• Journal of Chest Surgery
• /
• v.55 no.5
• /
• pp.417-421
• /
• 2022

Minimally invasive strategies are increasingly popular in patients with myasthenia gravis (MG)-associated thymomas. Within the context of video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) as a widely known minimally invasive option, the most recent achievement is uniportal subxiphoid VATS. In MG patients, it is mandatory (1) to minimize perioperative interference with administered anesthetics to avoid complications and (2) to achieve a complete surgical resection, as the prognosis essentially depends on radical tumor resection. In order to fulfill these criteria, we merged this surgical technique with its anesthesiologic counterpart: regional anesthesia with the maintenance of spontaneous ventilation via a laryngeal mask. Non-intubated uniportal subxiphoid VATS for extended thymectomy allowed radical thymectomy in all MG patients with both rapid symptom control and fast recovery.

• Journal of Medicine and Life Science
• /
• v.20 no.2
• /
• pp.99-102
• /
• 2023

Patients with essential thrombocythemia (ET) can undergo laparoscopy without international precautions. This case report describes an ET with a mild increase in the platelet count that developed after laparoscopic surgery and prolonged intraperitoneal bleeding. The patient underwent intensive postoperative medical and surgical treatments until cured. Patients with ET should provide informed consent for post-laparoscopic bleeding. Surgeons should perform optimal hemostasis. Further studies are required to provide clear guidelines for both medical and surgical interventions aimed at preventing thrombo-hemorrhagic complications associated with ET. A preoperative study of platelet function and the selection of the best cytotoxic drug for the perioperative period are mandatory.

• Clinical Endoscopy
• /
• v.55 no.5
• /
• pp.683-687
• /
• 2022

We report five patients treated for esophageal fibrovascular polyps using a minimally invasive technique. Esophageal fibrovascular polyps are benign pedunculated submucosal tumors of considerable size. The treated polyps size ranged from 1.5 to 13 cm. The polyps were removed by relocation to the oral cavity under endoscopic control. No perioperative complications occurred after the treatment. The follow-up of patients after surgery was 9-89 months, with no evidence of polyp recurrence. Thus, the described treatment is safe but requires experience with endoscopy as well as esophageal surgery.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
• /
• v.38 no.10 s.255
• /
• pp.680-684
• /
• 2005

Background: With the increasing age of the population, coronary artery bypass grafting in the elderly patients is becoming common. Off-pump coronary artery bypass grafting (OPCAB) has been proven to be less morbidity and to facilitate early recovery. The elderly patients may have benefits by avoiding the adverse effects of the cardiopulmonary bypass. The purpose of this study is to evaluate our results of OPCAB in elderly patients. Material and Method: A retrospective chart review was carried out for 12 patients aged over 80 years who underwent isolated OPCAB from January 2001 and March 2004. Data were collected risk factors for disease, extent of coronary disease, and in-hospital outcomes. Postoperative graft patiency was evaluated in 9 patients by multi-slice computed tomography. Result: Eleven patients had triple vessel disease or left main disease. Four patients were suffered from preoperative CVA, and 4 patients had chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Two patients had myocardial infarction (MI), among them 1 patient was suffered from pulmonary edema after preoperative MI. There was no perioperative death, perioperative MI, and no ventricular arrhythmia. Also there was no perioperative stroke and renal failure. But there was one deep sternal infection who recovered by treating of muscle flap. Atrial fibrillation was newly developed in 1 patient, but was well controlled by medication. Mean intubation time was $15.9\pm4.4(8\~20hrs)$ hrs and mean ICU stay was $2.9\pm0.8(2\~4 days)$ days. Mean hospital day was $21.6\pm14.3(13\~56 days)$ days. Postoperative mean CK-MS was $11.3\pm14.1\;ng/mL$. Early postoperative graft patency rate was $100\%(24/24)$. Follow-up was completed in all patients. In this time, there was no patients with angina or death. Conclusion: The results of this study suggest that OPCAB reduces morbidity and favors hospital outcomes. Therefore, OPCAB is safe, reasonable and might be preferable operative strategy in elderly patients.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
• /
• v.35 no.1
• /
• pp.27-35
• /
• 2002

Background: A perioperative myocardial infarction(PMI) is one of the major complications after CABG. Among diagnostic methods of PMI, CK-MB activity assays have been increasingly replaced by CK-MB mass assays, which have more sensitive, simple measurement. Also, new cardiac-specific and -sensitive marker, cardiac troponin I(cTnl), has been shown to be a marker of myocardial infarction. We report our evaluation of clinical significance of CK-MB mass and cTnl as a marker of PMI after CABG. Material and Method: We studied 32 patients who underwent CABG at Kangdong Sacred Hospital between April 2000 and April 2001. Postoperative serum CK-MB activity level, serum CK-MB mass, cTnl, electrocardiogram, echocardiogram, and clinical data were recorded prospectively The diagnosis of PMI was defined as positive 2 among 3 or all of the following , by a new Q wave on the electrocardiogram, by serum CK-MB activity higher than 200 lU/L within 72 hours after operation, and by new regional wall motion abnormality on the echocardiogram. Result: After CABG, 3 patients had sustained a PMI according to current diagnostic criteria. As serum CK-MB activity time course, a level of CK-MB activity 12 hours after CABG had very linear correlated significance with serum CK-MB mass 24hours(R=0.946) and cTnl 48 hours(R=0.933) after CABG(p=0.000). As we used a receiver operating characteristics curve(ROC curve) for a diagnostic cutoff value in patients with PMI, serum CK-MB mass levels higher than 30.05 ug/L 24 hours after CABG detected the presence of PMI with an area under the ROC curve of 1.0, a sensitivity of 100%, a specificity of 100%, a positive predictive value of 100%, and a negative predictive value of 100%. Also serum cTnl levels higher than 17.15 ug/L 48 hours after CABG detected the presence of PMI with an area under the ROC curve of 0.98, a sensitivity of 100%, a specificity of 96.6%, a positive preclictive value of 75%, and a negative predictive value of 100% Conclusion: We concluded that both the measurement of CK-MB mass and cTnl are the easier, accurate methods as a diagnostic marker of PMT after CABG, also as a proposal of diagnostic cutoff value enables to an early detection of PMI. However, a 1arger number of patient will be needed because of statistic limitation that a small number of participating patients, a small number of PMI.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
• /
• v.15 no.1
• /
• pp.467-474
• /
• 2014

Objective: To observe the effects of allogeneic and autologous transfusion on cellular immunity, humoral immunity and secretion of serum inflammatory factors and perforin during the perioperative period in patients with malignant tumors. Methods: A total of 80 patients (age: 38-69 years; body weight: 40-78 kg; ASA I - II) receiving radical operation for gastro-intestinal cancer under general anesthesia were selected. All the patients were divided into four groups based on the methods of infusion and blood transfusion: blank control group (Group C), allogeneic transfusion group (group A), hemodiluted autotransfusion Group (Group H) and hemodiluted autotransfusion + allogenic transfusion Group (A+H group). Venous blood was collected when entering into the surgery room ($T_0$), immediately after surgery ($T_1$) and 24h ($T_2$), 3d ($T_3$) and 7d ($T_4$) after surgery, respectively. Moreover, flow cytometry was applied to assess changes of peripheral blood T cell subpopulations and NK cells. Enzyme linked immunosorbent assays were performed to determine levels of IL-2, IL-10, TNF-${\alpha}$ and perforin. Immune turbidimetry was employed to determine the changes in serum immunoglobulin. Results: Both CD3+ and NK cells showed a decrease at $T_1$ and $T_2$ in each group, among which, in group A, CD3+ decreased significantly at $T_2$ (P<0.05) compared with other groups, and CD3+ and NK cell reduced obviously only in group A at $T_3$ and $T_4$ (P<0.05). CD4+ cells and the ratio of D4+/CD8+ were decreased in groups A, C and A+H at $T_1$ and $T_2$ (P<0.05). No significant intra- and inter-group differences were observed in CD8+ of the four groups (P<0.05). IL-2 declined in group C at $T_1$ and $T_2$ (P<0.05) and showed a decrease in group A at each time point (P<0.05). Moreover, IL-2 decreased in group A + H only at $T_1$. No significant difference was found in each group at $T_1$ (P<0.05). More significant decrease in group ?? at $T_2$, $T_3$ and $T_4$ compared with group A (P<0.05), and there were no significant differences among other groups (P>0.05). IL-10 increased at $T_1$ and $T_2$ in each group (P<0.05), in which it had an obvious increase in group A, and increase of IL-10 occurred only in group A at $T_3$ and $T_4$ (P<0.05). TNF-${\alpha}$ level rose at $T_1$ (P<0.05), no inter- and intra-group difference was found in perforin in all groups (P<0.05). Compared with the preoperation, both IgG and IgA level decreased at $T_1$ in each group (P<0.05), and they declined only in Group A at $T_2$ and $T_3$ (P<0.05), and these parameters were back to the preoperative levels in other groups. No significant differences were observed between preoperative and postoperative IgG and IgA levels in each group at $T_4$ (P>0.05). No obvious inter- and intra-group changes were found in IgM in the four groups (P>0.05). Conclusions: Allogeneic transfusion during the perioperative period could obviously decrease the number of T cell subpopulations and NK cells and the secretion of stimulating cytokines and increase the secretion of inhibiting cytokines in patients with malignant tumors, thus causing a Th1/Th2 imbalance and transient decreasing in the content of plasma immune globulin. Autologous transfusion has little impact and may even bring about some improvement oo postoperative immune function in patients with tumors. Therefore, cancer patients should receive active autologous transfusion during the perioperative period in place of allogeneic transfusion.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
• /
• v.31 no.2
• /
• pp.125-133
• /
• 1998

This study was designed to identify the efficiency of serum troponin-T(s-TnT) level as a diagnostic indicator for the perioperative myocardial damage with open heart surgery(OHS) and to compare with the conventional myocardial enzyme tests such as isoenzyme fraction of creatine kinase(% CK-MB) and isoenzyme ratio of lactate dehydrogenase(LDH1/LDH2 ratio). The study was performed on 30 adult patients who underwent OHS from Jan. 1996 to June 1996 at Inje University Pusan Paik Hospital, and they were divided into two groups accor- ding to aortic clamping time(ACT) duration : group I(ACT＜60 minutes, n=15); group II (ACT＞60 minutes, n=15). S-TnT, % CK-MB, and LDH1/LDH2 ratio were measured in serial blood samples from all subjected patients. The results were obtained as follows. 1. In both groups, s-TnT concentrations increased gradually during OHS and elevated significantly at CPB-10(p＜0.001). The peak level was noticed at POD 1 in group I(1.10 $\pm$0.19 ng/ml), whereas, at CPB-off in group II(1.88$\pm$0.42 ng/ml). The elevated levels remained until POD 7 in both groups. 2. %CK-MB was risen significantly with the initiation of operations(p＜0.001) and the peak levels were noticed at CPB-off in both groups(7.14$\pm$0.86% in group I, 10.69$\pm$1.27% in group II). Thereafter, these levels returned to normal values at POD 3. 3. There were no significant changes in the values of LDH1/LDH2 ratio during and after OHS compared with the control levels(p＞0.05). 4. The serial changes of s-TnT were relatively well correlated with those of changes of % CK-MB(r=0.64, p＜0.05). 5. The serial s-TnT levels were significantly higher in group II than group I from B-ACR to POD 1(p＜0.05), suggesting that duration of aortic clamping time was a major factor concerned with perioperative myocardial injury. In conclusion, measurement of s-TnT is a very useful indicator in assessing the myocardial cell damage and therefore it is expected that serial checking and evaluation of the s-TnT is very available for identification of the perioperative myocardial damage and for postoperative cares in patients with OHS.

• Advances in pediatric surgery
• /
• v.12 no.2
• /
• pp.155-166
• /
• 2006

Inguinal hernia is the most common disease treated by the pediatric surgeon. There are several controversial aspects of management 1)the optimal timing of surgical repair, especially for preterm babies, 2)contralateral groin exploration during repair of a clinically unilateral hernia, 3)use of laparoscope in contralateral groin exploration, 4)timing of surgical repair of cord hydrocele, 5)perioperative pain control, 6)perioperative management of anemia. In this survey, we attempted to determine the approach of members of KAPS to these aspects of hernia treatment. A questionnaire by e-mail or FAX was sent to all members. The content of the questionnaire were adapted from the "American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) Section on Surgery hernia survey revisited (J Pediatr Surg 40, 1009-1014, 2005)". For full-term male baby, most surgeons (85.7 %) perform an elective operation as soon as diagnosis was made. For reducible hernia found in ex-preterm infants already discharged from the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU), 76.2 % of surgeons performed an elective repair under general anesthesia (85.8 %). 42.9 % of the surgeons performed the repair just before discharge. For same-day surgery for the ex-premature baby, the opinion was evenly divided. For an inguinal hernia with a contralateral undescended testis in a preterm baby, 61.9 % of surgeons choose to 'wait and see' until 12 month of age. The most important consideration in deciding the timing of surgery of inguinal hernia in preterm baby was the existence of bronchopulmonary dysplasia (82.4 %), episode of apnea/bradycardia on home monitoring (70.6 %). Most surgeons do not explore the contralateral groin during unilateral hernia repair. Laparoscope has not been tried. Most surgeons do not give perioperative analgesics or blood transfusion.

• Journal of Gastric Cancer
• /
• v.18 no.3
• /
• pp.230-241
• /
• 2018

Purpose: Enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS) protocols for gastric cancer patients have shown improved outcomes in Asia. However, data on gastric cancer ERAS (GCERAS) programs in the United States are sparse. The purpose of this study was to compare perioperative outcomes before and after implementation of an GC-ERAS protocol at a National Comprehensive Cancer Center in the United States. Materials and Methods: We reviewed medical records of patients surgically treated for gastric cancer with curative intent from January 2012 to October 2016 and compared the GC-ERAS group (November 1, 2015-October 1, 2016) with the historical control (HC) group (January 1, 2012-October 31, 2015). Propensity score matching was used to adjust for age, sex, number of comorbidities, body mass index, stage of disease, and distal versus total gastrectomy. Results: Of a total of 95 identified patients, matching analysis resulted in 20 and 40 patients in the GC-ERAS and HC groups, respectively. Lower rates of nasogastric tube (35% vs. 100%, P<0.001) and intraabdominal drain placement (25% vs. 85%, P<0.001), faster advancement of diet (P<0.001), and shorter length of hospital stay (5.5 vs. 7.8 days, P=0.01) were observed in the GC-ERAS group than in the HC group. The GC-ERAS group showed a trend toward increased use of minimally invasive surgery (P=0.06). There were similar complication and 30-day readmission rates between the two groups (P=0.57 and P=0.66, respectively). Conclusions: The implementation of a GC-ERAS protocol significantly improved perioperative outcomes in a western cancer center. This finding warrants further prospective investigation.

• Journal of Veterinary Clinics
• /
• v.31 no.2
• /
• pp.102-107
• /
• 2014

This study was conducted to analyze the results of inhalation anesthesia performed at the equine hospital of Korea Racing Authority (KRA) and to find out the influencing factors on mortality during and/or after inhalation anesthesia. Among 585 cases of anesthesia, orthopedic surgery (410) was performed the most frequently, followed by colic surgery (85) and upper airway surgery (45). Twenty out of 585 horses were either euthanized or died during and/or after anesthesia. Among those twenty horses, fourteen horses received colic surgery, three received orthopedic surgery, and three others received upper airway surgery. The major causes of mortality were rupture of intestine in colic surgery and airway obstruction during recovery in upper airway surgery. Myopathy, refracture, laminitis were the causes of mortality in orthopedic surgery. Consequently, the horses that received colic and upper airway surgeries showed significantly high mortality rate rather than horses that received orthopedic surgery (p < 0.01). According to the results, horses that received colic surgery showed the highest mortality rate from euthanasia due to poor and grave prognosis. To reduce the perioperative mortality of horses, it is recommended to perform perioperative intensive care for colic surgery and careful monitoring for upper airway surgery during recovery.