successfully. After the patients first postoperative day several cyanotic spells developed followed by 3 cardiac arrests. This repeated until when she expired with respiratory failure.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
• /
• v.60 no.5
• /
• pp.534-539
• /
• 2017

Objective : Patients with hematological malignancies frequently encounter spine-related symptoms, which are caused by disease itself or process of treatment. However, there is still lack of knowledge on their epidemiology and clinical courses. The purpose of this article is to review clinical presentations and surgical results for spinal involvement of hematologic malignancies. Methods : From January 2011 to September 2014, 195 patients (98 males and 97 females) suffering from hematological malignancies combined with spinal problems were retrospectively analyzed for clinical and radiological characteristics and their clinical results. Results : The most common diagnosis of hematological malignancy was multiple myeloma (96 patients, 49.7%), followed by chronic myeloid leukemia (30, 15.2%), acute myeloid leukemia (22, 11.2%), and lymphoma (15, 7.56%). The major presenting symptoms were mechanical axial pain (132, 67.7%) resulting from pathologic fractures, and followed by radiating pain (49, 25.1%). Progressive neurologic deficits were noted in 15 patients (7.7%), which revealed as cord compression by epidural mass or compressive myelopathy combined with pathologic fractures. Reconstructive surgery for neurologic compromise was done in 16 patients. Even though surgical intervention was useful for early paralysis (Frankel grade D or E), neurologic recovery was not satisfactory for the progressed paralysis (Frankel grade A or B). Conclusion : Hematological malignancies may cause various spinal problems related to disease progression or consequences of treatments. Conservative and palliative treatments are mainstay for these lesions. However, timely surgical interventions should be considered for the cases of pathologic fractures with progressive neurologic compromise.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
• /
• v.35 no.12
• /
• pp.862-870
• /
• 2002

The surgical results of the patients with single ventricle(SV) associated with total anomalous pulmonary venous connection(TAPVC) has been reported with high mortality and morbidity due to their morphologic and hemodynamic complexity. A retrospective review was undertaken to report the outcome of the first-stage palliative surgery in our institution and to determine the factors influencing early death. Material and Method: Between January 1987 and June 2002, 39 patients with SV and TAPVC underwent surgical intervention with or without TAPVC repair. Age at operation ranged from 1day to 10.7months (median age, 2.4month), and 29 patients were male. Preoperative diagnosis included 20 right-dominant SV, 15 SV with endocardial cushion defect, 3 left-dominant SV, and 1 tricuspid atresia. The pulmonary venous connection was supracardiac in 22, cardiac in 5, infracardiac in 11, and mixed in 1, Obstructed TAPVC was present in 11. First-stage palliative surgery was performed in 37. Repair of TAPVC, either alone or in association with other procedures, was performed during the initial operation in 31. Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed to analyze the risk factors influencing the operative death. Result: A mean follow-up period of survivors was 34.3 $\pm$ 43.0(0.53 ~ 146.2)months. Overall early operative mortality was 43.6%(17/39). The causes were low cardiac output in 8, failure of weaning from cardiopulmonary bypass in 3, sepsis in 2, pulmonary hypertensive crisis in 1, pulmonary edema in 1, pneumonia in 1, and postoperative arrhythmia in 1. Risk factors influencing early death in univariate analysis were body weight, surgical intervention in neonate, obstructive TAPVC, preoperative conditions including metabolic acidosis, and need for inotropic support, TAPVC repair in initial operation, operative time, and cardiopulmonary bypass(CPB) time. In multivariable analysis, body weight, age at initial operation, surgical intervention in neonate, preoperative conditions including metabolic acidosis, need for inotropic support and CPB time were the risk factors. Conclusion: In this study, we demonstrated that the patients with SV and TAPVC had high perioperative mortality. Preoperative poor condition, young age, the length of operative and CPB time, the presence of obstructive TAPVC had been proven to be the risk factors. This fact suggests that the avoidance of unnecessarily additional procedures may improve the surgical outcomes of the first-stage palliative surgery. However further observation and collection of the data is mandatory to determine the ideal surgical strategy.

• Radiation Oncology Journal
• /
• v.26 no.4
• /
• pp.229-236
• /
• 2008

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the impact of the use of external radiation therapy (ERT) in terms of survival and compliance in patients with anaplastic thyroid carcinoma. Materials and Methods: The medical records of 17 patients with anaplastic thyroid carcinoma treated with ERT between 1993 and 2002 were retrospectively reviewed. ERT was administered after surgery in 14 patients and after a biopsy in three patients. Among the 14 patients who had undergone surgery, nine underwent a curative resection and five underwent a palliative resection. Six patients had associated well-differentiated thyroid carcinomas and 14 patients were diagnosed with a tumor size exceeding 5 cm. The radiation dose ranged from $6{\sim}70\;Gy$ (median dose, 37.5 Gy). Eleven patients completed the planned course of ERT, whereas six patients did not. The follow-up period ranged from $1{\sim}104$ months (median, 5 months; mean, 20 months). Results: Five patients started the ERT without the presence of a gross mass and all of the patients competed ERT without a re-growth of tumor. Twelve patients (four patients after a curative resection, five patients after a palliative resection and three patients after a biopsy) started ERT with a gross mass present and only six patients were able to complete the planned course of ERT. Among the six patients who completed ERT, two patients showed a marked regression of the tumor mass, whereas two patients showed slight regression and two patients showed no response. The median survival was five months (range, $1{\sim}104$ months) and the mean survival was 21 months. The overall survival was 41% at 1-year, 24% at 2-years and 12% at 5-years. Significant prognostic factors included the number of primary tumors present, tumor size, whether surgery was performed and completion of ERT as planned. Long-term survivors showed a tendency of having smaller sized initial tumors and smaller sized pre-ERT tumors than the short-term survivors. Conclusion: This study suggests that patients with a small initial tumor (${\leq}5\;cm$), which was treated by surgery (curative resection or palliative resection) before ERT, and without rapid re-growth of the mass seen at the surgical site at the beginning of the ERT course, would be the best candidates for postoperative ERT. In contrast, patients with a large initial tumor (>5 cm) and did not undergo surgery before ERT or that rapid re-growth of the mass was observed at the surgical site are likely to have a short survival time, along with the interruption of ERT. In these cases, the role of ERT is very limited and the omission of ERT could be considered.

• Journal of Gastric Cancer
• /
• v.7 no.3
• /
• pp.117-123
• /
• 2007

Purpose: The surgical treatment of gastric cancer that invades adjacent organs is a radical gastrectomy with combined resection including the adjacent organs or a palliative operation by performing either a gastrojejunostomy or gastrectomy. However, since it is impossible to determine the exact stage of the cancer, either T or N, in the case of palliative surgery, it is inappropriate to predict patient prognosis. This study analyzes the prognoses for patients whose final TNM stages are determined by a combined resection performed due to macroscopical infiltration into the adjacent organs. Materials and Methods: Of 2,452 patients that underwent surgery for gastric cancer at our hospital from 1983 to 2002, we evaluated 102 patients where a combined resection was performed because direct infiltration into the adjacent organs was discovered. Results: Univariate analysis showed that the survival rate differed by the depth of invasion into the gastric walls, the degree of lymph node metastasis, distant metastasis, pathological TNM stage, surgical curability, the location of tumor, and histological differentiation. By multivariate analysis, it was found that the surgical curability, the location of the tumor and the degree of lymph node metastasis were independent prognostic factors. Conclusion: It is suggested that even when infiltration into adjacent organs is suspected, radical surgery should be performed as to allow a prediction of prognosis through an exact determination of disease stage, and to improve the survival rate.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
• /
• v.17 no.5
• /
• pp.2695-2697
• /
• 2016

Background: Gastric cancer, the fifth most common malignancy in the world, usually affects older individuals but can occur in younger age groups. In this study we compared the clinicopathological profile of young patients of gastric cancer with that of older patients. Materials and Methods: It is a prospective study of gastric cancer patients treated over three year period (January 2012 to December 2014). Data of patients were obtained from the medical record. Clinical and pathological characters of younger patients (age 40 years or less) were compared with older patients (age more than 40 years). Results: There were total of 152 patients treated during the study period. Twenty patients (13.2%) were less than 40 years of age and 132 (86.8%) were older. The male to female ratio in younger patients was 1:1.5 whereas in older patients it was 1:0.6. In the younger age group 14 patients (70%) had poorly differentiated adenocarcinoma in contrast to 45% in the older age group (p<0.01). Some 55% of younger and 42% of older patients had stage IV disease at presentation and curative surgery was not possible. Palliative surgery for gastric outlet obstruction or bleeding from the tumor was performed on 25% and 21% respectively. Conclusions: Gastric cancer in young people aged less than 40 years has unique characters like female predominance, unfavorable tumor biology, and advanced stage at presentation. There should be a high index of suspicion of gastric cancer even in young patients.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
• /
• v.35 no.9
• /
• pp.692-696
• /
• 2002

Pulmonary artery sarcoma is a rare disease and hard to diagnose; therefore, suspicion is very important for the diagnosis and treatment. Surgical resection is almost always needed because of progressive right heart failure. Adjuvant chemotherapy and radiation therapy are still controversial. We report a case of a 42-year-old man who had a right pulmonary arterial tumor Curative resection was impossible because the tumor invaded the left pulmonary artery. Palliative endarterectomy was performed followed by radiation therapy. The patient refused the chemotherapy. Until the postoperative 6th month, the residual tumor was stable. However, 15 months later, follow-up chest computed tomography revealed a metastatic pulmonary nodule at left lower lobe and the increased residual tumor. The patient received chemotherapy with limited tumor response. The metastatic nodule and residual tumor did not increase but bone scan revealed a rib metastasis at postoperative 24 months. He will be receiving additional chemotherapy.