• The Korean Journal of Pain
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• 제20권2호
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• pp.240-245
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• 2007

It is important to treat cancer-related pain in cancer patients to ensure the life quality of the patient, as well as to improve their life span. It has been estimated that at least 5% of cancer patients have pain refractory to medical treatment. Therefore, the need for epidural or intrathecal analgesia with opioids and local anesthetics is indicated if systemic treatment has failed. Intrathecal catheter placement and implantation of the injection port for administration of opioids and local anesthetics may improve pain relief in patients who are unresponsive to epidural routes. Although intrathecal implantation has several complications, similar infection rates have been reported between intrathecal and epidural administration. In addition, intrathecal administration showed better outcomes, including improved pain control, lowered daily doses, and an improvement in the level of drowsiness experienced when compared to epidural administration. We report here a case in which a terminal cancer patient was treated using an intrathecal catheter and subcutaneous port. The patient had cancer-related pain that could not be controlled by epidural opioid administration. Based on the results presented here, we suggest that intrathecal implantation is a feasible long term pain management method for intractable cancer pain patients.

• The Korean Journal of Pain
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• 제27권2호
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• pp.139-144
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• 2014

Background: To manage intractable cancer pain, an alternative to systemic analgesics is neuraxial analgesia. In long-term treatment, intrathecal administration could provide a more satisfactory pain relief with lower doses of analgesics and fewer side-effects than that of epidural administration. However, implantable drug delivery systems using intrathecal pumps in Korea are very expensive. Considering cost-effectiveness, we performed epidural analgesia as an alternative to intrathecal analgesia. Methods: We retrospectively investigated the efficacy, side effects, and complications of epidural morphine and local anesthetic administration through epidural catheters connected to a subcutaneous injection port in 29 Korean terminal cancer patients. Patient demographic data, the duration of epidural administration, preoperative numerical pain rating scales (NRS), side effects and complications related to the epidural catheterization and the drugs, and the numerical pain rating scales on the 1st, 3rd, 7th and 30th postoperative days were determined from the medical records. Results: The average score for the numerical pain rating scales for the 29 patients decreased from $7{\pm}1.0$ at baseline to $3.6{\pm}1.4$ on postoperative day 1 (P < 0.001). A similar decrease in pain intensity was maintained for 30 days (P < 0.001). Nausea and vomiting were the most frequently reported side effects of the epidural analgesia and two patients (6.9%) experienced paresthesia. Conclusions: Epidural morphine and local anesthetic infusion with a subcutaneous pump seems to have an acceptable risk-benefit ratio and allows a high degree of autonomy to patients with cancer pain.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• 제46권3호
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• pp.202-207
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• 2013

Background: The role of totally implantable central venous port (TICVP) system is increasing. Implantation performed by radiologist with ultrasound-guided access of vein and fluoroscope-guided positioning of catheter is widely accepted nowadays. In this article, we summarized our experience of TICVP system by surgeon and present the success and complication rate of this surgical method. Materials and Methods: Between March 2009 and December 2010, 245 ports were implanted in 242 patients by surgeon. These procedures were performed with one small skin incision and subcutaneous puncture of subclavian vein. Patient's profiles, indications of port system, early and delayed complications, and implanted period were evaluated. Results: There were 82 men and 160 women with mean age of 55.74. Port system was implanted on right chest in 203, and left chest in 42 patients. There was no intraoperative complication. Early complications occurred in 11 patients (4.49%) including malposition of catheter tip in 6, malfunction of catheter in 3, and port site infection in 2. Late complication occurred in 12 patients (4.90%). Conclusion: Surgical insertion of TICVP system with percutaneous subclavian venous access is safe procedures with lower complications. Careful insertion of system and skilled management would decrease complication incidence.

• The Korean Journal of Pain
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• 제19권2호
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• pp.266-270
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• 2006

A case of an epidural abscess, a rare but possibly devastating complication of epidural instrumentation and catheterization, which occurred in a cancer pain patient with an epidural port connected to the epidural catheter, is described. Although cases of a catheter related epidural abscess have been intermittently reported, those following epidural port implantation are very rare, with no case having been reported in Korea. Herein, the case of a 31-year-old man, who developed an epidural abscess 54 days after subcutaneous implantation of an epidural port connected to an epidural catheter, is reported. Methicillin-sensitive staphylococcus aureus was detected in a culture of the purulent discharge. Magnetic resonance imaging was essential, not only for the diagnosis of the epidural abscess, but also for determining the extent of spread. The patient refused further evaluation and treatment, and expired 22 days later.

• The Korean Journal of Pain
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• 제26권1호
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• pp.32-38
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• 2013

Background: Intrathecal opioid administration has been used widely in patients suffering from severe cancer pain that is not managed with conventional modalities. However, the potential serious neurological complications from the procedure and the side effects of intrathecal opioids have made many clinicians reluctant to employ continuous intrathecal analgesia as a first-line therapeutic option despite its dramatic effect on intractable pain. We retrospectively investigated the efficacy, side effects, and complications of intrathecal morphine administration through intrathecal catheters connected to a subcutaneous injection port (ICSP) in 22 Korean terminal cancer patients with successful intrathecal morphine trials. Methods: Patient demographic data, the duration of intrathecal opioid administration, preoperative numerical pain rating scales (NRS) and doses of systemic opioids, side effects and complications related to intrathecal opioids and the procedure, and the numerical pain rating scales and doses of intrathecal and systemic opioids on the $1^{st}$, $3^{rd}$, $7^{th}$ and $30^{th}$ postoperative days were determined from medical records. Results: Intrathecal morphine administration for $46.0{\pm}61.3$ days significantly reduced NRS from baseline on all the postoperative days. A significant increase in intrathecal opioids with a nonsignificant decrease in systemic opioids was observed on the $7^{th}$ and $30^{th}$ postoperative days compared to the $1^{st}$ postoperative day. The most common side effects of intrathecal opioids were nausea/vomiting (31.8%) and urinary retention (38.9%), which were managed with conservative therapies. Conclusions: Intrathecal morphine administration using ICSP provided immediate and beneficial effects on pain scores with tolerable side effects in terminal cancer patients.

• 한국임상수의학회지
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• 제28권1호
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• pp.149-153
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• 2011

In this report, laparoscopic ovariohysterectomy (LOHE) was performed on two, healthy, intact female dogs. Three ports, umbilical port for placing the laparoscope and the left and right paramedian instrument ports were placed into the abdominal cavity. First, in order to isolate the right ovary, the vascular pedicle was coagulated by activating the universal bipolar forceps. Then, the pedicle and suspensory ligament were transected by the bipolar electrocauterization scissors. In the same manner, the left ovary was isolated. The uterine body and the uterine arteries were coagulated bilaterally and transected just rostral to the cervix. The isolated ovaries and uterus were exteriorized through the left paramedian instrument port, which was extended by approximately 1 cm to allow for tissue removal. The skin and subcutaneous tissue were closed in a routine manner. Surgical times for LOHE in two dogs were 35, 40 min respectively. Total length of abdominal incision was shorter than 3 cm in two dogs. No clinical complications related to the LOHE were observed during 1.5 years after surgery. The LOHE is an alternative surgical technique that deserves further investigation.