• Journal of Trauma and Injury
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• v.32 no.2
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• pp.122-125
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• 2019

A 73-year-old man, who, in an inebriated state, had slipped in a flowerbed and was wounded on the left flank, was transferred to Trauma Center, Gil Medical Center, Gachon University College of Medicine. Based on the chest and abdominopelvic computed tomography, he was diagnosed with multiple rib fractures and hemopneumothorax on the left hemithorax and was found to have a bony fragment in the spleen. He had not presented peritonitis and exsanguinous symptoms during the observation period. Seven days later, computed tomography of the abdomen showed suspected diaphragmatic injury and a retained foreign body in the spleen. On exploration by video assisted thoracoc surgery (VATS), a herniated omentum through the lacerated site of the diaphragm was observed. After omentectomy using Endo Gia, the foreign body in the spleen was observed through the lacerated site of the diaphragm. Traumatic diaphragm rupture with a foreign body, in the spleen, was successfully managed by video assisted thoracic surgery via the lacerated site of the diaphragm.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.54 no.4
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• pp.239-245
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• 2021

Video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) has been established as the surgical approach of choice for lobectomy in patients with early-stage non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Patients with clinical stage I NSCLC with no lymph node metastasis are considered candidates for VATS lobectomy. To rule out the presence of metastasis to lymph nodes or distant organs, patients should undergo meticulous clinical staging. Assessing patients' functional status is required to ensure that there are no medical contraindications, such as impaired pulmonary function or cardiac comorbidities. Although various combinations of the number, size, and location of ports are available, finding the best method of port placement for each surgeon is fundamental to maximize the efficiency of the surgical procedure. When conducting VATS lobectomy, it is always necessary to comply with the following oncological principles: (1) the vessels and bronchus of the target lobe should be individually divided, (2) systematic lymph node dissection is mandatory, and (3) touching the lymph node itself and rupturing the capsule of the lymph node should be minimized. Most surgeons conduct the procedure in the following sequence: (1) dissection along the hilar structure, (2) fissure division, (3) perivascular and peribronchial dissection, (4) individual division of the vessels and bronchus, (5) specimen retrieval, and (6) mediastinal lymph node dissection. Surgeons should obtain experience in enhancing the exposure of the dissection target and facilitating dissection. This review article provides the basic principles of the surgical techniques and practical maneuvers for performing VATS lobectomy easily, safely, and efficiently.

• Korean Journal of Bronchoesophagology
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• v.13 no.1
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• pp.39-42
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• 2007

Esophageal duplication cyst is very rare mediastinal tumor which is congenital lesion of the esophagus. Esophageal duplication cyst could be excised with video assisted thoracoscopic surgery(VATS) if it is relatively small, cystic lesion and not adhered severely to the surrounding tissues such as lung, trachea, bronchus, esophagus and pleura. We report a case of an esophageal duplication cyst which was located in the right thoracic cavity below carina and could be excised completely and repaired by interrupted suture with 3.0 black silk. The patient was discharged at 10 days after operation with good condition and has been in uneventful condition 2 months after operation.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.31 no.4
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• pp.369-373
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• 1998

The bullectomy through the limited transaxillary thoracotomy and video-assisted thoracic surgery(VATS) had been used in operative management of spontaneous pneumothorax from Jan. 1994 to July 1997. The study comprised a retrospective review of 42 cases which were treated by limited thoracotomy, and 61 cases treated by video-assisted thoracoscopic sugery. We retrospectively reviewed annual incidnce of bullectomy. Analysis of video-assised thoracoscopic surgery and open bullectomy including age, sex, operative sites, surgical indications, associated diseases, operative time, posoperatve complications and hospital courses. There was no significant difference for operation time in two groups, 98.3${\pm}$38.4 minutes in thoracotomy and 95.7${\pm}$31.5 minutes in VATS. Prolonged air leakage over 7 days was observed in 8 cases from thoracotomy group, 4 cases from VATS group. 3 cases of recurrent pneumothorax were found from VATS group, but no recurrence was occurred from open bullectomy group. There were significant differences in postoperative hospital stay (8.0${\pm}$3.9 day in thoracotomy vs 5.9${\pm}$2.4day in VATS(P=0.001)), and indwelling period of chest tube after operation( 5.8${\pm}$3.0day in thoracotomy vs 4.0${\pm}$2.0day in VATS(P=0.0006)).

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.45 no.1
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• pp.35-39
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• 2012

Background: The aims of the study were to determine the accuracy of fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography (FDG-PET) in detecting pulmonary metastasis through video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS), a technique that allows the excisional biopsy of small pulmonary nodules in patients with known malignancies. Materials and Methods: Between October 2007 and April 2010, 28 patients with known malignancies and small pulmonary nodules underwent VATS excisional biopsies. All patients were in follow-up for a previously treated malignancy. The malignancies included the following: colorectum (9), breast (6), head and neck (5), stomach (3), lymph (1), ovary (1), uterus (1), bladder (1), and liver (1). Results: There were 16 men and 12 women whose mean age was 56.7 years old (range, 38 to 77 years). The sizes of the mean nodules removed were 11.3 mm (range, 7 to 21 mm). Diagnoses included metastatic (11), bronchioloalveolar carcinoma (1), primary adenocarcinoma (1), pulmonary tuberculosis (6), fibrosis (5), organizing pneumonia (3), lymphoid hyperplasia (1). Among these lesions, 46.4% were malignant. Conclusion: True positive FDG-PET was 39.2%. FDG-PET is not a sensitive test in the evaluation of patients with a history of an extrathoracic malignancy and newly diagnosed small pulmonary nodules. VATS excision allows the early diagnosis of small pulmonary nodules, with low morbidity, in patients with known malignancies.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.57 no.3
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• pp.302-311
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• 2024

Background: Unexpected conversion to thoracotomy during planned video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) can lead to poor outcomes and comparatively high morbidity. This study was conducted to assess preoperative risk factors associated with unexpected thoracotomy conversion and to develop a risk scoring model for preoperative use, aimed at identifying patients with an elevated risk of conversion. Methods: A retrospective analysis was conducted of 1,506 patients who underwent surgical resection for non-small cell lung cancer. To evaluate the risk factors, univariate analysis and logistic regression were performed. A risk scoring model was established to predict unexpected thoracotomy conversion during VATS of the lung, based on preoperative factors. To validate the model, an additional cohort of 878 patients was analyzed. Results: Among the potentially significant clinical variables, male sex, previous ipsilateral lung surgery, preoperative detection of calcified lymph nodes, and clinical T stage were identified as independent risk factors for unplanned conversion to thoracotomy. A 6-point risk scoring model was developed to predict conversion based on the assessed risk, with patients categorized into 4 groups. The results indicated an area under the receiver operating characteristic curve of 0.747, with a sensitivity of 80.5%, specificity of 56.4%, positive predictive value of 1.8%, and negative predictive value of 91.0%. When applied to the validation cohort, the model exhibited good predictive accuracy. Conclusion: We successfully developed and validated a risk scoring model for preoperative use that can predict the likelihood of unplanned conversion to thoracotomy during VATS of the lung.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.52 no.3
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• pp.125-130
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• 2019

Background: To compare the outcomes of video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) in comparison to open thoracic surgery in pediatric patients suffering from empyema. Methods: A prospective study was carried out in 80 patients referred to the Department of Pediatric Surgery between 2015 and 2018. The patients were randomly divided into thoracotomy and VATS groups (groups I and II, respectively). Forty patients were in the thoracotomy group (16 males [40%], 24 females [60%]; average age, $5.77{\pm}4.08years$) and 40 patients were in the VATS group (18 males [45%], 22 females [55%]; average age, $6.27{\pm}3.67years$). There were no significant differences in age (p=0.61) or sex (p=0.26). Routine preliminary workups for all patients were ordered, and the patients were followed up for 90 days at regular intervals. Results: The average length of hospital stay ($16.28{\pm}7.83days$ vs. $15.83{\pm}9.44days$, p=0.04) and the duration of treatment needed for pain relief (10 days vs. 5 days, p=0.004) were longer in the thoracotomy group than in the VATS group. Thoracotomy patients had surgical wound infections in 27.3% of cases, whereas no cases of infection were reported in the VATS group (p=0.04). Conclusion: Our results indicate that VATS was not only less invasive than thoracotomy, but also showed promising results, such as an earlier discharge from the hospital and fewer postoperative complications.

• Korean Journal of Bronchoesophagology
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• v.17 no.2
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• pp.92-97
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• 2011

MMinimally invasive surgery (MIS) for early stage lung cancer has been an important treatment modality. However, the ergonomic discomfort and counterintuitive instruments hindered the application of video-assisted thoracic surgery (VATS) to more advanced procedures. To improve the compliance with MIS, robotic surgery was adopted. This advance aimed to alleviate the shortcomings of VATS by maximizing the comfort of the surgeon while providing instruments that enabled technically demanding operations and three-dimensional views with increased freedom for intrathoracic movement owing to EndoWrist$^{(R)}$. In this session, we introduced the clinical applications and its results of robot-assisted thoracic surgery in the field of lung cancer surgery. In conclusion, robot-assisted pulmonary resection with lymph node dissection for lung cancer is safe as well as feasible, and it results in a satisfying postoperative outcome. Robot-assisted surgery may provide a good alternative to conventional open or thoracoscopic surgery for lung cancer, provided that the cost effectiveness and long-term prognosis are confirmed.

• 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.

• Korean Journal of Radiology
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• v.22 no.7
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• pp.1124-1131
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• 2021

Objective: To evaluate the feasibility, safety, and effectiveness of CT-guided microcoil localization of solitary pulmonary nodules (SPNs) for guiding video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS). Materials and Methods: Between June 2016 and October 2019, 454 consecutive patients with 501 SPNs who received CT-guided microcoil localization before VATS in our institution were enrolled. The diameter of the nodules was 0.93 ± 0.49 cm, and the shortest distance from the nodules to the pleura was 1.41 ± 0.95 cm. The distal end of the microcoil was placed less than 1 cm away from the nodule, and the proximal end was placed outside the visceral pleura. VATS was performed under the guidance of implanted microcoils without the aid of intraoperative fluoroscopy. Results: All 501 nodules were marked with microcoils. The time required for microcoil localization was 12.8 ± 5.2 minutes. Microcoil localization-related complications occurred in 179 cases (39.4%). None of the complications required treatment. A total of 463 nodules were successfully resected under the guidance of implanted microcoils. VATS revealed 38 patients with dislocated microcoils, of which 28 underwent wedge resection (21 cases under the guidance of the bleeding points of pleural puncture, 7 cases through palpation), 5 underwent direct lobectomy, and the remaining 5 underwent a conversion to thoracotomy. In 4 cases, a portion of the microcoil remained in the lung parenchyma. Conclusion: CT-guided microcoil localization of SPNs is safe and reliable. Marking the nodule and pleura simultaneously with microcoils can effectively guide the resection of SPNs using VATS without the aid of intraoperative fluoroscopy.