• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• v.47 no.3
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• pp.199-202
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• 2010

Objective : Balloon kyphoplasty is a minimally invasive procedure that is mainly performed for refractory pain due to osteoporotic compression fractures. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the results of balloon kyphoplasty performed at different times after an injury. Methods : In this retrospective study, the records of 99 patients who underwent one level of balloon kyphoplasty between January 2005 and December 2007 were reviewed. The patients were divided into three groups : 21 patients treated within 3 weeks of an injury (the acute group), 49 treated within 3 weeks to 2 months of an injury (the subacute group), and 29 patients treated at more than 2 months after an injury (the chronic group). Clinical outcomes were assessed using a visual analogue scale (VAS). In addition, modified MacNab's grading criteria was used to assess the subjective patient outcome. The radiology findings, including vertebral height restoration and procedure related complications, were analyzed based on the different time intervals after the injury. Results : Patients in all three groups achieved marked pain relief in terms of the VAS within 7 days of the procedure. Good or excellent results were achieved by most patients in all three groups. However, the height restoration, the main advantage to performing a balloon kyphoplasty, was not achieved in the chronic group. Moreover, evidence of complications including cement leakage was observed significantly less frequently in the subacute group compared to the other two groups. Conclusion : Although balloon kyphoplasty is an effective treatment for osteoporotic compression fractures, with regard to pain relief, the subacute stage appears to be optimal for treating patients with a balloon kyphoplasty in terms of achieving the best outcomes with minimal complications.

• Journal of the Korean Arthroscopy Society
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• v.13 no.2
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• pp.174-178
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• 2009

Purpose: We introduce arthroscopic assisted core decompression for humeral head osteonecrosis. Operative technique: After diagnostic shoulder arthroscopy is performed using posterior and anterior portal, we make a 2 cm lateral skin incision approximately 3 cm distal to 1/3 of lateral margin of the acromion and place short gray cannula to prevent adjacent soft tissue injury when insert guide pin. Under C-arm fluoroscopic and arthroscopic guidance, 3 to 4 guide pins are inserted toward the necrotic area. Then we perform drilling using 7.0 mm reamer. Conclusion: We believe this technique is a less invasive approach and avoids the complications comparing to deltopectoral approach. Arthroscopic assisted core decompression is an effective procedure in management of early stage of the humeral head osteonecoris.

• Archives of Craniofacial Surgery
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• v.14 no.1
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• pp.16-23
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• 2013

Background: Even though degrees of deformation of microform cleft lip are not high, it has to be corrected with various procedures upon conditions and areas since it has various expressions. Many studies have focused on the classifications and procedures, but there are only a few studies on how much these procedures are performed in the actual field. This study aims to analyze the utilization of various procedures upon major correction points. Methods: A total of 52 patients who had been corrected by one surgeon from 1995 to 2011 were enrolled as subjects. Based on the medical records, it was checked whether the incision was made or not along with the correction procedures for alar base and philtral column, Cupid's bow, and vermillion free margin. Results: In case of an incision, full incision (42 times) was conducted most frequently. For alar base and philtral column, muscle re-approximation (25 times) was performed most frequently. However, recently, it was shown that excision on only the affected area and correction with dermis were more likely to be used. For Cupid's bow and vermilion free margin, elliptical excision on the only affected area followed by re-approximation was performed most frequently for 46 times (Cupid's bow) and 44 times (vermilion free margin), respectively. Conclusion: For the correction of microform cleft lip, less invasive procedures are preferred. However, in the actual field, if needed, aggressive procedures consisting of incisions have been conducted to correction. These trends are somewhat changed to utilization of a simple procedure, such as excision on the modified area, followed by a re-approximation rather than complicated procedures using the muscle.

• Annals of Surgical Treatment and Research
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• v.95 no.6
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• pp.319-323
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• 2018

Purpose: Currently, many operations are performed using the single-incision laparoscopic method. Although there have been recent reports on single-incision laparoscopic ileostomy, none have compared this method to conventional laparoscopic ileostomy. This study aimed to assess the safety and feasibility of single-incision laparoscopic ileostomy for anastomotic leakage following laparoscopic low anterior resections. Methods: From April 2012 to April 2017, 38 patients underwent laparoscopic ileostomy (single-incision; 19 patients referred to as group A, conventional laparoscopy; 19 patients referred to as group B) for anastomotic leakage following laparoscopic low anterior resection. We analyzed surgical and clinical outcomes between the 2 groups. Patients in whom a protective ileostomy was carried out during the initial laparoscopic low anterior resection were excluded from this study. Results: No significant differences were observed between the 2 groups in terms of patient demographics and initial operation details. Incisional surgical site infections occurred less in group A than in group B (2 of 19 vs. 9 of 19, P = 0.029). The median ileostomy operation time, amount of intraoperative bleeding, parastomal hernia ratio, hospital stay duration after ileostomy, postoperative pain score were not significantly different between the 2 groups. Conclusion: Single-incision laparoscopic ileostomy is safe and feasible method of fecal diversion for anastomotic leakage following laparoscopic low anterior resection.

• Journal of the Korean Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons
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• v.45 no.1
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• pp.21-28
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• 2019

Objectives: Osteoradionecrosis (ORN) is one of the most severe complications resulting from radiotherapy (RT) in patients with head and neck cancer (HNC). It is characterized by persistent exposed and devitalized bone without proper healing for greater than 6 months after a high dose of radiation in the area. To describe the profile and dental management of ORN in HNC patients undergoing RT in an oncological clinical research center. Materials and Methods: A retrospective descriptive study was performed to analyze dental records from HNC patients with ORN treated at an oncological clinical research center from 2013 to 2017. A total of 158 dental records for HNC patients were selected from a total of 583 records. Afterwards, this number was distributed to three examiners for manual assessments. Each examiner was responsible for selecting dental records that contained an ORN description, resulting in 20 dental records. Results: Mean patient age was 60.3 years with males being the most affected sex (80.0%). The most affected area was the posterior region of the mandible (60.0%) followed by the anterior region of the mandible (20.0%) and the posterior region of the maxilla (10.0%). The factors most associated with ORN were dental conditions (70.0%) followed by isolated systemic factors (10.0%) and tumor resection (5.0%). There was total exposed bone closure in 50.0% of cases. The predominant treatment was curettage associated with chlorhexidine 0.12% irrigation (36.0%). Conclusion: Poor dental conditions were related to ORN occurrence. ORN management through less invasive therapies was effective for the closure of exposed bone areas and avoidance of infection.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• v.62 no.6
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• pp.712-722
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• 2019

Objective : Although magnetic resonance guided focused ultrasound (MRgFUS) has been used as minimally invasive and effective neurosurgical treatment, it exhibits some limitations, mainly related to acoustic properties of the skull barrier. This study was undertaken to identify skull characteristics that contribute to optimal ultrasonic energy transmission for MRgFUS procedures. Methods : For ex vivo skull experiments, various acoustic fields were measured under different conditions, using five non-embalmed cadaver skulls. For clinical skull analyses, brain computed tomography data of 46 patients who underwent MRgFUS ablations (18 unilateral thalamotomy, nine unilateral pallidotomy, and 19 bilateral capsulotomy) were retrospectively reviewed. Patients' skull factors and sonication parameters were comparatively analyzed with respect to the cadaveric skulls. Results : Skull experiments identified three important factors related skull penetration of ultrasound, including skull density ratio (SDR), skull volume, and incidence angle of the acoustic rays against the skull surface. In clinical results, SDR and skull volume correlated with maximal temperature (Tmax) and energy requirement to achieve Tmax (p<0.05). In addition, considering the incidence angle determined by brain target location, less energy was required to reach Tmax in the central, rather than lateral targets particularly when compared between thalamotomy and capsulotomy (p<0.05). Conclusion : This study reconfirmed previously identified skull factors, including SDR and skull volume, for successful MRgFUS; it identified an additional factor, incidence angle of acoustic rays against the skull surface. To guarantee successful transcranial MRgFUS treatment without suffering these various skull issues, further technical improvements are required.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.52 no.3
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• pp.125-130
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• 2019

Background: To compare the outcomes of video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) in comparison to open thoracic surgery in pediatric patients suffering from empyema. Methods: A prospective study was carried out in 80 patients referred to the Department of Pediatric Surgery between 2015 and 2018. The patients were randomly divided into thoracotomy and VATS groups (groups I and II, respectively). Forty patients were in the thoracotomy group (16 males [40%], 24 females [60%]; average age, $5.77{\pm}4.08years$) and 40 patients were in the VATS group (18 males [45%], 22 females [55%]; average age, $6.27{\pm}3.67years$). There were no significant differences in age (p=0.61) or sex (p=0.26). Routine preliminary workups for all patients were ordered, and the patients were followed up for 90 days at regular intervals. Results: The average length of hospital stay ($16.28{\pm}7.83days$ vs. $15.83{\pm}9.44days$, p=0.04) and the duration of treatment needed for pain relief (10 days vs. 5 days, p=0.004) were longer in the thoracotomy group than in the VATS group. Thoracotomy patients had surgical wound infections in 27.3% of cases, whereas no cases of infection were reported in the VATS group (p=0.04). Conclusion: Our results indicate that VATS was not only less invasive than thoracotomy, but also showed promising results, such as an earlier discharge from the hospital and fewer postoperative complications.

• Neonatal Medicine
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• v.25 no.4
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• pp.170-177
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• 2018

Purpose: Preterm infants frequently require red blood cell (RBC) transfusions in neonatal intensive care units (NICU). Storage RBCs undergo many changes during storage periods. We aimed to compare the hemoglobin (Hb) correction effect according to the period of RBC storage and investigate the factors influencing Hb correction. Methods: This retrospective study reviewed the medical records of 289 patients who received RBC transfusion more than once in the NICU of Kosin University Gospel Hospital between February 2006 and March 2016. The subjects were classified into two storage groups: short-term (${\leq}7days$, n=88) and long-term (>7 days, n=201), according to the period of RBC storage. We checked Hb levels by complete blood cell count tests conducted within 2 days before and 5 to 9 days after the first transfusion. We compared the Hb difference between the two groups and analyzed the factors influencing Hb correction. Results: Excluding the use of an invasive ventilator, there was no significant difference between the two groups in terms of clinical characteristics. There was no significant difference in the Hb correction effect between the two groups (P=0.537). Birth weight greater than 1,500 g, higher weight at transfusion, and larger volume of transfusion were significant prognostic factors affecting greater changes in Hb. In addition, surgery experience, higher Hb level at transfusion, and additional blood tests were found to be significantly associated with less changes in Hb. Conclusion: The RBC storage period did not affect the Hb correction effect. The Hb correction effect may be diminished in infants with lower birth weight and lower weight at transfusion under unstable clinical conditions.

• Journal of Gastric Cancer
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• v.20 no.4
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• pp.431-441
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• 2020

Purpose: Various studies have indicated that reduced-port robotic gastrectomies are safe and feasible for treating patients with early gastric cancer. However, there have not been any comparative studies conducted that have evaluated patients with clinically advanced gastric cancer. Therefore, we aimed to compare the perioperative outcomes of D2 lymph node dissections during reduced-port robotic distal subtotal gastrectomies (RRDGs) and conventional 5-port laparoscopic distal subtotal gastrectomies (CLDGs). Materials and Methods: We retrospectively evaluated 118 patients with clinically advanced gastric cancer who underwent minimally invasive distal subtotal gastrectomies with D2 lymph node dissections between February 2016 and November 2019. To evaluate the patient data, we performed a 1:1 propensity score matching (PSM) according to age, sex, body mass index, American Society of Anesthesiologists physical status classification score, and clinical T status. The short-term surgical outcomes were also compared between the two groups. Results: The PSM identified 40 pairs of patients who underwent RRDG or CLDG. The RRDG group experienced a significantly longer operation time than the CLDG group (P<0.001), although the RRDG group had significantly less estimated blood loss (P=0.034). The number of retrieved extraperigastric lymph nodes in the RRDG group was significantly higher than that of the CLDG group (P=0.008). The rate of postoperative complications was not significantly different between the two groups (P=0.115). Conclusions: D2 lymph node dissections can be safely performed during RRDGs and the perioperative outcomes appear to be comparable to those of conventional laparoscopic surgeries. Further studies are needed to compare long-term survival outcomes.

• Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology & Nutrition
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• v.24 no.1
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• pp.19-29
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• 2021

Purpose: To assess parent perspectives of the current and potential future tests for their child with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Methods: New Zealand parents of a child with IBD were invited to complete an anonymous online survey. Experiences relating to their child's blood or faecal tests, medical imaging (abdominal ultrasound [US], abdominal computerised tomography [CT] and magnetic resonance enterography) and colonoscopy were collected. Perceived attitudes to potential future testing of urine, saliva, and breath, were sought. Results: Twenty-eight parents, 93% female completed the survey, and 86% were aged between 35 and 54 years. Baseline information was provided by parents for 27 of 28 children, 70.3% had Crohn's disease with a mean disease duration of 2.67 years. Blood tests were the most requested and completed tests, while CT was the least ordered and most refused test. Colonoscopy was rated as the least comfortable and generated the most worry. Explanation of test significantly improved parent's levels of understanding when their child had blood, faecal, imaging (US) or colonoscopy tests. Providing an explanation, test invasiveness and the impact of the blood results may have on their child's treatment significantly improved parents' comfort levels. However, explanation of colonoscopy generated a significant parental concerns. Saliva, urine and blood tests were chosen as the most preferred disease monitoring tests. Conclusion: Parents preferred any tests less invasive than colonoscopy for monitoring their child's IBD. Although providing explanation of their child's tests enhanced parents' understanding, it can also affect parents' levels of concern and comfort.