• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.26 no.3
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• pp.236-240
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• 1993

Video thoracoscopic surgery is a new modality that gains acceptance rapidly from thoracic surgeons. We have experienced two left lower lobectomies, one left upper lobectomy & one right upper lobectomy with using video thoracoscopy for the four patients with lung parenchymal disease from July 1992 to February 1993. The post-operative courses were uneventful. The final pathologic diagnosis were sclerosing hemangioma, adenocarcinoma, bronchiectasis, leiomyoma & the post-operative courses were short. These patients needed less analgesics because postoperative pain was reduced markedly, and hospitalization was shortened due to rapid recovery. We would like to prefer video thoracoscopic lobectomy to the lobectomy through standard thoracotomy in uncomplicated patients with simple pulmonary parenchymal diseases.

• 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.27 no.3
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• pp.226-229
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• 1994

VATS is now used by many thoracic surgeons and in various anatomic locations such as lung parenchyme, pleura and mediastinum, etc. VATS of mediastinal masses has special characteristics compared to that of other diseases. Those are no positional changes of the mass during collapse of the lung and close proximity of the mass to major vascular structures, nerves and other vital organs. From 1992. July to 1993. August, 10 mediastinal masses were treated with video assisted thoracoscopy. There were five males and five females, ages ranged from 11 years to 65 years with average 37.7 17.7 years old. Of the 10 patients, 4 were bronchogenic cysts, 2 were teratoma, and the others were thymoma, neurilemmoma, pericardial cyst, and thymic cyst. Needle aspiration was done in large cysts and the working thoracotomy[or utility thoracotomy] was done in large solid masses for the purpose of easy dissection, easy handling and easy delivery of the mass. The average operation time were 155.6 6.8 minutes and the duration of air leakage were 1 2.2 days. The duration of the chest tube drainage were 3.3 2.6 days. The lengths of the postoperative hospitalization were 5.1 2.7 days which were shorter than those of 12 mediastinal masses treated with conventional thoracotomy during the same periods [p<0.05]. There was 1 patient converted to thoracotomy because of a bleeding at innominate vein. 3 postoperative complications were occured. Those were persistent air leakage for 7 days, diaphragmatic palsy and hoarseness which were recovered within 1 month. We conclude that mediastinal mass can be excised with video assisted thoracoscopy and the posthospitalization is reduced. But careful attention is required for avoiding injury to major vascular structures, nerves, and other vital organs.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.29 no.5
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• pp.589-592
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• 1996

We report two cases of the thoracoscopic thymectomies for patients of myasthenia gratis with tracheostomy (Osserman's Group-ll-C-1). The Irst case was 47-year-old male wlth generalized myas- thenia gravis who was under the mechani al ventilator therapy with tracheostomy. The second case was 60-year-old male with deteriorating generalized myasthenia gratis after the mechanical ventilator therapy. We decided to resect the thymus by vldeo-assisted thoracoscopy to prevent the ouurrence of postoperative complications, especially mediastinitis because all two cases were under tracheostomy state. We could stop the mechanical ventilator therapy on the postoperati'fe 16th day and 3rd day respect- ively and they were recovered without mediastinitis. So we concluded that video-assisted thoracoscopic thymectomy is a good alternative surgical method for myasthenia gratis patients with tracheostomy.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.31 no.5
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• pp.513-517
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• 1998

Video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery has recently evolved as an alternative to thoracotomy for several thoracic disorders. Today it is viewed as a sparing and safe alternative to thoracotomy for a wide spectrum of indication. Using video-assisted operative thoracoscopy, we operated on 33 patients during the 2 years of our experience from June 1993 to June 1995. They were diagnosed as recurrent pneumothorax in 16, visible bulla on X-ray in 6, prolonged air leakage(longer than 7days) in 4, bilataral pneumothorax in 3, hyperhidrosis in 2, previous contralateral pneumothorax in 1, primary hemopneumothorax 1. The average duration of chest tube placement was 2.1${\pm}$0.4 days. The mean postoperative hospital stay was 3.4${\pm}$0.6 days. The complication was persistent air leakage(longer than 48 hours) in 3 case. Video-assisted thoracic surgery is safe, decreased pain, and shortens hospital stay.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.27 no.9
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• pp.808-811
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• 1994

We reported a successful right pneumonectomy using video assisted thoracoscopy for endobronchial tuberculosis. Thoracoscopic surgery has many advantages in spite of its technical difficulties. These advantages include good cosmetic effects, short hospital stay, decreased postoperative morbidity, and good postoperative pulmonary function.The patient was young unmarried female, and her right lung was nearly total obstructed by endobronchial tuberculous dissemination and secondary pulmonary infection. The procedure was a little complicated by inadequate placements of the thoracoscopic ports and 5cm length utility thoracotomy incision. Minimal pain killer was needed only two days after operation and scar of operative wound was very satisfying. Postoperative course was unusual and the patient was discharged 7 days after operation.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.36 no.9
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• pp.678-682
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• 2003

Video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery is good indication of secondary spontaneous pneumothorax. This method usually required general anesthesia and single-lung ventilation with collapse of other lung. But, risks of general anesthesia and single-lung ventilation must be considered in high-risk patients. Material and Method: Between September f999 and August 2001, 15 high-risk patients were treated by video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery under epidural anesthesia. Result: Video assisted thoracoscopic surgery was successfully performed in 15 patients. Duration of postoperative air-leakage was 4.3days, Significance of complication was none, No recurrence of pneumothorax was encountered. Conclusion: Video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery can be performed safely under epidural anesthesia for treatment of secondary spontaneous pneumothorax in high-risk patients.

• 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.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.33 no.4
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• pp.306-309
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• 2000

Background: The purpose of this study was to evalute the diagnostic value of 2mm video thoracoscopy for primary spontaneous penumothorax. Material and Method: During the period of March to June 1999, we prospectively analyzed 33 consecutive patients suffering from primary spontaneous pneumothorax. 2mm video-assisted thoracoscopy was compared with the operative finding. We observed recurrence during the mean follow-up of 3months. Result: Blebs were present in 24 patient(73%: 24/33). These were treated by 10mm video-assised thoracoscopic stapling. Nine pateints with no bleb were treated with pleural drainage. There were no significant differences in the bleb finding. No recurrence occurred during the follow-up period. Conclusion: A 2mm video thoracoscopic examination for primary spontaneous pnumothorax is a useful alternative in deciding the operative indication.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.37 no.2
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• pp.160-165
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• 2004

Successful treatment of multi-loculated pleural effusion or thoracic empyema requires effective drainage and definitive diagnosis of causative organism. The purpose of this study was to assess the efficacy of the video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery in the management of thoracic empyema or multi-loculated pleural effusion after chest tube drainage treatment had failed. Material and Method: Between April 2000 and July 2002, 20 patients with thoracic empyema or multi-loculated pleural effusion that failed to chest tube drainage or other procedures who underwent an operation. All patients were assessed by chest-computed tomogram and underwent video assisted thoracoscopic drainage, debridement, biopsy and irrigation of pleural cavity. Result: In 18 cases (90%), underwent successful video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery. In 2 cases, decortications by mini-thoracotomy were necessary. The ratio of sex was 4 : 1 (16 male: 4 female), mean age was 48.9 years old (range, 17∼72 years), mean duration of postoperative chest tube placement was 8.2 days (range, 4∼22 days), mean postoperative hospital stay was 15.2 days (range, 7∼33 days). Causative disease was tuberculosis, pneumonia, trauma and metastatic breast cancer, There were no major postoperative complications. Symptoms improved in all patients and were discharged with OPD follow up. Conclusion: In an early organizing phase of empyema or multi loculated pleural effusion, video-assisted thoracoscopic drainage and debridement are safe and suitable treatment.