• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.55 no.1
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• pp.49-54
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• 2022

Background: We compared the safety and effectiveness of robotic anatomical resection and video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS). Methods: A retrospective analysis was conducted of the records of 4,283 patients, in whom an attempt was made to perform minimally invasive anatomical resection for lung cancer at Seoul National University Hospital from January 2011 to July 2020. Of these patients, 138 underwent robotic surgery and 4,145 underwent VATS. Perioperative outcomes were compared after propensity score matching including age, sex, height, weight, pulmonary function, smoking status, performance status, comorbidities, type of resection, combined bronchoplasty/angioplasty, tumor size, clinical T/N category, histology, and neoadjuvant treatment. Results: In total, 137 well-balanced pairs were obtained. There were no cases of 30-day mortality in the entire cohort. Conversion to thoracotomy was required more frequently in the VATS group (VATS 6.6% vs. robotic 0.7%, p=0.008). The complete resection rate (VATS 97.8% vs. robotic 98.5%, p=1.000) and postoperative complication rate (VATS 17.5% vs. robotic 19.0%, p=0.874) were not significantly different between the 2 groups. The robotic group showed a slightly shorter hospital stay (VATS 5.8±3.9 days vs. robotic 5.0±3.6 days, p=0.052). N2 nodal upstaging (cN0/pN2) was more common in the robotic group than the VATS group, but without statistical significance (VATS 4% vs. robotic 12%, p=0.077). Conclusion: Robotic anatomical resection in lung cancer showed comparable early outcomes when compared to VATS. In particular, robotic resection presented a lower conversion-to-thoracotomy rate. Furthermore, a robotic approach might improve lymph node harvesting in the N2 station.

• Journal of Gastric Cancer
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• v.23 no.3
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• pp.499-508
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• 2023

Purpose: Despite scientific evidence regarding laparoscopic gastrectomy (LG) for advanced gastric cancer treatment, its application in patients receiving neoadjuvant chemotherapy remains uncertain. Materials and Methods: We used the 2019 Korean Gastric Cancer Association nationwide survey database to extract data from 489 patients with primary gastric cancer who received neoadjuvant chemotherapy. After propensity score matching analysis, we compared the surgical outcomes of 97 patients who underwent LG and 97 patients who underwent open gastrectomy (OG). We investigated the risk factors for postoperative complications using multivariate analysis. Results: The operative time was significantly shorter in the OG group. Patients in the LG group had significantly less blood loss than those in the OG group. Hospital stay and overall postoperative complications were similar between the two groups. The incidence of Clavien-Dindo grade ≥3 complications in the LG group was comparable with that in the OG group (1.03% vs. 4.12%, P=0.215). No statistically significant difference was observed in the number of harvested lymph nodes between the two groups (38.60 vs. 35.79, P=0.182). Multivariate analysis identified body mass index (odds ratio [OR], 1.824; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.029-3.234; P=0.040) and extent of resection (OR, 3.154; 95% CI, 1.084-9.174; P=0.035) as independent risk factors for overall postoperative complications. Conclusions: Using a large nationwide multicenter survey database, we demonstrated that LG and OG had comparable short-term outcomes in patients with gastric cancer who received neoadjuvant chemotherapy.

• Economic Analysis
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• v.25 no.4
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• pp.1-24
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• 2019

This study examines the labor market performance of graduates who had student loans. Compared to earlier studies, we extended analyses to all jobs that were experienced for more than 18 months after graduation. First, we found that students who had student loans earned 2.81% less at their first job compared to their counterparts without student loans. Second, the wage gap decreased over time, a reduction of 0.66%p due to labor market turnovers. Third, when we compared cumulated labor income, however, the amount for borrowers were continuously higher. This is because the job searching period of a borrower was shorter, despite relatively lower wages at the first job, and borrowers also made more frequent job turnovers, accompanying relatively more wage increases. These results suggest that the negative effects of college loans on earnings, reported in previous studies, may have exaggerated the negative impact to some extent of having loans. However, when we look at the quality of jobs beyond simply wages, the proportion of borrowers working at large companies as regular workers was consistently low. Given that job conditions at the earlier stages of one's career may lead to gaps over time, our findings call for more systematic investigations into the effects that student loans have on long-term labor performance.

• Journal of Venture Innovation
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• v.5 no.4
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• pp.157-178
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• 2022

The economy has deteriorated worldwide due to COVID-19, and the domestic economy has also been hit hard. Accordingly, the government implemented unprecedented financial support policies related to COVID-19 to solve the financial difficulties experienced by SMEs. In addition, as the spread of COVID-19 continued, the government implemented guidelines and measures along with recommendations for non-face-to-face contact. Organizations in the public and private sectors have introduced non-face-to-face work methods. Considering this situation, this study investigated the impact of COVID-19-related financial support policies on technological innovation of SMEs. External support is important for corporate innovation, but internal capabilities are also important. Therefore, the effect of entrepreneurship on product innovation was identified. In addition, as the non-face-to-face work method was activated, the effect of smart work was identified by comparing companies that introduced smart work and companies that did not. As a result of the analysis, entrepreneurship showed a positive (+) effect regardless of the introduction of smart work. Financial support policies related to COVID-19 were found to show mixed results according to the type of support.

• Asia-Pacific Journal of Business Venturing and Entrepreneurship
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• v.18 no.1
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• pp.225-236
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• 2023

Policy implications were derived by comparing/analyzing innovative SMEs and general SMEs that obtained innovation certification from 2015 to 2021 in terms of survival period. Work experience, scale (employment, capital and debt size, sales and operating profit) Korean standard industry classification (2 digit) was used to select general SMEs similar to innovative SMEs. Survival period was calculated by defining suspension, closure and overdue equivalent to default as events. As a result of the survival analysis, innovative SMEs showed a 9.8% reduction in the risk of delinquency compared to general SMEs, indicating that the survival period of innovative SMEs was significantly longer. In addition, it was found that the work experience and size (employment, capital) of SMEs had a positive effect on the survival period, but debt had a negative effect on the survival period. This means that the innovation certification system centered on innovation capabilities and future growth potential is a significant indicator in terms of survival period. As a result, it was concluded that the benefits and support policies provided by the innovation certification system need to be more systematic and sophisticated by reflecting the work experience and industry for the actual growth and survival of SMEs.

• Korean Journal of Radiology
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• v.24 no.12
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• pp.1284-1292
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• 2023

Objective: We investigated the impacts of computed tomography (CT) added to ultrasound (US) for preoperative evaluation of patients with papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) on staging, surgical extent, and postsurgical survival. Materials and Methods: Consecutive patients who underwent surgery for PTC between January 2015 and December 2015 were retrospectively identified. Of them, 584 had undergone preoperative additional thyroid CT imaging (CT + US group), and 859 had not (US group). Inverse probability of treatment weighting (IPTW) and propensity score matching (PSM) were used to adjust for 14 variables and balance the two groups. Changes in nodal staging and surgical extent caused by CT were recorded. The recurrence-free survival and distant metastasis-free survival after surgery were compared between the two groups. Results: In the CT + US group, discordant nodal staging results between CT and US were observed in 94 of 584 patients (16.1%). Of them, CT accurately diagnosed nodal staging in 54 patients (57.4%), while the US provided incorrect nodal staging. Ten patients (1.7%) had a change in the extent of surgery based on CT findings. Postsurgical recurrence developed in 3.6% (31 of 859) of the CT + US group and 2.9% (17 of 584) of the US group during the median follow-up of 59 months. After adjustment using IPTW (580 vs. 861 patients), the CT + US group showed significantly higher recurrence-free survival rates than the US group (hazard ratio [HR], 0.52 [95% confidence interval {CI}, 0.29-0.96]; P = 0.037). PSM analysis (535 patients in each group) showed similar HR without statistical significance (HR, 0.60 [95% CI, 0.31-1.17]; P = 0.134). For distant metastasis-free survival, HRs after IPTW and PSM were 0.75 (95% CI, 0.17-3.36; P = 0.71) and 0.87 (95% CI, 0.20-3.80; P = 0.851), respectively. Conclusion: The addition of CT imaging for preoperative evaluation changed nodal staging and surgical extent and might improve recurrence-free survival in patients with PTC.

• Journal of The Korean Society of Clinical Toxicology
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• v.21 no.2
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• pp.117-127
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• 2023

Purpose: No consensus currently exists regarding the maximal pressure of hyperbaric oxygen (HBO₂) therapy performed within 24 hours of acute carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning. This study aimed to evaluate the difference in therapeutic effects according to the first HBO₂ pressure (3.0 atmospheres absolute [ATA] vs. 2.8 ATA). Methods: We used prospectively collected registry data on CO poisoning at a tertiary academic hospital in the Republic of Korea. Adult patients with acute CO poisoning treated with HBO₂ within 24 hours after arrival at the emergency department and without the use of additional HBO₂ after 24 hours between January 2007 and February 2022 were included. Data from 595 patients were analyzed using propensity score matching (PSM). Patients with mild (non-intubated) and severe (intubated) poisoning were also compared. Neurocognitive outcomes at 1 month after CO poisoning were evaluated using the Global Deterioration Scale combined with neurological impairment. Results: After PSM, the neurocognitive outcomes at 1-month post-CO exposure were not significantly different between the 2.8 ATA (110 patients) and 3.0 ATA (55 patients) groups (p=1.000). Similarly, there was also no significant difference in outcomes in a subgroup analysis according to poisoning severity in matched patients (165 patients) (mild [non-intubated]: p=0.053; severe [intubated]: p=1.000). Conclusion: Neurocognitive sequelae at 1 month were not significantly different between HBO₂ therapy pressures of 2.8 ATA and 3.0 ATA in patients with acute CO poisoning. In addition, the 1-month neurocognitive sequelae did not differ significantly between intubated and non-intubated patients.

• The Korean Journal of Gastroenterology
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• v.72 no.5
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• pp.271-273
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• 2018

내시경 시술 전 일시적으로 항응고제를 중단하는 것은 위장관 출혈의 위험과 혈전색전증의 위험 사이에 적절한 균형을 잡기 어렵기 때문에 논란의 여지가 많다. 와파린은 새로운 경구용 항응고제(direct oral anticoagulant agent, DOAC)보다 임상의에게 더 친숙하고, 효과를 쉽고 빠르게 전환시킬 수 있다는 장점이 있지만 복잡한 약역동학 특징과 좁은 치료적 범위 때문에 관리가 어렵다. 반면, DOAC는 약물의 모니터링 및 용량 조절 없이 정해진 용량으로 처방이 가능하며, 빠르게 작용하고, 반감기가 짧아 관리가 쉽지만 해독제가 없다는 단점이 있다. 이전 연구들에서 DOAC를 복용한 환자들은 와파린을 복용한 환자들보다 시술과 관련되지 않은 위장관 출혈의 위험이 높았다고 보고한 바 있다. 하지만 시술과 관련된 위장관 출혈 위험에 대하여는 알려진 바가 없는 실정이다. 미국이나 유럽 내시경 가이드라인들에서는 저위험 내시경 시술을 받는 환자들에서는 와파린과 DOAC를 유지하도록 권고하고 있으며, 고위험 시술의 경우에는 와파린를 사용하는 환자들에서 헤파린 교량 요법(heparin bridging)을 시행하도록 권고하고 있다. 임상적으로 DOAC를 사용하는 환자들 또한 혈전색전증을 예방하기 위하여 헤파린 교량 요법을 시행해볼 수 있는데, 와파린 및 DOAC의 헤파린 교량 요법과 관련된 출혈 및 혈전색전증 위험의 차이 또한 명확하지 않다. 따라서 저자들은 1) 와파린과 DOAC 치료를 받는 환자들에서의 출혈, 혈전색전증 및 사망의 위험을 비교하고자 하였으며, 2) 13종류의 고위험 내시경 시술 중에서 시술별 위험을 비교하고, 3) 헤파린 교량 요법이 합병증의 발생을 증가시키지 않는지 확인하고자 본 연구를 진행하였다. 일본 대규모 국가 입원 환자 데이터베이스를 이용하여 2014년 4월부터 2015년 5월까지 시술 전 와파린 또는 DOAC(rivaroxaban, apixaban, dabigatran, edoxaban)를 복용하고, 13종류의 고위험 내시경 시술을 시행받은 20세 이상의 성인 환자 총 16,977명을 확인하였다. 고위험 시술은 용종 절제술, 내시경 점막절제술, 내시경 점막하박리술, 협착 부위의 풍선확장술, 내시경 지혈술, 내시경 정맥결찰술, 내시경 주사 경화요법, 내시경 괄약근절개술, 내시경 초음파 유도하 미세침 흡인 검사, 경피적 위루술을 포함하였다. 일대일 성향 점수 매칭 분석(propensity score matching, 나이, 성별, 체질량 지수, 기저 질환, 병원의 규모, 시술의 종류, 약물의 종류를 매칭)을 시행하여 와파린군과 DOAC군에서 시술 위장관 출혈 및 혈전색전증, 사망의 발생을 비교하였다. 또한 경구항혈전제와 헤파린 교량 치료 시행 유무에 따라, DOAC 단독군, 와파린 단독군, DOAC와 헤파린 교량 요법군, 와파린과 헤파린 교량요법군으로 나누어, 하위군(subgroup) 분석을 시행하였다. 5,046쌍이 성향 점수 매칭 분석에 포함되었으며, 와파린군에서 DOAC군보다 통계적으로 의미 있게 위장관 출혈의 비율이 높았다(12.0% vs. 9.9% p=0.02). 혈전색전증 발생률(5.4% vs. 4.7%)과 입원중 사망률(5.4% vs. 4.7%)은 양 군에서 의미 있는 차이는 없었다. DOAC 종류별로 나누어 하위군 분석을 시행하였을 때, 와파린군은 rivaroxaban군에 비하여 위장관 출혈의 비율이 높았으며, rivaroxaban군, dabigatran군에 비하여 혈전색전증의 비율이 높았고, 입원 중 사망률에서는 의미 있는 차이는 없었다. 내시경 시술의 종류로 보정하였을 때 위장관 출혈 및 혈전색전증, 사망률은 DOAC 단독으로 치료한 환자에서보다 와파린과 헤파린 교량 요법(bridging) 또는 DOAC과 헤파린 교량 요법을 시행한 환자에서 높았다. 시술 종류 중에서는 위루관 삽입술에 비하여 내시경 점막하박리술, 내시경 점막절제술 및 내시경 정맥류결찰술, 내시경 주사경화요법을 시행한 환자에서 위장관 출혈의 위험이 가장 높았으며, 하부 내시경 점막절제술, 하부 용종 절제술, 내시경적 유두괄약근절제술 또는 내시경 초음파 유도하 미세침 흡인 검사는 중등도 위험을 보였다.