• Archives of Plastic Surgery
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• v.45 no.4
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• pp.304-313
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• 2018

Elevating thin flaps has long been a goal of reconstructive surgeons. Thin flaps have numerous advantages in reconstruction. In this study, we present a surgical method for elevating a thin flap and demonstrate the safety of the procedure. A retrospective review was performed of the electronic medical records of patients who underwent thin flap elevation for lower extremity reconstruction from April 2016 to September 2016 at the Department of Plastic Surgery of Asan Medical Center. All flaps included in this study were elevated above the superficial fascia. A total of 15 superficial circumflex iliac artery free flaps and 13 anterolateral thigh free flaps were enrolled in the study. The total complication rate was 17.56% (n=5), with total loss of the flap in one patient (3.57%) and partial necrosis of the flap in four patients (14.28%). No wound dehiscence or graft loss at the donor wound took place. Elevation above the superficial fascia is not inferior in terms of flap necrosis risk and is superior for reducing donor site morbidity. In addition to its safety, it yields good aesthetic results.

• Clinical Nutrition Research
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• v.13 no.1
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• pp.51-60
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• 2024

Obesity and overweight pose a significant public health problem, as they are associated with an elevated risk of metabolic syndrome (MetS). Several studies have shown that diet quality is associated with the development of MetS risk factors. Analyzing dietary patterns may be more helpful in determining the relationship between eating habits and chronic diseases compared to focusing on single foods or nutrients. In this study, our objective was to evaluate the association of food quality score (FQS) with risk factors for MetS in individuals with obesity and overweight. The participants in this cross-sectional study were 340 adults with overweight and obesity. Participants' food intake was measured using a Food Frequency Questionnaire, then the FQS was calculated. A fasting blood sample assessed serum glucose, triglycerides, total cholesterol (TC), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, and serum insulin levels. Fat-free mass, height, basal metabolic rate, socio-economic score, and waist-to-hip ratio significantly differed among FQS tertiles. TC, systolic and diastolic blood pressure, and fasting blood glucose were significantly lower in the highest tertile of FQS. After multivariable adjustment, our results showed that individuals in the third tertile of FQS had reduced risk of higher levels of TC (odds ratio [OR], 0.982; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.970-0.984) and higher levels of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (OR, 0.974; 95% CI, 0.974-0.999). Our findings demonstrate an inverse relationship between diet quality, as measured by FQS, and MetS risk factors. However, further experimental and longitudinal investigations are warranted to elucidate the causal nature of this association.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.27 no.12
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• pp.984-988
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• 1994

Between 1981 and 1992, 22 children from 1 to 15 years of age have undergone cardiac valve replacements at National medical center. The patients were composed of 14 males and 8 females and 7 patients had congenital heart disease and 15 patients had rheumatic heart disease. Three of these 15 patients have had second valve replacement due to prosthetic valve failure[PVF]. Single valve replacement were 20[Aortic 3 cases, Mitral 17 cases] and double valve replacments were 2. The overall mortality was 22.7 %. Actuarial survival rate was 77.28 $\pm$ 8.92 % and Complication free rate was 67.68$\pm$15.56%. The pediatric valve replacements can now be performed at a low operative risk although various problems are still remained and the choice of valve is prosthetic valve mainly due to its durability at the present time.

• Maxillofacial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery
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• v.40
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• pp.41.1-41.4
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• 2018

Background: Free fibular flap is one of the most useful methods in the hard tissue reconstruction of the maxillamandible. Free fibular flap presents some advantages in which the reconstruction of both soft and hard tissues can be done at the same time. It also provides a safe and successful bone graft for the reconstruction, along with a low rate of complications. Despite these advantages and the rarity of a postoperative complication, particularly in oral and maxillofacial surgery procedures, a prolonged operation might exhibit some complications related with rhabdomyolysis. We experienced the rare event of rhabdomyolysis after oral cancer surgery. Case presentation: In this article, we report the case of a patient who developed rhabdomyolysis after undergoing free fibular flap surgery. Conclusions: Despite the advantages of the free fibular flap operation, clinicians must be aware of the risk of complications because there are multiple factors that could result in rhabdomyolysis, such as duration of operation, position of the subject, and pre-existing conditions of diabetes and hypertension. Once the diagnosis of rhabdomyolysis is confirmed, a prompt treatment plan should be made and applied as soon as possible. This will increase the chance of a full recovery for the patient who is exhibiting symptoms of rhabdomyolysis.

• Archives of Plastic Surgery
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• v.46 no.5
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• pp.426-432
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• 2019

Background The mandible is an important structure that is located in the lower third of the face. Large mandibular defects after tumor resection cause loss of its function. This study assessed the outcomes and tumor recurrence after immediate mandibular reconstruction using a free fibula osteocutaneous flap following radical resection of ameloblastoma. Methods This is a retrospective non-randomized study of outcomes and tumor recurrence of all patients diagnosed with mandibular ameloblastoma from August 1997 until August 2017 (20 years) requiring free fibula osteocutaneous flap reconstruction at a single institution. The patients were identified through an electronic operative database; subsequently, their medical records and photo documentation were retrieved. Results Twenty-seven patients were included in this study. Eighteen patients were male, while nine were female. The majority of the patients (48.1%) were in their third decade of life when they were diagnosed with ameloblastoma. All of them underwent radical resection of the tumor with a surgical margin of 2 cm (hemimandibulectomy in cases with a large tumor) and immediate mandibular reconstruction with a free fibula osteocutaneous flap. Two patients required revision of a vascular anastomosis due to venous thrombosis postoperatively, while one patient developed a flap recipient site infection. The flap success rate was 100%. There was no tumor recurrence during a mean follow-up period of 5.6 years. Conclusions Mandibular ameloblastoma should be treated with segmental mandibulectomy (with a surgical margin of 2 cm) to reduce the risk of recurrence. Subsequent mandibular and adjacent soft tissue defects should be reconstructed immediately with a free fibula osteocutaneous flap.

• Epidemiology and Health
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• v.39
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• pp.36.1-36.8
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• 2017

OBJECTIVES: To investigate the screening rates for gastric, breast, and cervical cancer in people with diabetes compared with people without diabetes. METHODS: Data from the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (2007-2009) were used. Cancer-free men who were 40 years old and over and cancer-free women who were 30 years old and over were included. The lifetime screening rate and regular screening rate were compared in people with and without diabetes. RESULTS: Fewer people with diabetes than people without diabetes had ever received cancer screening (53.5 vs. 59.5%, p<0.001 for gastric cancer; 60.5 vs. 71.5%, p<0.001 for breast cancer; and 49.1 vs. 59.6%, p<0.001 for cervical cancer). Fewer people with diabetes than people without diabetes received the recommended screenings for gastric cancer (38.9 vs. 42.9%, p<0.001), breast cancer (38.8 vs. 44.6%, p<0.001), and cervical cancer (35.1 vs. 51.2%, p<0.001). In subgroup analyses according to socioeconomic factors, the lifetime and recommended screening rates were lower in the diabetic population in most socioeconomic subgroups. In the multivariate analysis adjusted for socioeconomic factors, people with diabetes showed lower lifetime screening rates for gastric and cervical cancer (odds ratio [OR], 0.8; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.7 to 0.9 and OR, 0.7; 95% CI, 0.6 to 0.9), and lower regular screening rates for breast and cervical cancer (OR, 0.7; 95% CI, 0.6 to 0.9 and OR, 0.7; 95% CI, 0.5 to 0.9). CONCLUSIONS: The cancer screening rate in people with diabetes was lower than in people without diabetes. Considering the higher cancer risk in people with diabetes, efforts to increase the screening rate in this high-risk population should be implemented.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.15 no.20
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• pp.8887-8891
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• 2014

Oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) is predominantly a disease of middle-aged men with long-term exposure to tobacco and alcohol. An increasing trend has been reported at a younger age worldwide. Clinical records of 100 patients under the age of 45 years treated specifically for oral cavity SCC in our hospital during a 10-year period were retrospectively analyzed to calculate the survival rates. An obvious male predominance coincided with smoking trend among Chinese young individuals and female patients were more likely to have no traditional risk factors such as smoking or drinking. The 5-year overall survival rate and disease-free survival rate were 61.0% and 75.5%, respectively, consistent with other published series over the decade showing a relatively better survival among the young. No significant differences clearly correlated with outcome when comparing non-smokers non-drinkers to ever-smokers and ever drinkers (P>0.05). Overall survival rate and disease free survival rate was found to be significantly higher in patients with early-stage disease than with advanced stage disease (P=0.001, P=0.009 respectively). The strong influence of clinical stage on prognosis emphasizes the importance of early diagnosis and treatment of oral malignancies for this unique clinical subgroup.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.47 no.4
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• pp.350-357
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• 2014

Background: Conservation of blood during cardiac surgery is important because of the shortage of donor blood, risks associated with transfusion, and the costs of allogeneic blood products. This retrospective study explored the feasibility of off-pump coronary artery bypass (OPCAB) without transfusion. Methods: One hundred and two consecutive patients underwent OPCAB from January 2007 to June 2012 at Hallym University Sacred Heart Hospital. Excluding 10 chronic renal failures patients, 102 patients were enrolled. Their characteristics, clinical data, and laboratory data were analyzed. We investigated the success rate of OPCAB without transfusion according to preoperative hemoglobin (Hb), and the cutoff point of the Hb level and the risk factors for transfusion. We implemented multidisciplinary blood-saving protocols. Results: The overall operative mortality and the success rate of OPCAB without transfusion were 2.9% (3/102) and 73.5% (75/102). The success rates in patients with Hb<11, 11 70 years, diagnosis of acute myocardial infarction, preoperative Hb and creatinine levels, and operation time. The events precipitating the need for transfusion were low Hb level in 9 patients and hypotension or excessive bleeding in 18 patients. Conclusion: The preoperative Hb level of >11 facilitates OPCAB without transfusion. These results suggest that transfusion-free OPCAB can be performed by modifying the risk factors and correctable causes of transfusion and improving various blood salvage methods.

• The Journal of Korean Institute of Electromagnetic Engineering and Science
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• v.15 no.10 s.89
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• pp.969-976
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• 2004

The wide and growing use of cellular phones has raised the question about the possible health risks associated with radio-frequency electromagnetic fields. It would be helpful for phone users to blow the exposure levels during cellular phone use. But it is very difficult to recognize the amount of exposure, because measuring accurate level of RF is a difficult matter. In this study, we developed a model to estimate the exposure level and the individual risk of exposure by utilizing the available informations that we can get. We used such parameters as usage time a day, total using period, distance between cellular phone and head, slope of cellular phone, hands-free usage, antenna pulled out or not SAR(Specific Absorption Rate) of cellular phone, and flip or folder type. We proposed a model presenting individual risk of RF exposure from level 0 to 10 by using a neural network.

• Journal of Veterinary Science
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• v.22 no.3
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• pp.35.1-35.13
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• 2021

Background: African swine fever (ASF) is an infectious viral disease of domestic pigs that presents as a hemorrhagic fever, and for which no effective vaccine is available. The disease has a serious negative social and economic impact on pig keepers. There is limited information on the potential risk factors responsible for the spread of ASF in South Kivu. Objective: The aim of this study was to determine the potential risk factors associated with ASF infection in suspected ASF virus (ASFV)-infected pigs. Methods: We sampled whole blood from 391 pigs. Additionally, 300 pig farmers were interviewed using a structured questionnaire. Viral DNA was detected by using the real-time polymerase chain reaction technique. Results: The majority of pigs sampled, 78% (95% confidence interval [CI], 74.4-82.6), were of local breeds. Over half, 60.4% (95% CI, 55.5-65.2), were female, and most of them, 90.5% (95% CI, 87.6-93.4), were adult pigs (> 1 year old). Viral DNA was detected in 72 of the 391 sampled pigs, indicating an overall infection rate of 18.4% (95% CI, 14.5-22.4). Multivariable logistic regression analysis revealed several risk factors positively associated with ASFV infection: feeding with swill in pen (odds ratio [OR], 3.8; 95% CI, 2.12-6.77); mixed ages of pigs in the same pen (OR, 3.3; 95% CI, 1.99-5.57); introduction of new animals to the farm (OR, 5.4; 95% CI, 1.91-15.28). The risk factors that were negatively (protective) correlated with ASFV positivity were the presence of male animals and the use of an in-pen breeding system. Conclusion: Local pig farmers should be encouraged to adopt proper husbandry and feeding practices in order to increase the number of ASF-free farms.