• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.47 no.2
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• pp.197-199
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• 2014

Mediastinal paragangliomas are very rare neuroendocrine tumors. Complete resection is the standard treatment of a paraganglioma because of the tumor's potential malignancy and poor response to chemo- or radiotherapy. However, the highly vascular nature of the tumor and its characteristic anatomic location make complete resection difficult. We report a case of an anterior mediastinal paraganglioma, which was incidentally found on a chest computed tomography scan for chronic cough work-up of a 55-year-old woman. Complete resection was accomplished using video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery, and the patient recovered without any complications.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.55 no.6
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• pp.485-488
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• 2022

Serratus anterior plane block (SAPB) has been used for perioperative pain control during video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS), and the effects of continuous SAPB have been studied. This procedure is usually performed by the anesthesiologist; however, it could be performed more simply and safely by the thoracic surgeon through the use of meticulous finger dissection to create a space in the deep serratus anterior plane during surgery. We describe 3 cases of surgical catheterization for continuous SAPB in patients with lung cancer during VATS lobectomy, in which postoperative pain was effectively reduced.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.47 no.6
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• pp.560-562
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• 2014

A case of a fistula running from the pulmonary vein to the esophagus after a staged hybrid procedure combining total thoracoscopic ablation and percutaneous radiofrequency catheter ablation has not been reported previously. We describe such a case in a 37-year-old man who was successfully treated by surgery.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.47 no.3
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• pp.317-319
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• 2014

Ectopic mediastinal parathyroid adenomas or hyperplasias account for up to 25% of primary hyperparathyroidism cases. Most abnormal parathyroid glands are found in the superior mediastinum within the thymus and can be removed through a cervical incision; however, a few of these glands are not accessible using standard cervical surgical approaches. Surgical resection has traditionally been performed via median sternotomy or thoracotomy. However, recent advancement in video-assisted thoracic surgery techniques has decreased the need for sternotomy or thoracotomy to remove these ectopic parathyroid glands. Here, we report a successful case of video-assisted thoracoscopic removal of a mediastinal parathyroid adenoma.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.44 no.3
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• pp.225-228
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• 2011

Background: Conventional treatment (i.e. chest tube insertion and chemical pleurodesis) still remains standard for patients with secondary spontaneous pneumothorax because the risk of surgical bullectomy is deemed high in this subset. However, it has been suggested that surgical treatment using thoracoscopy may expedite postoperative recovery and, thus, may reduce hospital stay. Materials and Methods: Retrospective review of 61 patients with secondary spontaneous pneumothorax, who underwent conventional treatment (n=39) or video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) (n=22) between January 2007 and December 2009, was performed. Talc was used for chemical pleurodesis in both groups. Results: Hospital stay of conventional treatment group and VATS group was $14.2{\pm}14.2$ days (4~58 days) and $10.6{\pm}5.8$ days (5~32 days), respectively, with statistically significant difference (p=0.033). Recurrence rate of conventional treatment group was also significantly higher (12/39, 30%) compared to VATS group (1/22, 4.5%) (p=0.016). Conclusion: In selected patients with secondary spontaneous pneumothorax with continuous air leak or inadequate lung expansion, thoracoscopic surgery with chemical pleurodesis using talc results in shorter hospital stay and lower recurrence rate compared to conventional approach.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.25 no.7
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• pp.719-722
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• 1992

Two cases of benign mediastinal tumor were treated by complete resection under the video-thoracoscopic guidance. The procedure has been performed on the 2 patients, allowing definite treatment and was less invasive than standard surgical treatment. The 2 patients have been benefited by decreased postoperative pain, reduced scarring of the skin and rapid recovery. Two patients had benign mediastinal tumors; teratodermoid on anterior mediastinum and neurilemmoma on posterior mediastinum. There were no operative death and complication, median hospital stay was four days.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.27 no.2
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• pp.128-131
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• 1994

Recently we performed video-assisted thoracoscopic[VAT] examination and bullectomy under local anesthesia. Of the 10 patients undergoing VAT examination under local anesthesia with primary spontaneous pneumothorax, 8 patients underwent VAT bullectomy under local anesthesia using endo-GIA; 7 patients discharged within 24 hours after operation; 1 patient had an air leak after operation, so chemical pleurodesis with doxycycline was performed and discharged postoperative day 3. There have been no recurrence to date[60-120 days after operation]. We think spontaneous pneumothorax can be treated on an out-patient basis.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.38 no.7 s.252
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• pp.507-509
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• 2005

Open heart surgery via right thoracotomy can be accomplished in atrial septal defects, and mitral valve diseases. Recently, thoracoscopic atrial septal defect closure, mitral valve repair, Maze operation, and minimal invasive direct coronary artery bypass (MIDCAB) are accomplished with AESOP 3000. However, there is no report of thoracoscopic aortic valve replacement in Korea. We report a successful thoracospic aortic valve replacement assisted with AESOP 3000 in a 31-year-old female patient.

• Advances in pediatric surgery
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• v.16 no.2
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• pp.154-161
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• 2010

Pulmonary sequestration (PS) is a rare congenital malformation of the lower respiratory tract. The anomaly is characterized by absence of communication with the tracheobronchial tree and isolated blood supply from an anomalous systemic vessels. With the utilization of antenatal ultrasound, the diagnosis of asymptomatic neonatal PS has increased. Treatment options include observation, arterial embolization and surgical resection. The aim of the present study is to review the clinical course of PS and to share our experience with thoracoscopic resection. A total of 96 patients with PS were treated at Asan Children's Hospital between 1999 and 2010. The diagnosis of PS was established by CT in the cases managed by observation or embolization, and by tissue pathology in the surgical cases. Medical records and radiographic images were retrospectively reviewed. Thirty-nine patients were managed by embolization and 30 patients by surgery. The remaining 27 patients have been under observation without any procedures. Among 27 observation patients, 1 patient regressed completely and 10 patients were lost to follow up. Of the 39 embolizations patients, 2 had their lesion regress and sepsis was suspected after embolization. In 1 patient, the microcoil migrated to the iliac artery during the embolization procedure, and another patient developed renal abscess caused by renal artery embolization. Among 30 surgical cases, resection by thoracotomy was performed in 27 at the Department of Thoracic Surgery, and thoracoscopic resection in 3 at the Division of Pediatric Sugery. Only one wound complication ocurred. We conclud that surgical excision should be recommended for pulmonary sequestration, whether the sequestration is symptomatic or not because of the risk of infection, the low rate of natural regress, poor compliance, severe complications after embolization, and to exclude other pathology. In summary, thoracoscopic resection of the pulmonary sequestration is feasible, efficacious, safe and cosmetically superior even in neonatal period.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.28 no.3
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• pp.297-302
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• 1995

Video-assisted thoracic surgery [VATS is emerging as a viable alternatives to thoracotomy when surgical treatment of spontaneous pneumothorax is required.Apical blebs and bullaes of the lung can be resected,and pleural abrasion can be accomplished with minimal postoperative pain and a shorter postoperative stay in hospital. We compared our results with thoracoscopic management of spontaneous pneumothorax in 20 patients [group I with a group of 32 patients previously subjected to lateral limited thoracotomy [group II . Indications for operation, sex distribution, and average age [groupI, 24.7 years ; group II, 34.4 years were comparable. Operation time [112.42 54.7 min versus 124.8 35.3 min ; P 0.03 and chest tube duration [64.4 52.3 hours versus 97.7 45.4 hours ; P 0.01 were less in group I. Postoperative hospital stay was less in group I[3.84 0.99 days;P 0.01 , as was the use of parenteral narcotics after 48 hours. [5/20=25% versus25/32=78% . Pain was quantitated by verbal rating scale in postoperative 1 to 3 days. Patients undergoing VATS experienced significantly less postoperative pain. Postoperative complication was less in group I[1/20=5% versus 3/32=8.3% . In conclusion, Video-assisted thoracoscopic management of spontaneous pneumothrax allows performance of the standard surgical procedure while avoiding the thoracotomy incision.Video-assisted thoracic surgery [VATS is safe and offers the potential benefits of shorter postoperative hospital stays and less pain with cosmetic benefits.