• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.35 no.5
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• pp.381-386
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• 2002

Background: Bronchial carcinoids account for approximately 2% of all pulmonary tumor and consist of typical carcinoids and atypical carcinoids. An atypical carcinoids is considered to be an intermediate form of tumor between a low-grade malignant typical carcinoid and a high-grade malignant small cell lung carcinoma. There is still controversy with regard to the extent of resection and the value of systemic adjuvant therapy in atypical carcinoids. We performed a retrospective review of our experiences at Severance Hospital. Material and Method: Between 1990 and 2000, 15 patients with bronchial carcioids were operated, and 5 of these had atypical carcinoids. Histologic diagnosis was established un the criteria of WHO/IASLC(1999). Result: There were 3 pneumonectomies, 11 lobectomies, and 1 segmentectomy. In typical carcinoids, one patient had regional lymph node metastasis, and 3 patients in atypical carcinoids had mediastinal lymph node metastases. Distant metastases developed in one patient of typical carcinoid, but developed in 4 patients of atypical carcinoids(p=0.0017). The 5-year survival rate in patients with atypical carcinoids was 20%, versus the 100% 5-year survival rate observed in patients with topical carcinoids(p=0.0039). Conclusion: In atypical carcincids, because of many lymph node metastases on diagnosis and a low long-term survival rate, lobectomy constitutes a mininal procedure. Adjuvant systemic therapy is recommended fur patients with lymph node and distant metastasis.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.29 no.11
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• pp.1241-1247
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• 1996

From January 1989 to March 1996, we have operated on 102 cases of non-small cell lung cancer at the department of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, Yonsei University Wonju College of Medicine. They were clinically evaluated. The results are as follows; 1. The peak incidence of age of primary lung cancer was 5th decade(34.3%) and 6th decade(38.2%). Male to female ratio was 2.5:1. 2. Most of symptoms were respiratory, which were cough(61.8%), sputum(43.l%), chest discomfort and pain(30.4%), dyspnea(27.5%), and hemoptysis(9.8%). Asymptomatic cases were 1.9% of study group. 3. Methods of diagnostic confirmation were bronchoscopic biopsy(59.8%), sputum cytology(17.6%), percutaneous needle aspiration(11.8%) and open biopsy(10.8%). 4. Histopathologic classifications were squamous cell carcinoma(55.9%), adenocarcinoma(30.5%), adenosquamous cell carcinoma(6.9%), large cell carcinoma(4.9%), bronchioalveolar cell carcinoma(0.9%), and mixed cell carcinoma(0.9%). 5. Methods of operation were pneumonectony(47.1%), lobectomy(38.2%), bilobectomy(5.9%), wedge resection(1.9%), exploration(6.9%), and overall resectability was 93.1%. 6. Postoperative staging classifications were Stage I (13.7%), Stage II(31.4%), Stage IIIa(38.3%), Stage IIIb(14.7%), and Stage IV(1.9%). 7. The postoperative complications developed in 9.8%, and operative mortality was 1.9 %. 8. One year survival rate was 81.7%, 3 year 49.7% and 5 year 21.8%. According to stage, 5 year survival rate was 39% in stage I, 24.3% in stage II, 23.9% in stage IIIa.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.13 no.3
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• pp.285-291
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• 1980

Post pneumonectomy empyema either with bronchopleural fistula or without bronchopleural fistula is an infrequent postoperative complication, but very serious and critical problem. But it is of some interest that the development of a postoperative empyema following resection for carcinoma of the lung might have a favorable effect on the survival of patients in recent speculation of the literature. We have experienced 4 cases of postoperative empyema following pneumonectomy for carcinoma of the lung at department of chest surgery, Yon Sei University, medical college during 11 years from Jan. 1968 to June 1980. Histologically, 3 cases were demonstrated squamous cell carcinoma except one oat cell carcinoma. Onset of postoperative empyema occurred over a wide range of time, from as early as the 5th postoperative day to insidious onset 6 months after pneumonectomy. The most common organisms isolated from the empyema cavities were staphylococcus aureus, pseudomonas aeruginosa and gram negative bacilli. All cases had a large number of organisms and more infections but not single infection. 2 out of 4 cases are treated with open pleural window drainage and irrigation with antibiotic`s solution 2 or 3 times per week by this time and postoperative general course is not eventful. One is alive to 2 years 3 months, another is alive to 8 years 11 months until now. And 2 out of 4 patients is survived over 4 years 10 months. Analysis of postoperative empyema complicating pneumonectomy for bronchogenic carcinoma revealed an increase in 4 year 10 months survival [50%].

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.26 no.8
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• pp.613-619
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• 1993

As developing surgical techniques and postoperative cares, a pneumonectomy is a relatively popular surgical method in disease which is not treated completely with other type of pulmonary resection, but a postpneumonectomy complication is a life-threatening serious problem if it occurred. We performed one hundred twenty-five cases of pneumonectomy for treatment of various causes of pulmonary diseases in Kosin Medical College during about ten years, and we experienced 41 cases of postoperative complications in 29 patients, so we analyzed them. The most common complication is an empyema thoracis in 13 cases[10.4%], of which one case combined with bronchopleural fistula died on early postoperative day. Of them except one case, the early postoperative empyema thoracis[within 30 days] were 6 cases, and the late postoperative empyema thoracis[above 30 days] were 6 cases. The main etiologic pathogens were a staphylococcus in early postoperative empyema and a streptococcus in late postoperative empyema, but the most cases were mixed infections with pseudomonas, klebsiella, acinectobacter, and candida. The treatment of postoperative empyema thoracis were that 4 cases were treated with open drainage using chest tube, 7 cases with Clagett`s operation, and 1 case with thoracoplasty. The next common complication was a postoperative serious respiratory insufficiency in 7 cases. And the other complications were massive postoperative bleeding in 5 cases, of which 2 cases advanced to occurrence of postoperative empyema thoracis, and wound disruption in 4 cases, cardiac arrhythmia in 3 cases, contralateral pneumothorax and pneumonia in each of 2 cases, esophagopleural fistula in 1 case. The postoperative deaths were 9 cases[7.2%] of 125 cases, the causes of death were respiratory insufficiency in 6 cases, sepsis in 2 cases, and cardiac arrhythmia in 1 case.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.30 no.10
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• pp.1036-1039
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• 1997

Primary pulmonary artery sarcoma is a rare tumor and commonly misdiagnosed as pulmonary embolism. The prognosis of these tumors is very poor. The Median length of survival without surgical resection is approximately 1.5 months, but surgical resection has lengthened survival time to approximately 1 year. We encountered a case of primary pulmonary artery sarcoma, with a 55 year-old woman whose symptoms were exertional dysp ea, right chest pain, and hemoptysis. A preoperative chest CT scan revealed mass lesion mimicking pulmonary embolism. Pulmonary angioplasty and right Pneumonectomy were Performed on partial cardiopulmonary bypass. Postoperatively the mass was confirmed as undifferenciated sarcoma histopathologically. The symptoms were somewhat improved, but the patient died of unknown causes about 3 months after surgery.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.26 no.11
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• pp.845-850
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• 1993

Post-Pneumonectomy Empyema[PPE] is a relatively uncommon but serious complication. And the management of it remains a disturbing and controversial area in the field of general thoracic surgery. Many methods have described and have had varying degrees of success. For the purpose of providing the guideline for management of post-pneumonectomy empyema, we reviewed our experiences of treatment of PPE from January 1985. to December 1992. There were 17 cases, which consist 7.9% of all pneumonectomy cases for that period. There were 13 male and 4 female patients with mean age of 47.1$\pm$ 16.2 yrs old. Both chest has the same incidence. The most common disease for prior pneumonectomy was tuberculosis, but the PPE was the most frequently occurred in empyema. The duration between pneumonectomy and PPE was 44.7 $\pm$81.1 months, where 58.8% of patients occurred within 1 month. Fever was the most frequent complaint and wound dischrge was detected in less than half of patients. There were 2 in-hospital mortalities.Mostly, in 13 cases, we did Eloesser operation. Five of them could finish second Clagett procedure, but one had recurrence. Four bronchopleural fistular patients underwent 3 single stage muscle flap closure and 1 direct closure with modified Clagett procedure. None had recurrence. Mean follow-up duration is 30.9\ulcorner22.3 months. There was 1 late death which was not related to PPE but to Malignancy recurrence.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.47 no.4
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• pp.543-548
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• 1999

Bronchopleural fistula(BPF) occurs as a postoperative complication in 2 to 5 percent of pulmonary resection. The detection of BPF is generally difficult and various diagnostic methods have been utilized to identify the site of the fistula in order to treat it adequately. Closure of these BPF can be surgical intervention or bronchoscopic application of various sealing agents. We report an experience with use of bronchoscopic instillation of n-butyl-2-cyanoacrylate($Histoacryl^{(R)}$) for closure of a postpneumonectomy BPF.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.47 no.1
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• pp.35-41
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• 1999

Background: Sleeve lobectomy of the main bronchus has been proposed to spare lung tissue in patients who cannot tolerate pneumonectomy because of impaired lung function. The purpose of this study was to evaluate whether sleeve lobectomy can preserve lung function as expected from preoperative evaluation of lung function in patients with non-small cell lung cancer. Method: Between January 1995 and March 1998, 15 patients with non-small cell lung cancer who underwent sleeve resection were evaluated. Preoperative evaluations included spirometry and quantitative lung perfusion scan, from which predicted postoperative $FEV_1$ was calculated. At least 3 months after operation follow up spirometry and bronchoscopy were performed. Predicted FEVj was compared with measured postoperative $FEV_1$. Result: Fourteen men and one woman, with median age of 58 years, were reviewed. The diagnosis was squamous cell carcinoma in 13 patients and adenocarcinoma of lung in 2 patients. Our results showed a excellent preservation of pulmonary function after sleeve lobectomy. Correlation between the predicted (mean, $2180{\pm}570mL$) and measured $FEV_1$ (mean, $2293{\pm}499mL$) was good(r=0.67, P<0.05). Furthermore, patient with low $FEV_1$ (<2L) showed improved lung function after sleeve lobectomy. Conclusion: These findings indicated a complete recovery of the reimplanted lung lobes after sleeve lobectomy. Therefore, this technique could be safely used in lung cancer patients with impaired lung function.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.35 no.5
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• pp.387-391
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• 2002

Background: Postoperative morbidity and mortality in destroyed lung are relatively high. We tried to identify the prognostic factors affecting postoperative morbidity and mortality in destroyed lung through a retrospective study. Material and method: The retrospective study was undertaken in 112 patients who had undergone pneumonectomy or pleuropneumonectomy for destroyed lung at Severance Hospital from 1970 to 2000. We analyzed the correlation between postoperative morbidity and mortality and etiology, duration of disease, preoperative FEV1, presence or absence of peroperative empyema, operation timing, the side of operation, duration of operation, and operation type. Result: There were 55 men and 57 women, aged 20 to 81 years (mean 44 years). Etiologic diseases were tuberculosis in 86 patients(76.8%) including tuberculos empyema in 20 and tuberculous bronchiectasis in 4, pyogenic empyema in 12(10,7%), bronchiectasis in 12(10.7%), and lung abscess in 2(1.8%). Postoperative morbidity were 25%(n=28) and postoperative mortality was 6%(n=7). The presence of preoperative empyema(p=0.016), pleuropneumonectomy(p=0.037) and preoperative FEV1 of less than 1.75 L(P=0.048) significantly increased the postoperative morbidity, If operation time was less than 300min, postoperative morbidity(p=0.002) and mortality(p=0.03) were significantly low. Conclusion: Postoperative morbidity and mortality in destroyed lung were acceptable. Postoperative morbidity and mortality were significantly low when operation time was less than 300 min. Preoperative existence of empyema, pleuropneumonectomy and preoperative FEV1 of less than 1.75 L significantly increased postoperative morbidity.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.40 no.6 s.275
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• pp.420-427
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• 2007

Background: Postpneumonectomy empyema (PPE) due to bronchopleural fistula (BPF) can be a surgical challenge for surgeons. We analyzed the follow-up outcomes after performing omentopexy and thoracoplasty for the treatment of PPE with BPF after pneumonectomy. Material and Mehod: Between December 1991 and January 2006, 9 patients underwent BPF closure using an omental pedicled flap for the treatment of PPE with BPF after pneumonectomy. There were 7 males and 2 females (mean age: $45.9{\pm}9$ years). The patients were followed up for a mean of 58 months (median: 28 months, range: $6{\sim}169$). When we performed omentopexy, the surgical procedures for empyema were thoracoplasy for 8 patients and the Clagett procedure for 1 patient. Thoracoplasty was performed for the latter patient due to recurrence of empyema, Result: For the 8 patients who were treated by omentopexy and thoracoplasty, there was 1 operation-related death due to sepsis. During follow up, 1 patient, who was treated by omentopexy and a Clagett procedure, died of acute hepatitis 40 months postoperatively. The early mortality was 11.1% (8/9). Of the 8 patients, including the 1 late death patient, successful closure of the BPF were achieved in all patients (8/9) and the empyema was cured in 7 patients (7/8). Conclusion: The BPF closure using an omental pedicled flap was an effective method for treating PPE with BPF due to 75-destroyed lung, and thoracoplasty with simultaneous omentopexy was effective and safe for removing dead space if the patient was young and in a good general condition.