• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.43 no.6
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• pp.747-752
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• 2010

Surgical repair of thoracoabdominal aortic aneurysm (TAAA) remains a formidable challenge associated with significant rates of mortality and morbidity, especially in patients with high risk. Use of endovascular stent graff in aortic aneurysm disease is now accepted as an alternative treatment to surgery. But the saving of visceral arteries is the chief obstacle to endovascular repair of TAAA. We successfully treated two patients of TAAA with high risk by hybrid procedure including open visceral debranching and concomitant endovascular aneurysm exclusion.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.38 no.7 s.252
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• pp.514-517
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• 2005

Gastrointestinal stromal tumor is documented on every part of the gastrointestinal tract. It develops in the stomach and the small intestine most commonly, and also in the esophagus. A 44 year-old male patient was admitted due to dysphagia and weight loss. Chest CT showed about $15\times11\times11cm$ sized, well-defined, and lobulated soft tissue mass with central necrosis was noted in the posterior wall of lower esophagus throughout the lesser curvature of upper stomach. We performed the distal esophagectomy and total gastrectomy using thoracoabdominal incision. The tumor was positive at CD117 (c-kit) and CD 34, and was diagnosed as malignant GIST of the distal esophagus and upper stomach. The patient is on routine follow up at the out patient department for nineteen months up to now.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.29 no.2
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• pp.177-184
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• 1996

Between 1987 and 1994, 21 patients were treated surgically for aortic aneurysm involving the thoracoabdominal aorta. There were 11 males and 10 females, and their age ranged from 20 to 67 years old and mean age was 41.5 years. Many complained of back pain, chest pain or discomfort, and flank pain, but three patients were asymptomatic. 15 patients had chronic dissection (71.4%) and 6 had nondissecting fusiform or saccular aneurysm(28.5%), and of those 15 patients with chronic dissection, 6(28.5%) had atherosclerosis assniated with hypertension, 5 (23.8%) were Martian syndrome, and 2 (9.5%) were associated with pregnancy. The diameter of an aneurysm ranged from 6cm to 12cm, and their extent was classified as type I in 7(33.3%), type II in 8(38.1%), type III in 3(14.3%), and type IV in 3(14.3%) patients based on Crawford classification for TAA . Diseased aorta was replaced with artificial vascular graft in all but one patient. In whom the aortic tear site due to pseudoaneurysm was closed by primary suture. For the spinal cord protection during the operation, we used partial cardiopulmonary bypass (FV-FA or PA-FA bypass) in 12 patients (57.1%), Biopump (LA-FA bypass) in 4(19.0%), total circulartory arrest and CPB in 2 (9.5%), Gott's heparinized shunt in 1(4.7%), and simple aortic cross clamping in 2 (9.5%). The most common complication after the operation was hoarseness due to unilateral vocal cord palsy which onured in 5 patients (23.8%), and the next common complication was wound infection in 4 patients(19.0%), paraplegia in 2 patients (9.5%), chylothorax in 1 patient(4.7%). The hospital mortality rate was 9.5% (2deaths), and there was no late death. Our experience shows that the graft replacement of TAAA had reasonable rate of mortality, low rate of serious complication, and provided good post operative state of the pati nts, and since the thoracoabdominal aortic operation is not a high risky procedure anymore, we recommend a radical operation for the indicated patients.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.24 no.6
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• pp.579-584
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• 1991

The records of 25 patients with traumatic diaphragmatic injuries seen at Chosun University Hospital from February 1977 to May 1991 were reviewed. We treated 20 male and 5 female patients ranging in age from 6 to 72 years. The diaphragmatic injuries were due to blunt trauma in 19 cases[traffic accident 13, fall down 4, compression injury 2] and penetrating trauma in 6 cases[stab wound 5, gun shot 1]. Most common symptoms were dyspnea[72%], chest pain[56%] and abdominal pain [40%], Chest X-ray were normal in 7 cases[28%] and 22 cases[88%] were diagnosed or suspected as diaphragmatic injuries preoperatively. The repair of 25 cases were performed with thoracic approach in 16 cases, thoracoabdominal approach in 6 cases and abdominal approach in 3 cases. Postoperative complications included atelectasis, wound infection and empyema. there was no postoperative death.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.18 no.1
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• pp.128-139
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• 1985

Seven patients [six women and one man] with obstruction of hepatic portion of inferior vena cava was operated on, from May, 1969 to January, 1985. Of seven patients, six were undergone corrective operation for IVC obstruction and another one was not operated because of far advanced liver cirrhosis. The occlusions were found at or close to the level of diaphragm and they were membranous or diffuse with or without thrombi. Most of their symptoms were referable to either inferior vena caval or hepatic venous obstruction and onset of the symptoms was usually gradual, beginning between the age of their thirties and forties. Most of the patients showed marked elevation of peripheral venous pressure of lower extremity [29-40 cm H2O] preoperatively, which decreased significantly after corrective operation [17-30 cm H2O]. Venous catheterization for pressure study and venography were essential for confirming the diagnosis. Of six cases, in which corrective operations were done, Transatrial membranotomy with or without IVC dilatation were performed in five cases [case 1, 2, 3, 5, 6], using cardiopulmonary bypass and in another one case, bypass operation between IVC, distal to obstruction, and RA was done using Dacron tube graft under the thoracoabdominal incision. All survived and their conditions were improved.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.24 no.2
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• pp.197-201
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• 1991

Twenty-three patients with traumatic diaphragmatic injuries treated at the Department of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, Keimyung University Dongsan Medical Center from Aug. 1978 to Nov. 1990 were reviewed. There were 19 male and 4 female patients. The age distribution was ranged from 1.5 to 72 years, with a mean age of 34.3 years. Sixteen patients had blunt trauma[traffic accident 14, fall down 2], and 7 had penetrating injuries[stab wound 6, broken glass 1]. Sixteen [70 percent]of the injuries occurred on the left side and 7[30 percent] on the right side. Fifteen patients were operated on during the acute phase, 5 patients during the latent phase, 2 patients during the obstructive phase. The surgical approach in 20 patients was through a thoracotomy; in 2 patients, a thoracoabdominal incision was necessary, and in 1 patient, a laparotomy was performed. Herniated organs in thorax included stomach[10], colon[5], small bowel[5], spleen[4], liver[2]. Postoperative complications included wound infection, empyema, pneumonia, hepatitis and respiratory failure. There were 3 postoperative deaths, 2 with cerebral dysfunction and 1 with sepsis.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• v.57 no.2
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• pp.131-134
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• 2015

Traumatic diaphragm hernia can occur in rare cases and generally accompanies thoracic or abdominal injuries. When suffering from ankylosing spondylitis, a small force can develop into vertebral fracture and an adjacent structural injury, and lead to diaphragm hernia without accompanying concomitant thoracoabdominal injury. A high level of suspicion may be a most reliable diagnostic tool in the detection of a diaphragm injury, and we need to keep in mind a possibility in a patient with ankylosing spondylitis and a thoracolumbar fracture, even in the case of minor trauma.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.47 no.6
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• pp.536-540
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• 2014

Due to its low prevalence and because there is lack of awareness about it, Loeys-Dietz syndrome is often misdiagnosed as Marfan syndrome, which has similar skeletal abnormalities and aortic pathology. However, the differential diagnosis between these two connective tissue diseases is critical because they correspond to different surgical indications and surgical decision-making. We report two cases of successful thoracoabdominal aortic replacement in patients with previously undiagnosed Loeys-Dietz syndrome.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.49 no.6
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• pp.465-467
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• 2016

The intrinsic structural failure of a Dacron graft resulting from the loss of structural integrity of the graft fabric can cause late graft complications. Late non-anastomotic rupture has traditionally been treated surgically via open thoracotomy. We report a case of the successful use of thoracic endovascular repair to treat a Dacron graft rupture in the descending aorta. The rupture occurred 20 years after the graft had been placed. Two stent grafts were placed at the proximal portion of the surgical graft, covering almost its entire length.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.49 no.6
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• pp.481-484
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• 2016

A 53-year-old man arrived at the trauma center with a steel bar penetrating from the epigastrium to the right scapula. He was hypotensive and hypoxic, and immediate resuscitation and basic evaluation were performed. An emergency operation was performed due to an unstable hemodynamic state. Multiple injuries were confirmed in the right lower lobe, posterior chest wall, diaphragm, and liver lateral segment. Right lower lobectomy and liver lateral sectionectomy were performed following removal of the bar. The patient recovered without additional hemorrhage after the surgery, and was transferred to a rehabilitation institution with periodic follow-up.