• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.46 no.5
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• pp.365-368
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• 2013

We report a case of concurrent saccular aneurysms caused by a penetrating atherosclerotic ulcer of the thoracic and abdominal aorta that were successfully treated by staged endovascular repair. Even though surgical open repair or endovascular repair is the treatment option, use of endovascular repair is now accepted as an alternative treatment to surgery in selected patients. To prevent contrast medium-induced nephropathy and spinal cord ischemia caused by a simultaneous endovascular procedure, a saccular aneurysm of the descending thoracic aorta was excluded by stent graft, followed by the placement of a bifurcated stent graft in the infrarenal abdominal aorta one month later.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.34 no.12
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• pp.968-971
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• 2001

Pedicled omentoplasty is effective in thoracic surgery, but it is associated with several postoperative complications. A case of diaphragmatic hernia as a complication of pedicled omentoplasty in a 65-year-old male is reported. Because aortoesophageal fistula occurred three months after the patch aortoplasty for mycotic aneurysm of descending thoracic aorta, he underwent ascending thoracic aorta to abdominal aorta bypass surgery with resection of thoracic aortic aneurysm and esophagorrhaphy with wrapping of the esophageal suture line and the stumps of aorta with pedicled omental flap. Three years after the operation, herniation of the stomach developed. The pedicled omental flap was ligated and divided, and the diaphragm defect was repaired.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.54 no.5
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• pp.425-428
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• 2021

Aortobronchial fistula (ABF) induced by an infected pseudoaneurysm of the thoracic aorta is a life-threatening condition. As surgical treatment is associated with significant mortality and morbidity, thoracic endovascular aneurysm repair (TEVAR) may be an alternative for the treatment of ABF. However, the long-term durability of this intervention is largely unknown and the recurrence of ABF is a potential complication. We experienced a case of recurrent ABF after stent grafting as an early procedure for an infected pseudoaneurysm of the thoracic aorta. Remnant ABF, bronchial and/or aortic wall erosion, vasa vasorum connected with ABF, and recurrent local inflammation of the thin aortic wall around ABF might cause recurrent hemoptysis. As a result, we suggest that TEVAR should be considered as a bridge therapy for the initial treatment of ABF resulting from an infected pseudoaneurysm, and that several options, such as second-stage surgery, should be considered to prevent the recurrence of ABF.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.52 no.3
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• pp.186-188
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• 2019

We report an unusual case of delayed bleeding after open surgical repair of a thoracoabdominal aortic aneurysm. A 79-year-old man developed a massive retroperitoneal hematoma 49 days after Crawford type III thoracoabdominal aorta replacement. During emergency surgery, a tear was found in the prosthetic vascular graft caused by a sharp bony spur arising from the second lumbar vertebral body. This rare, but potentially lethal, complication indicates that attention should be paid to sharp bony structures during open repair of the descending aorta.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.56 no.4
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• pp.405-410
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• 2004

Aortobronchial fistula may cause a massive fatal hemoptysis. Recently prosthetic aortic graft insertion or endovascular stent graft is a cause of aortobronchial fistula. We report a rare case of hemoptysis from a fistula between an aortic arch aneurysm and the left main bronchus in a patient who had undergone an endovascular stent graft in pseudoaneurysm of descending thoracic aorta one year before.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.36 no.1
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• pp.30-34
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• 2003

As classical acute aortic dissection, atherosclerotic penetrating ulcers and intramural hematoma have different pathophysiology and natural history, treatment strategy should be different and, therefore, accurate differential diagnosis is necessary. However, these three aortic diseases may be indistinguishable by clinical observation and even by various diagnostic modalities such as cardiac echocardiography, CT and MRI. The patients was a 71-year-old female with chief complaints of anterior chest pain, nausea and vomiting which occurred suddenly 3 days before admission. CT angiographic with 3 dimensional reconstruction shows intramural hematoma in ascending aorta, aortic arch, descending thoracic aorta and right brachiocephalic trunk, heompericardium, and blood in mediastinum and both pleural cavities. The CT angiographic finding of focal out-bulging in the ascending thoracic aorta was diagnosed as penetrating atherosclerotic ulcer. The patient underwent emergency operation under a preoperative diagnosis of penetrating atherosclerotic ulcer with a sign of aortic rupture. In the intraoperative findings, however, intimal tear was seen in the anterior portion of the ascending aorta about 1cm below the brachiocephalic trunk and falselumen appeared after hematoma was removed from the layer of tunica media. We report a case of type A aortic dissection which mimicked clinical and diagnostic features of penetrating atherosclerotic ulcer.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.25 no.12
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• pp.1570-1577
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• 1992

The vascular surgery is the field that has developed in early 20 century and is progressing nowadays. Recent advance in surgical technique accompanying with excellent medical diagnosis and treatment, prompt angiographic usage, development of variable prosthetic material, and concomitant use of anti-coagulant have made remarkable results of vascular surgery. 83 cases of vascular surgery have been performed at Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery Department of Pusan National Unversity Hosaital since 1971 till 1990, for 20 years and their results are followed. Patient ductus arteriosus and Buerger`s disease were omited in this study. 1. The age distribution shows that the fifth and sixth decades are most frequently affected and mean age was 56.1 years old. Male to female ratio is 1: 2.32. 2. Among the 83 cases of all, number of occlusive vascular disease is 46 and that of aneurysmal disease is 33. 3. In clinical manifestation, most common symptom of occlusive disease is pulselessness and pain was next. Mass sensation is most commonly complained by patients of aneurysmal disease. 4. CT scan was more important in diagnosis of aneurysmal diseases and angiogram was more commonly used in occlusive diseases. 5. The common site of arterial occlusion was common iliac artery, femoral artery, aortic bifurcation, and external iliac artery, as its frequency rate. The most commonly affecting portion of aortic aneurysm was abdminal aorta, and descending thoracic aorta and femoral artery were next 6. Preoperative associated diseases were atherosclerosis[41 cases], hypertension[21 cases], valvular heart disease[11 cases], and diabetes mellitus[9 cases], etc, 7. Operative methods in ocllusive diseases were thrombectomy[36.9%], endarterectomy [10.9%], and bypass graft insertion[52.7%]. Among the bypass graft, Y-graft was used in 7 case, straight graft was used in 17 cases, and saphenous venous graft was used in 2 cases. 8. Postoperative complications were developed in 17 cases, and morbidity rate was 36. 9. Eleven patient were died within 1 month after operation, so operative mortality rate was 13.3%. 10. Duration of patency was beteween 7 and 58 months[average 27.5 months] in occlusive diseases and their 5-year patency rate was 56.3%. Duration of patency of aneurysmal disease was 20 months in aveage and their 5-year patency rate was 51.3%. 11. Patients of eleven cases of occlusive disease and two cases of aneurysmal disease required reoperation for variable reason. 12. 35 cases of patient have used anticoagulants: coumadin, ticlid, and persanthin-ASA combination.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.35 no.12
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• pp.876-881
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• 2002

Acute aortic dissection associated with high mortality rate has an extremely poor prognosis if early diagnosis and treatment are not received. Recently, with advanced computed tomography and echocardiography, diagnostic rate is higher and early operation is possible. Therefore preoperative medical therapy at ER(emergency room) lowered the mortality rate. This study was done to analyze the results with preoperative management at ER and operations, retrospectively. Material and Method: A series of 42 patients treated surgically for acute aortic dissections from 1991 to 2001 were included in this study. There were 18 males and 24 females. Mean age was 51.1 years. The admission course through emergency and outpatient department(OPD) was 34 and 8 respectively. Result: 26 patients underwent ascending aorta replacement-7 combined aortic valve replacements, 7 patients underwent descending aorta replacements and 9 patients received Bentall's operation. At emergency department, 20 patients received antihypertensive drugs and $\beta$-receptor blockers and 6 patients died. 22 patients did not receive antihypertensive and $\beta$-receptor block drugs and 10 patients died. There were 16(38%) overall deaths. Conclusion: Early diagnosis at ER or OPD is essential for acute aortic dissection, and it is important to select the most appropriate noninvasive interventions as possible. Therefore, preoperative drug therapy at ER is suggested according the patient conditions.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.37 no.6
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• pp.517-523
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• 2004

Background: The location of intimal tear can vary in type A acute aortic dissection. The aim of this study was to assess the operative result according to the intimal tear site. Material and Method: From January, 1995 to May, 2003, 18 patients underwent surgery for acute type A aortic dissection. The patients were classified according to the intimal tear site. In Group I (n=11), the intimal tear site was located within the ascending aorta, in Group II (n=7), the intimal tear site was located in the aortic arch, descending aorta, or intramural hematoma only. All clinical data were analyzed retrospectively. Result: In Group I, the operative time, cardiopulmonary bypass time, aorta cross clamp time and circulatory arrest time were 381.5$\pm$81.0 min, 223.5$\pm$42.5 min, 146.4$\pm$34.8 min and 36.5$\pm$17.4 min, respectively; and in group II, 461.7$\pm$54.0 min, 252.5$\pm$45.3 min, 162.5$\pm$45.3 min and 47.0$\pm$14.4 min respectively. All of those were greater in group II. The overall hospital mortality rate was 27.8% (5/18) and was significantly higher in Group II (57.1%)(p=0.003) compared to that in Group I (9.1%). The causes of death were hemorrhage (n=1) in group I and hemorrhage (n=2), multiple organ failure (n=1), and rupture of abdominal aorta (n=1) in group II. Conclusion: Surgical treatment of acute type A aortic dissection with intimal tear in the ascending aorta results in an acceptable mortality rate, but in patients with intimal tear in the aortic arch or descending aorta, the operative mortality still remains high when only ascending aorta replacement was performed. In these circumstances, in order to improve surgical results, efforts to include the intimal tear site in the operative procedure will be needed.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.41 no.2
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• pp.277-280
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• 2008

Tuberculous aortitis is a very rare disease. Furthermore, it is all the more rare for it to be complicated by the development of an aortic aneurysm or the formation of aorto-bronchial fistula. If it is complicated by rupture of the aorta, mortality is very high. If the patient didn't contract tuberculosis, but was expectorating blood, we would have to carry out a chest CT promptly, in order to make a rapid and accurate diagnosis of this disease. A 46-year-old male patient was admitted due to the sudden onset of intermittent hemoptysis and chest discomfort. CT scans of the chest showed an aneurysmal change to the descending thoracic aorta, and the formation of an aorto-bronchial fistula, which originated from this aneurysm and communicated with its left lower lobe. We operated with an artificial vessel graft interposition of the descending thoracic aorta and a left lower lobectomy. Because the diagnosis was of tuberculosis, we started anti-Tbc medication and long term anti-Tbc medication was recommended.