• Quality Improvement in Health Care
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• v.18 no.1
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• pp.27-36
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• 2012

Objectives : A protocol called "critical pathway" was developed to standardize the management of hospital patients the day after they underwent gamma knife radiosurgery. The quality of improvement in patient outcomes was evaluated. Methods : Critical pathway was developed, according to the regulations of the I hospital, by analyzing the medical records of 22 inpatients who underwent gamma knife surgery within the period from January to April 2011 on the day of the surgery. The study included a group of 22 patients admitted to the hospital the day after they underwent gamma knife radiosurgery, between July and September 2011. The control group included 22 patients who had surgery employing the same method within the period from May to June 2011. To measure the effects on quality improvement, the average length of stay, the execution rate of the hospital discharge notice system, daily hospital revenue, and the satisfaction of the patients and the medical team were assessed. The patient questionnaire employed a four-point Likert scale while the medical-staff questionnaire employed a five-point Likert scale. Result : The average length of stay was significantly shorter in the study group compared to the control group (2.3 days vs. 3.8 days, P<0.05). The execution rate of the hospital discharge notice system was higher in the study group (100% vs. 72%) than in the control group. Daily hospital revenues were higher by 264,178 Korean won in the study group when compared to the control group. The study group showed greater satisfaction of patients compared to the control group based on a four-point Likert scale (P<0.05). The study group showed greater satisfaction in medical team compared to the control group based on a five-point Likert scale (P<0.05). Conclusion : The development and implementation of a critical pathway protocol for hospital admission the day after gamma knife radiosurgery is an effective care process that improves the clinical quality.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.31 no.5
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• pp.509-512
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• 1998

Although posterolateral thoracotomy(PLT) has been a standard thoracic incision in resection surgery of the lung for surgeons to achieve a good surgical field, there remains concern about severing a group of thoracic muscles remains. Muscle-sparing vertical thoracotomy (MVT) is an alternative to PLT, which gives cosmetic result and may preserve motion of the shoulder girdle as well as respiratory function of the patient in the early postoperative period. However, surgeons tend not to perfer it because of limited surgical field from the vertical wound made on the lateral thoracic wall. The purpose of this study is to compare the surgical outcomes of PLT versus MVT. We retrospectively reviewed 29 patients(15 who had PLT and 14 who had MVT, organized into those two groups) who had undergone lung resection surgery in our institute. There were no clinical differences between the two groups in terms of operation time, estimated amount of blood loss during the operation, amount of chest drainage on the first and the second postoperative day, duration of chest tube placement, incidence and amount of transfusion, and postoperative complications. We conclude that, from our limited experience, MVT can be applied to lung resection surgery as safely as PLT and that it may have a beneficial role for the patient with compromised lung function in addition to cosmetic effect.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.39 no.4 s.261
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• pp.298-303
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• 2006

Background: This study was performed to investigate the outcomes of vascular operations that were done in patients with atheroscerosis obliterans (ASO) of lower limb. Material and Method: Forty patients underwent vascular operations from December 1996 to June 2004. The patient's records were analyzed retrospectively. Mean age was $66{\pm}8$ years (range, $47{\sim}81$ years). Gender ratio was 37:3 (male:female). Result: The operations were done on 50 lower limbs of 40 patients. The names of operations were femoropopliteal bypass in 12 patients (30%), femorofemoral bypass in 12 (30%), femorofemoral bypass and femoropopliteal bypass in five (12.5%), aorta-lower limb artery bypass in five (12.5%), axillofemoral bypass in two (5%), iliopopliteal bypass in two (5%), and endarterectomy in two (5%). All bypass surgeries were done with prosthetic conduits. Mean follow up period was $33.2{\pm}23.2$ months (range, $3.8{\sim}90.2$ months). The cumulative patency rates of 1 and 5 years were 75.5 and 58.7% respectively. In six patients, amputation of the lower limb was done. In eight patients, 12 complications occurred. After the first operation, 10 patients underwent reoperations. Conclusion: Our lower limb arterial bypass surgery revealed acceptable patency rate, but not a few patients required reoperations. An epochal treatment modality that can inhibit the progress of ASO and improve long term patency should be established.

• Journal of Veterinary Clinics
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• v.24 no.3
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• pp.331-336
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• 2007

Mammary gland tumors are the most common neoplasms occurring in female dogs. The treatments of mammary gland tumors are surgery, chemotherapy, hormonal therapy and radiational therapy, but surgical removal remains widely accepted treatment option for mammary gland tumors. The purpose of this study is to evaluate clinical outcomes of dogs which are performed surgical excision. Medical records were reviewed for dogs(79 cases) with mammary gland tumors treated surgically at Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital in Seoul National University from 2001 to 2005. While 49 cases(62.0%) were benign, 30 cases(38.0%) were malignant tumors. The mean age of these dogs was 10.4 years old(range $1{\sim}16$ years). The maximal diameter of malignant tumors were various, whereas most of the benign tumors were smaller than 3cm(36 cases, 73.5%). In 12 cases(15.2%), regional lymph nodes were enlarged and lymph nodes of 3 cases had resected surgically. The performed techniques were total mastectomy, regional mastectomy, simple mastectomy, lumpectomy and unilateral mastectomy in order. Twenty-eight cases(35.4%) had postoperative complications consisted of recurrence of tumors, necrosis, dehiscence, delayed healing and edema of limbs. The recurrence rates of benign and malignant mammary gland tumors were 8 cases(16.3%) and 6 cases(20.0%). Metastasis rate was 7 cases(8.9%). Although postoperative complications were no remarkable difference in recurrence rates among surgical techniques in this study, other complications such as edema of limbs, necrosis, dehiscence and delayed healing were remarkable difference as surgical techniques. Therefore, this result suggest that choice of appropriate surgical techniques should be determined according to each patient's physical status and characteristics of tumors.

• Childhood Kidney Diseases
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• v.17 no.2
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• pp.149-153
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• 2013

We report the case of a 14-year-old girl, diagnosed with atypical thrombotic microangiopathy (TMA). The patient presented with persistent fever, nausea, and newly developed peripheral edema. Her laboratory findings indicated chronic anemia with no evidence of hemolysis, thrombocytopenia, or elevated serum creatinine level. A few days after hospitalization, acute renal failure and fever worsened, and proteinuria developed. On day 40 of hospitalization, she experienced a generalized tonic seizure for 5 min, accompanied by renal hypertension. Brain magnetic resonance imaging revealed posterior reversible leukoencephalopathy syndrome. After steroid pulse therapy, a renal biopsy was performed because of delayed recovery from thrombocytopenia. The biopsy findings showed features of thrombotic microangiopathic hemolysis with fibrinoid change restricted. Current diagnostic criteria for TMA have focused on thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura and hemolytic uremic syndrome, and diagnosis is based on the clinical presentation and etiology, with the consequence that idiopathic and atypical forms of TMA can be overlooked. Developing effective tools to diagnose TMA, such as studying levels of ADAMTS13 or testing for abnormalities in the complement system, will be the first step to improving patient outcomes.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.21 no.2
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• pp.286-291
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• 2011

Hypoxia is a common condition found in a wide range of solid tumors and is often associated with metastasis and poor clinical outcomes. In the present study, we found that HIF-$1{\alpha}$ was induced by cobalt chloride (500 ${\mu}M$) treatment on human lung cancer cells, A549 and H460, for 24 hr. However, cobalt chloride (500 ${\mu}M$) did not affect cell proliferation of A549 and H460 in 48 hr. Cobalt chloride (500 ${\mu}M$) additionally induced epithelial-to-mesenchymal-like transition (EMT) such as reduced E-cadherin expression and increased ${\alpha}$-SMA expression. These results were confirmed by immunofluorecence experiment in H460 cells. E-cadherin was localized on the outer cell membrane. However, when the cells were treated with 500 ${\mu}M$ cobalt chloride for 24 hr, diffuse E-cadherin staining was observed, characteristic of a migratory mesenchymal phenotype. We also found that cobalt chloride induced integrin ${\beta}3$ expression and FAK phosphorylation in human lung cancer cells using western blotting and FACS anlaysis. Our data suggest that integrin ${\beta}3$-induced FAK phosphorylation may be developed into target molecules for blocking tumor metastasis.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• v.61 no.6
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• pp.723-730
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• 2018

Objective : The aim of the present study was to identify whether the deformity angular ratio (DAR) influences the occurrence of complications after posterior vertebral column resection (PVCR) and to establish the DAR cut-off value. Methods : Thirty-six consecutive patients undergoing PVCR from December 2010 to October 2016 were reviewed. The relationships between the total, sagittal, and coronal DAR and complications were assessed using receiver operator characteristics curves. The patients were divided into two groups according to a reference value based on the cut-off value of DAR. Demographic, surgical, radiological, and clinical outcomes were compared between the groups. Results : There were no significant differences in the patient demographic and surgical data between the groups. The cut-off values for the total DAR (T-DAR) and the sagittal DAR (S-DAR) were 20.2 and 16.4, respectively (p=0.018 and 0.010). Both values were significantly associated with complications (p=0.016 and 0.005). In the higher T-DAR group, total complications (12 vs. 21, p=0.042) and late-onset complications (3 vs. 9, p=0.036) were significantly correlated with the T-DAR. The number of patients experiencing complications (9 vs. 11, p=0.029) and the total number of complications (13 vs. 20, p=0.015) were significantly correlated with the S-DAR. Worsening intraoperative neurophysiologic monitoring was more frequent in the higher T-DAR group (2 vs. 4) than in the higher S-DAR group (3 vs. 3). There was no difference in neurological deterioration between the groups after surgery. Conclusion : Both the T-DAR and the S-DAR are risk factors for complications after PVCR. Those who had a T-DAR >20.2 or S-DAR >16.4 experienced a higher rate of complications after PVCR.

• Journal of Trauma and Injury
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• v.28 no.2
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• pp.60-66
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• 2015

Purpose: Cultivator accidents are frequent and often lead to abdomino-perineal organ injury and, if severe, to death. This study presents the clinical characteristics, outcomes, and factors associated with mortality in patients who sustained an abdomino-perineal organ injury in cultivator accidents. Methods: We retrospectively analyzed the records of 53 patients who visited the emergency department of a tertiary hospital with abdomino-perineal organ injuries caused in cultivator accidents from April 2005 to March 2010. Results: All 53 patients had visited other medical institutions before visiting our hospital. Their mean age was $64.0{\pm}11.1$ (range, 20-80) years and 32 (60.4%) patients were 65 or older. The male-to-female ratio was 46:7. The chief complaint was abdominal pain (38 cases, 71.7%). The 53 patients included 41 cultivator operators (77.4%), 11 passengers (20.8%), and 1 passerby (1.9%). The causes of the injuries included a direct impact of the handlebar in 20 cases (37.7%), a rollover in 21 cases (39.6%), a fall in 10 cases (18.9%), and a wheel in two cases (3.8%). Several of the 53 patients had injuries to multiple abdomino-perineal organs, and the injured organs included the liver (23 cases, 26.4%), spleen (16 cases, 18.4%), pancreas (7 cases, 8.0%), small bowel (7 cases, 8.0%), mesentery (6 cases, 6.9%), adrenal gland (5 cases, 5.8%), and other organs. According to the abbreviated injury scale (AIS) dictionary, a thoracic injury was the most frequent co-injury (33 of 53 cases, 62.3%). Abdomino-perineal surgery was performed in 31 cases (58.8%) and angio-embolization was performed for six liver and two kidney injuries. Thirteen patients died (24.5%); all were males. The Injury Severity Scale (ISS) was lower in the survivors ($17.8{\pm}8.5$ vs. $27.0{\pm}16.0$; p=0.010). Conclusion: With the aging of agricultural workers, safety education programs should be implemented. Furthermore, the patient transfer system in agricultural areas must be improved.

• Gut and Liver
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• v.12 no.6
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• pp.728-735
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• 2018

Background/Aims: The combination of nab-paclitaxel and gemcitabine (nab-P/Gem) is widely used for treating metastatic pancreatic cancer (MPC). We aimed to evaluate the therapeutic outcomes and prognostic role of treatment-related peripheral neuropathy in patients with MPC treated with nab-P/Gem in clinical practice. Methods: MPC patients treated with nab-P/Gem as the first-line chemotherapy were included. All 88 Korean patients underwent at least two cycles of nab-P/Gem combination chemotherapy (125 and $1,000mg/m^2$, respectively). Treatment-related adverse events were monitored through periodic follow-ups. Overall survival and progression-free survival were estimated by the Kaplan-Meier method, and the Cox proportional hazards regression linear model was applied to assess prognostic factors. To evaluate the prognostic value of treatment-related peripheral neuropathy, the landmark point analysis was used. Results: Patients underwent a mean of $6.7{\pm}4.2$ cycles during $6.3{\pm}4.4$ months. The median overall survival and progression-free survival rates were 14.2 months (95% confidence interval [CI], 11.8 to 20.3 months) and 8.4 months (95% CI, 7.1 to 13.2 months), respectively. The disease control rate was 84.1%; a partial response and stable disease were achieved in 30 (34.1%) and 44 (50.0%) patients, respectively. Treatment-related peripheral neuropathy developed in 52 patients (59.1%), and 13 (14.8%) and 16 (18.2%) patients experienced grades 2 and 3 neuropathy, respectively. In the landmark model, at 6 months, treatment-related peripheral neuropathy did not have a significant correlation with survival (p=0.089). Conclusions: Nab-P/Gem is a reasonable choice for treating MPC, as it shows a considerable disease control rate while the treatment-related peripheral neuropathy was tolerable. The prognostic role of treatment-related neuropathy was limited.

• Journal of Korean Medical Science
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• v.33 no.51
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• pp.325.1-325.10
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• 2018

Background: To evaluate survival outcomes and prognostic factors for overall survival (OS) in patients with metastatic renal cell carcinoma (mRCC) who received sunitinib (SU) and pazopanib (PZ) as first-line therapy in real-world Korean clinical practice. Methods: Data of 554 patients with mRCC who received SU or PZ at eight institutions between 2012 and 2016 were retrospectively reviewed. Based on the targeted therapy, the patients were divided into SU (n = 293) or PZ (n = 261) groups, and the clinicopathological variables and survival rates of the two groups were compared. A multivariable Cox proportional hazard model was used to determine the prognostic factors for OS. Results: The median follow-up was 16.4 months (interquartile range, 8.3-31.3). Patients in the PZ group were older, and no significant difference was observed in the performance status (PS) between the two groups. In the SU group, the dose reduction rate was higher and the incidence of grade 3 toxicity was more frequent. The objective response rates were comparable between the two groups (SU, 32.1% vs. PZ, 36.4%). OS did not differ significantly between the two groups (SU, 36.5 months vs. PZ, 40.2 months; log-rank, P = 0.955). Body mass index, Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group PS > 2, synchronous metastasis, poor Heng risk criteria, and liver and bone metastases were associated with a shorter OS. Conclusion: Our real-world data of Korean patients with mRCC suggested that SU and PZ had similar efficacies as first-line therapy for mRCC. However, PZ was better tolerated than SU in Korean patients.