• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.42 no.4
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• pp.492-496
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• 2009

Background: The treatment of acute pulmonary embolism is difficult, and it can be lethal when cardiogenic shock is involved with major pulmonary embolism. In the past, pulmonary embolectomy was considered as the last choice for patients with pulmonary embolism. Accordingly, we analyzed our experience with seven cases of pulmonary embolectomy as an alternative option for the early treatment of pulmonary embolism. Material and Method: A retrospective analysis of medical charts of all patients who underwent pulmonary embolectomy at our hospital over the past eight years was performed. The patients were observed during their hospital stay and followed until their last visit to the outpatient department. Result: Among 7 patients (4 men and 3 women), 4 had massive pulmonary embolism, and 3 had sub massive pulmonary embolism. An extracorporeal membrane oxygenator was inserted in 3 patients before surgery. There was no mortality, and postoperative echocardiography showed no pulmonary hypertension in 6 patients. Conclusion: Pulmonary embolectomy can be performed with minimal mortality. We think that the use of an extracorporeal membrane oxygenator in patients with cardiogenic shock before surgery improves survival.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.45 no.5
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• pp.323-325
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• 2012

Pulmonary tumor embolism can be a cause of respiratory failure in patients with cancer even though it occurs rarely. We describe a 56-year-old man who underwent a pulmonary tumor embolectomy using cardiopulmonary bypass on beating heart combined with inferior vena cava embolectomy and right radical nephrectomy. Aggressive surgical treatment in this severe case is necessary not only to reduce the fatal outcome of pulmonary embolism in the short run, but also to improve the oncological prognosis in the long term.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.43 no.4
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• pp.433-436
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• 2010

Acute massive pulmonary artery embolism after pulmonary resection is very rare, but has a high mortality rate. This is one of the most severe complications after pulmonary resection. Acute pulmonary artery embolism developed suddenly in a patient who underwent lobectomy and was recovering without complications. Because the patient’s condition was aggravated after conservative treatment, we did emergency open embolectomy which was successful. Hence, we report this case with a literature review.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.23 no.4
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• pp.804-810
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• 1990

Pulmonary thromboembolism originated mostly from the venous thrombus, especially deep vein thrombosis in the lower extremities, which migrated upward and lodged the pulmonary vasculatures, Massive pulmonary thromboembolism usually leads to in \ulcornerhospital mortality if the patient was not treated properly. Under the cardiopulmonary bypass, a 49-year old man was treated successfully by emergent pulmonary embolectomy of pulmonary thromboembolism, which originated from the deep vein thrombosis in the right leg. Ligation or filtering device insertion of the inferior vena cava was not performed. The patient’s postoperative course was uneventful and discharged on postoperative 15th day He continued to receive oral anticoagulation with aspirin and persantin, which had been started on the third postoperative day. And he was well till recent days through the outpatient follow-up. The clinical courses of this patient are described, and massive pulmonary embolism and its management are discussed.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.36 no.7
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• pp.531-534
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• 2003

A 43-year-old woman who had had an invasive mole 5 years previously required emergent pulmonary embolectomy under cardiopulmonary bypass. Curative resection was impossible because the tumor invaded the right main pulmonary artery and left lower pulmonary artery. The pathologic diagnosis made by the tumor emboli specimens was choriocarcinoma. The patient received post-operative chemotherapy over a 6-month period and had complete remission. Although rare, choriocarcinoma should be considered in the differential diagnosis of fertile women presented with pulmonary embolism.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.52 no.2
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• pp.78-84
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• 2019

Background: Pulmonary thromboembolism (PTE) is a life-threatening disease with high mortality. This study aimed to assess the outcomes of surgical embolectomy and to clarify the sustained long-term effects of surgery by comparing preoperative, postoperative, and long-term follow-up echocardiography outcomes. Of 22 survivors, 21 were followed up for a mean (median) period of $6.8{\pm}5.4years$ (4.2 years). Methods: We retrospectively reviewed 27 surgical embolectomy cases for massive or submassive acute PTE from 2003 to 2016. Immediate and long-term follow-up outcomes of surgical embolectomy were assessed on the basis of 30-day mortality, long-term mortality, postoperative complications, right ventricular systolic pressure, and tricuspid regurgitation grade. Results: The 30-day and long-term mortality rates were 14.8% (4 of 27) and 4.3% (1 of 23), respectively. Three patients had major postoperative complications, including hypoxic brain damage, acute kidney injury, and endobronchial b leeding, respectively (3.7% each). Right ventricular systolic pressure (median [range], mm Hg) decreased from 62.0 (45.5-78.5) to 31.0 (25.7-37.0, p<0.001). The tricuspid valve regurgitation grade (median [range]) decreased from 1.5 (0.63-2.00) to 0.50 (0.50-1.00, p<0.05). The improvement lasted until the last echocardiographic follow-up. Conclusion: Surgical embolectomy revealed favorable mortality and morbidity rates in patients with acute massive or submassive PTE, with sustained long-term improvements in cardiac function.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• v.39 no.1
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• pp.72-74
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• 2006

We report a case of fatal aortic tumor embolism presenting as acute paraplegia. A four-year-old girl was referred from a local hospital with sudden paraplegia and a poor medical condition. A neighbor had noticed her fall from a bike, and she could not walk. She had no previous illness. Emergency spine MRI revealed no remarkable findings. During the process of evaluation, her general condition deteriorated progressively. Chest and abdominal CT showed a large mass in the left lung field, and a diagnosis of aortic occlusion was made. An emergency transfemoral embolectomy was attempted. However, the patency of the aorta was not recovered. On pathological examination of tissues taken from the embolectomy, a pleuro-pulmonary blastoma was found. The patient died 22 hours after the onset of her symptoms. We describe a possible mechanism for the tumor embolism. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first case report of aortic occlusion caused by an embolic malignancy, presenting as acute paraplegia.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.47 no.1
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• pp.103-110
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• 1999

A thromboembolic event in patients later given a diagnosis of cancer is the result rather than the cause of the cancer. The risk of hidden cancer is significantly higher for patients with recurrent idiopathic thromboembolism compared to those with secondary deep vein thrombosis. Microemboli from hepatic or adrenal metastases and large-sized emboli from the great veins invaded by the tumor are the sources of tumor embolization The intraarterial tumor emboli less likely invade the arterial wall. Thrombus formation and organization may be capable of destroying tumor cells within pulmorlary blood vessels. Therefore, all tumor emboli are not true metastases. The treatment of deep vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolism in patients with cancer consists of anticoagulation with heparin and warfarin, venacaval filters, appropriate anti-neoplastic agents, and surgical methods(embolectomy, thromboendarterectomy). However, considerable literatures suggest that oral anticoagulant such as warfarin is ineffective in the treatment of those. We report a case of primary unknown squamous cell carcinoma incidentally found in the thrombus after pulmonary embolectomy.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.21 no.5
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• pp.911-917
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• 1988

Pulmonary thromboembolism originated most commonly from the venous thrombus, especially deep vein thrombus in the leg, which migrated to and occluded the pulmonary vasculatures. The failure of clot lysis and repeated embolic episodes resulted in the hemodynamic compromise -that is- in the increasing in the pulmonary vascular resistance, which would cause the right ventricle failure[Car Pulmonale]. Under the cardiopulmonary bypass, 20 year old male patient was treated successfully by thromboembolectomy of pulmonary thromboembolism with pulmonary hypertension, which originated from the deep vein thrombus in the leg. The results of radiologic studies and clinical evaluations were excellent in that the postoperative lung perfusion scan showed the newly increased perfusion of post-embolectomy territories and in the arterial blood gas finding of 76 from 66[mmHg] in PaO2. The patient was uneventful and discharged on postop. $ 14 days with anticoagulant continued.

• The Korean Journal of Nuclear Medicine
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• v.19 no.2
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• pp.87-89
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• 1985

Unresolved major pulmonary embolism (UMPE) is an uncommon condition which causes pulmonary hypertension, cor pulmonale and death. An accurate and prompt diagnosis of UMPE is very important in the management of such patients with pulmonary embolectomy. Follow-up lung scans can lead to earlier diagnosis of UMPE especially on patients who have a history of acute pulmonary embolism in the past and. present with pulmonary hypertension, respiratory insufficiency and cor pulmonale. We report a case of UMPE strongly suggested by follow-up lung scans and subsequently confirmed by pulmonary angiography and postmortem examination.