• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.56 no.2
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• pp.120-125
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• 2023

Background: Multiple rib fractures are common in blunt chest trauma. Until recently, most surgical rib fixations for multiple rib fractures were performed via open thoracotomy. However, due to the invasive nature of tissue dissection and the resulting large wound, an alternative endoscopic approach has emerged that minimizes the postoperative complications caused by the manipulation of injured tissue and lung during an open thoracotomy. Methods: Our study concentrated on patients with multiple rib fractures who underwent surgical stabilization of rib fractures (SSRF) between June 2018 and May 2020. We found 27 patients who underwent SSRF using video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery. The study design was a retrospective review of the patients' charts and surgical records. Results: No intraoperative events or procedure-related deaths occurred. Implant-related irritation occurred in 4 patients, and 1 death resulted from concomitant trauma. The average hospital stay was 30.2±20.1 days, and ventilators were used for 12 of the 22 patients admitted to the intensive care unit. None of the patients experienced major pulmonary complications such as pneumonia or acute respiratory distress syndrome. Conclusion: Minimally invasive rib stabilization surgery with the assistance of a thoracoscope is expected to become more widely used in patients with multiple rib fractures. This method will also assist patients in a quick recovery.

• Journal of Trauma and Injury
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• v.32 no.2
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• pp.115-117
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• 2019

Although hemothorax and pneumothorax are common complications seen in rib fractures, focal extrapleural hematoma is quite rare. We report a 63-year-old female patient that developed large focal extrapleural hematoma after falling off a second floor veranda. The patient had sustained 3, 4, 5th costal cartilage rib fractures and a sternum fracture. She had developed suspected empyema with loculations with small amount of hemothorax. She underwent a planned early decortication/adhesiolysis by video assisted thoracoscopic surgery at the 12th post-trauma day due to failed drainage. Unexpectedly, she had no adhesions or any significant retained hematoma mimicking a mass, but was found with the focal extrapleural chest wall hematoma. She was discharged on postoperative 46th day for other reasons and is doing fine today.

• Journal of Trauma and Injury
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• v.29 no.3
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• pp.89-92
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• 2016

Non-surgical traumatic chylothorax following blunt chest trauma is rare, with only a few cases having been reported. In general, conservative treatment measures are recommended as initial management of traumatic chylothorax; these include closed thoracostomy, dietary restriction, and parenteral nutrition. There are few reports of surgery for traumatic chylothorax. We report our experience with thoracic duct ligation using video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery in a patient with chylothorax following blunt chest injury with associated fractures of the thoracic spine.

• Journal of Trauma and Injury
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• v.30 no.2
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• pp.55-58
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• 2017

Standard open procedures for resection of the first rib in thoracic outlet syndrome can prove to be quite difficult with extensive incisions. A minimal invasive procedure can also be painstaking, but provides an attractive alternative to the more radical open procedures. We report the details of the technique with direct video footage of the procedure performed in a 41-year-old man with thoracic outlet syndrome done entirely by thoracoscopic methods.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.54 no.6
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• pp.466-472
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• 2021

Background: Major intraoperative hemorrhage reportedly predicts unfavorable survival outcomes following surgical resection for esophageal carcinoma (EC). However, the factors predicting the amount of blood lost during thoracoscopic esophagectomy have yet to be sufficiently studied. We sought to identify risk factors for excessive blood loss during video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) for EC. Methods: Using simple and multiple linear regression models, we performed retrospective analyses of the associations between clinicopathological/surgical factors and estimated hemorrhagic volume in 168 consecutive patients who underwent VATS-type esophagectomy for EC. Results: The median blood loss amount was 225 mL (interquartile range, 126-380 mL). Abdominal laparotomy (p<0.001), thoracic duct resection (p=0.014), and division of the azygos arch (p<0.001) were significantly related to high volumes of blood loss. Body mass index and operative duration, as continuous variables, were also correlated positively with blood loss volume in simple linear regression. The multiple linear regression analysis identified prolonged operative duration (p<0.001), open laparotomy approach (p=0.003), azygos arch division (p=0.005), and high body mass index (p=0.014) as independent predictors of higher hemorrhage amounts during VATS esophagectomy. Conclusion: As well as body mass index, operation-related factors such as operative duration, open laparotomy, and division of the azygos arch were independently predictive of estimated blood loss during VATS esophagectomy for EC. Laparoscopic abdominal procedures and azygos arch preservation might be minimally invasive options that would potentially reduce intraoperative hemorrhage, although oncological radicality remains an important consideration.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.47 no.5
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• pp.497-498
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• 2014

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.48 no.5
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• pp.375-377
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• 2015

We report a case of an entrapped lung after the pectus bar repair of a pectus deformity. The entrapped lung was found incidentally during video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) for pneumothorax. Based on VATS exploration, multiple bullae seemed to be the cause of the pneumothorax, but the entrapped lung was suspected to have been a cause of the air leakage.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.53 no.5
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• pp.317-320
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• 2020

Pulmonary carcinoids are relatively rare tumors with low metastatic potential. Pleural carcinomatosis of a bronchial carcinoid has only been reported in 4 cases. Due to the rarity of this condition, there are no guidelines for its treatment or management. We report a case of atypical carcinoid with local recurrence and pleural metastases treated by video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery lobectomy and total pleurectomy with photodynamic therapy after non-radical wedge resection.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.35 no.8
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• pp.630-633
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• 2002

Although the incidence of descending necrotizing mediastinitis(DNM) is low, this is a serious disease because it"s mortality have been reported to be as high as 40∼50%. Currently, many authors have emphasized aggressive surgical approaches rather than medical treatment alone. We report good results in 2 DNM patients treated by less invasive approach with video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery, Less invasive methods with video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery can reduce hospital stay and morbidity if effective drainage can be achieved in selected DNM patients.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.14 no.5
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• pp.2871-2877
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• 2013

Objectives: To evaluate the safety, efficacy, and invasiveness of lobectomy by video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) in the treatment of stage I/II non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Methods: A total of 148 patients presenting with Stage I or II NSCLC were enrolled into our study, comprising 71 who underwent VATS and 77 patients undergoing conventional thoracotomic lobectomy, in combination with systematic lymph node resection. Results: It was found that VATS was superior to conventional thoracotomy in terms of the duration of surgery, intraoperative blood loss, frequency of the need to administer postoperative analgesia, thoracic intubation indwelling time, post-operative hospital stay, and survival rate (P<0.05). We saw no obvious difference in the number of resected lymph nodes with either approach. Conclusions: VATS lobectomy is a safe and reliable surgical approach for the treatment of Stage I/II NSCLC, characterized by significantly minimal invasiveness, rapid post-operative recovery, and markedly lower loss of blood.