• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.53 no.5
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• pp.313-316
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• 2020

Esophageal perforation after endoscopic ultrasound-guided fine-needle aspiration for mediastinal staging is a rare but severe complication. We report 2 cases of patients with esophageal perforation who were treated using video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery in combination with esophageal stenting. Through these cases, the feasibility of minimally invasive thoracic surgery was evaluated.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.48 no.2
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• pp.155-155
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• 2015

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.49 no.3
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• pp.218-220
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• 2016

We report a case of inadvertent hoarseness after surgery for primary pulmonary amyloidosis. A 55-year-old male was transferred to our facility due to a lung mass. Chest computed tomography revealed a solitary pulmonary nodule. Positron emission tomography-computed tomography showed fluorodeoxyglucose uptake in the main mass and in the mediastinal lymph nodes. To confirm the pathology of the mass, wedge resection and thorough lymph node dissection were performed via video-assisted thoracic surgery (VATS). No complications except for hoarseness were observed; hoarseness developed soon after surgery and lasted for 3 months. The main mass was diagnosed as amyloidosis, but this was not found in the lymph nodes. In conclusion, VATS wedge resection for peripheral amyloidosis is a feasible and safe procedure. However, mediastinal lymph node dissection is not recommended unless there is evidence of a clear benefit.

• 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.53 no.3
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• pp.104-113
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• 2020

Background: Accurate intraoperative assessment of mediastinal lymph nodes is a critical aspect of lung cancer surgery. The efficacy and potential for upstaging implicit in these dissections must therefore be revisited in the current era of uniportal video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS). Methods: A retrospective study was conducted in which 544 patients with stage I (T1abc-T2a, N0, M0) primary lung cancer were analyzed. To assess risk factors for nodal upstaging and to limit any imbalance imposed by surgical choices, we constructed an inverse probability of treatment-weighted (IPTW) logistic regression model (in addition to non-weighted logistic models). We also evaluated risk factors for early locoregional recurrence using IPTW logistic regression analysis. Results: In the comparison of uniportal and multiportal VATS, the resected lymph node count (14.03±8.02 vs. 14.41±7.41, respectively; p=0.48) and rate of nodal upstaging (6.5% vs. 8.7%, respectively; p=0.51) appeared similar. Predictors of nodal upstaging included tumor size (odds ratio [OR], 1.74; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.12-2.70), carcinoembryonic antigen level (OR, 1.11; 95% CI, 1.04-1.18), and histologically confirmed pleural invasion (OR, 3.97; 95% CI, 1.89-8.34). The risk factors for locoregional recurrence within 1 year were found to be number of resected N2 nodes, age, and nodal upstaging. Conclusion: Uniportal and multiportal VATS appear similar with regard to accuracy and thoroughness, showing no significant difference in the extent of nodal dissection.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.54 no.4
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• pp.294-301
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• 2021

Recent case series and meta-analyses have suggested that robot-assisted minimally invasive esophagectomy (RAMIE) could be a useful alternative to video-assisted thoracic surgery esophagectomy. The advantages of RAMIE are a 3-dimensional view, 7 degrees of freedom, and tremor filtering, which enable more meticulous lymph node dissection with a lower incidence of complications. However, in radical esophagectomy, understanding the concepts of the fascia and compartment is crucial for successful and reliable dissection. The first RAMIE in Korea was performed by our team in July 2006, and since then, we have developed related techniques to achieve better short- and long-term outcomes. The key step in RAMIE for esophageal squamous cell carcinoma is dissection of the upper mediastinum due to the difficulty of lymph node dissection and the high incidence of nodal metastasis in the area. Herein, we describe the technique of fascial plane dissection with esophageal suspension during RAMIE.

• 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.51 no.3
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• pp.223-226
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• 2018

Erdheim-Chester disease (ECD) is a form of non-Langerhans cell histiocytosis that most commonly involves the skeletal system. We report an unusual case of ECD presenting as an anterior mediastinal tumor without skeletal involvement. A 60-year-old man with no remarkable medical history was referred for evaluation of a mediastinal mass. The patient underwent surgical excision of the tumor via video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery. Histologic examination revealed marked proliferation of atypical histiocytes with sclerosis, and the results of immunohistochemical staining were suggestive of ECD.

• Journal of Trauma and Injury
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• v.30 no.2
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• pp.33-40
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• 2017

Purpose: The role for minimally invasive surgery in chest trauma is vague, one that recently is more frequently performed, and one attractive option to be considered. Thoracoscopic surgery may improve morbidity, mortality, hasten recovery and shorten hospital stay. Methods: A total of 31 patients underwent video assisted thoracoscopic surgery for the treatment of blunt and penetrating chest trauma from June 9th, 2013 to March 21st, 2016 in Jeju, South Korea. Results: Twenty-three patients were males and eight patients were females. Their ages ranged from 23 to 81 years. The cause of injury was due to traffic accident in 17 patients, fall down in 5 patients, bicycle accident in 2 patients, battery in 2 patients, crushing injury in 2 patients, and slip down, kicked by horse, and stab wound in one patient each. Video assisted thoracoscopic exploration was performed in the 18 patients with flail chest or greater than 3 displaced ribs. The thoracoscopic procedures done were hematoma evacuation in 13 patients, partial rib fragment excision in 9 patients, lung suture in 5 patients, bleeding control (ligation or electrocautery) in 3 patients with massive hemothorax, diaphragmatic repair in two patients, wedge resection in two patients and decortication in 1 patient. There was only one patient with conversion to open thoracotomy. Conclusion: There is a broad range of procedures that can be done by thoracoscopic surgery and a painful thoracotomy incision can be avoided. Thoracoscopic surgery can be done safely and swiftly in the trauma patient.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.50 no.3
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• pp.184-189
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• 2017

Background: The benefits of video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) have been demonstrated over the past decades; as a result, VATS has become the gold-standard treatment for primary spontaneous pneumothorax (PSP). Due to improvements in surgical technique and equipment, single-port VATS (s-VATS) is emerging as an alternative approach to conventional three-port VATS (t-VATS). The aim of this study was to evaluate s-VATS as a treatment for PSP by comparing operative outcomes and recurrence rates for s-VATS versus t-VATS. Methods: Between March 2013 and December 2015, VATS for PSP was performed in 146 patients in Kyungpook National University Hospital. We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of these patients. Results: The mean follow-up duration was $13.4{\pm}6.5$ months in the s-VATS group and $28.7{\pm}3.9$ months in the t-VATS group. Operative time (p<0.001), the number of staples used for the operation (p=0.001), duration of drainage (p=0.001), and duration of the postoperative stay (p<0.001) were significantly lower in the s-VATS group than in the t-VATS group. There was no difference in the overall recurrence-free survival rate between the s-VATS and t-VATS groups. Conclusion: No significant differences in operative outcomes and recurrence rates were found between s-VATS and t-VATS for PSP. Therefore, we cautiously suggest that s-VATS may be an appropriate alternative to t-VATS in the treatment of PSP.