• Journal of Chest Surgery
• /
• v.34 no.1
• /
• pp.1-34
• /
• 2001

• Journal of Chest Surgery
• /
• v.33 no.5
• /
• pp.343-376
• /
• 2000

• Journal of Chest Surgery
• /
• v.55 no.5
• /
• pp.361-363
• /
• 2022

• Journal of Chest Surgery
• /
• v.57 no.1
• /
• pp.1-24
• /
• 2024

• Journal of Chest Surgery
• /
• v.55 no.6
• /
• pp.489-491
• /
• 2022

• Journal of Chest Surgery
• /
• v.54 no.1
• /
• pp.2-8
• /
• 2021

Since the first reported case of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in December 2019, the numbers of confirmed cases and deaths have continued to increase exponentially despite multi-factorial efforts. Although various attempts have been made to improve the level of evidence for extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) treatment over the past 10 years, most experts still hesitate to take an active position on whether to apply ECMO in COVID-19 patients. Several ECMO management guidelines have been published recently, but they reflect some important differences from the Korean medical system and aspects of real-world medical practice in Korea. We aimed to find evidence on the efficacy of ECMO for COVID-19 patients by reviewing the published literature and to propose expert recommendations by analyzing the Korean COVID-19 ECMO registry data.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
• /
• v.57 no.2
• /
• pp.213-216
• /
• 2024

Bilateral transverse thoracosternotomy, or "clamshell" thoracotomy, can be complicated by dehiscence. A 65-year-old male underwent lung transplantation via clamshell thoracotomy, with subsequent sternal dehiscence on postoperative day 11. Upon repair, the previous sternal wires had pulled through, so a Sternal Talon connected to a Recon Talon was utilized to re-approximate the inferior sternum. On follow-up at 3 months, the patient recovered well. Use of the Sternal Talon provides an effective technique for repairing transverse sternal dehiscence.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
• /
• v.54 no.6
• /
• pp.558-558
• /
• 2021

• Journal of Chest Surgery
• /
• v.29 no.11
• /
• pp.1267-1269
• /
• 1996

Coronary artery bypass grafting without cardiopulmonary bypass is now one of accepted technique of myocardial revascularization. This technique is an alternative method for patients with lesions in the left anterior descending coronary artery and right coronary artery. We report a case of coronary artery bypass grafting without cardiopulmonary bypass or cardiac arrest.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
• /
• v.55 no.5
• /
• pp.388-396
• /
• 2022

Background: In this study, we present recent trends in heart valve surgery in Korea through analyses of data from the Korea Heart Valve Surgery Registry (KHVSR). Methods: We enrolled 8,981 patients who were registered in the KHVSR from 2017 to 2020. Yearly trends in patients' baseline characteristics, surgical profiles, and early mortality rates were explored. The observed/expected mortality ratio (O/E ratio), calculated from the actual mortality in the KHVSR and the predicted mortality estimated using the EuroSCORE II, was also analyzed. Results: The proportion of aortic valve surgery significantly increased from 56.8% in 2017 to 60.3% in 2020. The proportion of all combined procedures and minimally invasive surgery significantly increased over the 4-year study period. The operative mortality rate was 2.9% in the entire cohort, while mitral valve repair showed the lowest mortality risk (0.9%). The mortality rates of isolated aortic valve replacement (AVR) significantly decreased from 2.1% in 2017 to 0.8% in 2020 (p=0.016). Overall, the O/E ratio was 0.784 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.677-0.902) demonstrating significantly lower actual mortality risks than expected based on the EuroSCORE II. In particular, the O/E ratios were as low as 0.364 (95% CI, 0.208-0.591) for isolated AVR. Conclusion: The recent data from the KHVSR showed increasing trends for complex procedures and minimally invasive surgery in heart valve surgery in Korea, and demonstrated remarkably low risks of operative mortality.