• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.23 no.2
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• pp.285-298
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• 1990

The records of 67 patients who had been operated as an esophageal cancer during the period from 1973 to 1989 at the Department of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, Hanyang University Hospital were reviewed retrospectively. The results were summarized as follows ; The age ranged from 28 years old to 80 years old. The highest incidence was 5th decades, then 6th decades, and the incidence of male was 10 times as the incidence of female[M:F= 10.16: 1]. The locations were lower esophagus 44%, middle esophagus 38.8%, upper esophagus 11.9% and cervical esophagus 4.4% The frequent symptoms were dysphagia [88%], epigastric or substernal pain and discomfort [29.8%], weight loss [20.8%], and laryngeal dryness [1.4%]. The most common interval between the onset of dysphagia and admission was 2-3 months; 82% of patients was within 6 months, The cancer consisted of stage I [3%], stage II [11.9%], stage III[47.6%], and stage IV [33.7%] The resectability of cancer was 67%. The organs of substitute were stomach in 21 cases, right colon 6 cases, and jejunum in 8 CRSCS. The relation between invasion of tumor and lymph node metastasis was analyzed: mucosal involvement: 1 case/2case, muscle invasion; 0/2 full thickness; 4/6, adjacent structure 7/12. Postoperative complications were pneumonia, pleural effusion, hoarseness, mediastinitis, anastomosis site leakage, reoperation due to stenosis, chylothorax, empyema, mechanical ileus, wound infection, meat impaction at anastomosis site, and repair of gastrostomy site leakage. Adjuvant therapies were irradiation [15cases], chemotherapy [14cases], and Bougie dilatation [4 cases],

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.27 no.12
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• pp.1015-1022
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• 1994

Over the past few years, video-assisted thoracic surgery [VATS] has been used increasingly for intrathoracic pathologic problems as a less invasive operative techniques. Today it is viewed as a sparing and safe alternative to thoracotomy for a wide spectrum of indications. Using video-assisted operative thoracoscopy, we performed consecutive 150 operations on 148 patients during the initial 2 years of our experience from July 1992 with the following indications: pneumothorax [n=53], hyperhidrosis [n=29], mediastinal mass [n=23], pleural disease [n=13], diffuse parenchymal or interstitial lung disease [n=12], benign pulmonary nodule [n=7], metastatic lung mass [n=3], primary lung cancer [n=3], bronchiectasis [n=2], malignant pericardial effusion [n=2], endobronchial tuberculosis [n=1], esophageal achalasia [n=1], and pulmonary parenchymal foreign body [n=1]. There were no death, and overall complicaton rate was 24.0%[n=36]. The most prevalent complication was persistent air leakage [longer than 5 days] in 14 cases [9.3%]. Persistent pleural effusion [longer than 5 days] occurred in 6 cases [4.0%]. Six patients were converted to an open thoracotomy because of inability to control the operative bleeding [n=3], failed adhesiolysis in bronchiectasis [n=2], and radical excision of an lung cancer [n=1]. Pneumothorax recurred in 3 cases[2.0%]. Other complications were Horner`s syndrome, diaphragm tears, temporary phrenic nerve palsy, hoarseness, subsegmental atelectasis, transient respiratory difficulty, and esophageal mucosal tear. The advantages of this minimally traumatizing operative technique lie in improved visualization, decreased pain, shortened hospital stay, and less postoperative morbidity. The indications of VATS has been extended increasingly to intrathoracic pathologies, but its role in the managements of primary lung cancer and esophageal disease remains to be defined.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.37 no.8
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• pp.665-671
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• 2004

Background: Lymph node metastasis is commonly reported in thoracic esophageal cancer, even in the early esophageal cancer which may be localized only in the mucosa or within the submucosal layer. Although lymph node metastasis greatly influence long-term outcome and cure of the disease, endoscopic mucosal resection or photodynamic therapy without lymph node dissection is widely attempted. The investigation of the pattern of lymph node metastasis and results of surgical resection of superficial esophageal cancer is needed. Material and Method: Pattern of lymph node metastsis and depth of tumor invasion were studied retrospectively from 44 patients with early esophageal cancer who underwent radical resection of the tumor from December, 1995 to August, 2001. Result: Lymph node metastasis was found in 10 patients (22.7%) out of total of 44 patients. Lymph node metastasis was found in 0% (0 of 3), 0% (0 of 4), 50% (2 of 4), and 24.24% (8 of 33) of tumors that invaded the intraepitherium, lamina propria, muscularis mucosa, and submucosa respectively. Anatomically distant lymph node metastases were found more frequently in recurrent laryngeal nerve node(5 cases of 10 patients) and in intraperitoneal node (8 cases of 10). than intrathoracic node (3 cases of 10). There was no operative mortality, however, there were 1 hospital death in patient with lamina propria cancer, 1 late death in patient with submucosal cancer. Three-year survival rates (except hospital death) were 100% in mucosal cancer and 97.0% in submucosal cancer (p>0.05), and 100% in the node negative group and 90.0% in the node positive group (p>0.05). Conclusion: The survival rate of superficial esophageal cancer patient who was recieved operative resection was excellent. But, lymph node metastasis were found in superficial esophageal cancer, even in esophageal cancer limited to the muscularis mucosa. Systemic lymph node dissection which includes recurrent laryngeal nerve nodes and intraperitoneal nodes was recommended for favorable outcome in superficial esophageal cancer.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.38 no.2 s.247
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• pp.157-163
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• 2005

Background: Clinical outcomes of esophageal cancer have not been satisfactory in spite of the development of surgical skills and protocols of adjuvant therapy. We analyzed the results of corrective surgical patients for esophageal cancer from January 1992 to July 2002. Material and Method: Among 129 patients with esophageal cancer, this study was performed in 68 patients who received corrective surgery. The ratio of sex was 59 : 9 (male : female) and mean age was $61.07\pm7.36$ years old. Chief complaints of this patients were dysphagia, epigastric pain and weight loss, etc. The locations of esophageal cancer were 4 in upper esophagus, 36 in middle, 20 in lower, 8 in esophagogastric junction. 60 patients had squamous cell cancer and 7 had adenocarcinoma, and 1 had malignant melanoma. Five patients had neoadjuvant chemotherapy. Result: The postoperative stage I, IIA, IIB, III, IV patients were 7, 25, 12, 17 and 7, respectively. The conduit for replacement of esophagus were stomach (62 patients) and colon (6 patients). The neck anastomosis was performed in 28 patients and intrathoracic anastomosis in 40 patients. The technique of anastomosis were hand sewing method (44 patients) and stapling method (24 patients). One of the early complications was anastomosis leakage (3 patients) which had only radiologic leakage that recovered spontaneously. The anastomosis technique had no correlation with postoperative leakage, which stapling method (2 patients) and hand sewing method (1 patient). There were 3 respiratory failures, 6 pneumonia, 1 fulminant hepatitis, 1 bleeding and 1 sepsis. The 2 early postoperative deaths were fulminant hepatitis and sepsis. Among 68 patients, 23 patients had postoperative adjuvant therapy and 55 paitents were followed up. The follow up period was $23.73\pm22.18$ months ($1\~76$ month). There were 5 patients in stage I, 21 in stage 2A, 9 in stage IIB, 15 in stage III and 5 in stage IV. The 1, 3, 5 year survival rates of the patients who could be followed up completely was $58.43\pm6.5\%,\;35.48\pm7.5\%\;and\;18.81\pm7.7\%$, respectively. Statistical analysis showed that long-term survival difference was associated with a stage, T stage, and N stage (p<0.05) but not associated with histology, sex, anastomosis location, tumor location, and pre and postoperative adjuvant therapy. Conclusion: The early diagnosis, aggressive operative resection, and adequate postoperative treatment may have contributed to the observed increase in survival for esophageal cancer patients.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.5 no.1
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• pp.45-56
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• 1972

Esophageal perforation is one of the most grave prognostic problems among thoracic and general surgical emergencies which necessitate urgent operative measures. In Korea,there are still many persons ingesting lye for suicidal attempt and thoracic surgeons in Korea have more chances to deal with lye burned esophagus with or without instrumental perforation than those in Western countries. Main cause of esophageal perforation in Korea is instrumental perforation in patients with lye stricture of the esophagus during diagnostic endoscopy or therapeutic bouginage. Other causes are corrosion of the esophagus due to ingestion of caustic agents, pathologic perforation, surgical trauma, stab wound and spontaneous rupture of the esophagus in our series. Therapeutic measures are various,and depend on duration of perforation, severity of its complications, pathology of perforated portion of the esophagus and degrees of inflammation at the point of perforation. The most important therapeutic measures are prevention of this grave condition during esophagoscopy, bouginage and surgical procedures on lungs and mediastinal structures and to make early diagnosis with prompt therapeutic measures. During the period of January, 1959, to December, 1971, the authors experienced 65 cases ofesophageal perforation including acquired esophagorespiratory fistula at Dept. of Chest Surgery, the National Medical Center in Seoul, and obtained following results in the series. 1. Female were 35 cases, and peak age incidence was 2nd and 3rd decades of life. 2. Among 65 cases, 43 were corrosive esophagitis or benign stricture of the esophagus due to caustic agents, 7 were patients with esophageal cancer. and there were 5 cases of esophageal perforation developed after pneumonectomy or pleuropneumonectomy. 3. Causes of perforation are instrumental perforation in 45, acute corrosion in 7, pathologic perforation in 7, surgical trauma in 3, stab wound in 2 cases, and one spontaneous rupture of the esophagus. 4. Most frequent sites of esophageal perforation were upper and mid thoracic esophagus, and 8 were cases with cervical esophageal perforation. 5. Complications of esophageal perforation were mediastinitis in 42, empyema or pneumothorax in 35, esophagorespiratory fistula in 12, retroperitoneal fistula or abscess in 5,pneumoperitoneum in 3, and localized peritonitis in 1 case. 6. Cases with malignant esophagorespiratory fistula were only 3 in the series which is predominant cause of acquired esophagorespiratory fistula in Western countries. 7. Various therapeutic measures were applied with mortality rate of 27.7% in the series. 8. In usual cases early treatment gave better prognosis, and least mortality rate in cases with perforation in mid thoracic esophagus. 9. Main causes of death were respiratory complications,acute hemorrhage with asphyxia, and septic complications. 10. Esophageal perforation developed after pneumonectomy gave more difficult therapeutic problems which were solved in only 1 among 5 cases.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.30 no.1
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• pp.40-47
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• 1997

From January 1990 to March 1994, 61 patients with thoracic esophageal cancer were treated at our institute. We analyzed the medical records retrospec ively to fond any prognostic factors of esophageal cancer surgery. The age ranged from 36 years to 74 years and the mean age was 58.3 years. The sex ratio of men to women was 14: 1. The mean duration of dysphagia was 3.8 months and they mostly suffered from the dysphagia of grade IV. Tumors were staged postoperatively; 2 stage I, 23 Stage II, 27 stage III, 9 stage IV, and the resectability was 78.7%, Fortynlne patients underwent curative esophageal resection and 5 patients permitted palliative esophagogastrostomy with incomplete tumor resection. Five patients underwent feeding gastrostomy and 2 patients were managed with Celestin tube. The most common complication was atelectasis and pneumonia, and early mortality rate was 5.6%. There were 9 cases of identified local recurrence or distant metastasis. Estimated overall actuarial survival rate during the follow-up was 73.4% in 1 year, 54.7% in 2 years, and 23.1% In 4 years. The tumor stage higher than II(p=0.02) was confirmed as a poor prognostic factor.

• Korean Journal of Bronchoesophagology
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• v.5 no.2
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• pp.143-152
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• 1999

Background : the technical modality of esophagogastric anastomosis plays an important part in the factors leading to anastomotic leakage and stricture. Objective : The objective of this study was to compare the leakage and stricture rates between the different anastomosis techniques. Materials and Methods : A retrospective study was undertaken in the patients with esophageal cancer who underwent a esophagectomy. Hand-sewn anastomosis was performed in one layer with interrupted sutures(Manual group). The stapler group was divided into two subgroups, such as PCEEA group and Endo-GIA group. Results : The differences of preoperative patient profiles between the groups were not significant. Overall mortality fates were 5% in manual group, 5% in PCEEA group and 11.5% in Endo-GIA group. Fewer anastomotic leakage occurred in manual group(5%) than in PCEEA group(10%) or in Endo-GIA group(15.4%). The postoperative stricture rate was higher in PCEEA group(35%) than in manual group(5%) or in Endo-GIA group(0%) Conclusion : Statistically, there were no significant differences in the anastomotic leakage and stricture rates between the hand-sewn and mechanical anastomosis. But the stricture rate was lower in the group using the linear stapling device and the leakage rate was lower in the hand-sewn group than the other groups.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.26 no.8
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• pp.633-637
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• 1993

Twenty-five patients with perforation of esophagus were managed at Pusan National University Hospital, from 1981 to 1993. The hospital course of 14 of these patients was evaluated with a special emphasis on the cause and location of perforation, clinical presentation, time elapsed from perforation to treatment, method of treatment, and outcome. Patients with anastomotic leak and cancer were excluded.The perforation was iatrogenic in 7 patients, spontaneous in 5, ingestion of foreign body in 1, and traumatic in 1. There were 7 cervical perforations, 2 upper thoracic perforations, and 5 lower thoracic perforations. Chest pain, fever, and dyspnea were frequent symptoms. Esophagography was most diagnostic [11 patients] but thoracentesis was of little diagnostic aid.Antibiotics were administered intravenously to all patients:hyperalimentation was accomplished intravenously in 11, and nasogastric suction was used in all cases. No patient required any surgical procedure, minor or major.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.53 no.4
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• pp.152-159
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• 2020

Minimally invasive esophagectomy (MIE) was first introduced in the 1990s. Currently, it is a widely accepted surgical approach for the treatment of esophageal cancer, as it is an oncologically sound procedure; its advantages when compared to open procedures, including reduction in postoperative complications, reduction in the length of hospital stay, and improvement in quality of life, are well documented. However, debates are still ongoing about the safety and efficacy of MIE. The present review focuses on some of the current issues related to conventional MIE and robot-assisted MIE based on evidence from the current literature.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.6 no.2
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• pp.231-236
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• 1973

Seventy-eight cases of the esophageal cancer were treated in this department during the period from July 1959 to August 1973. Esophageal carcinoma was more frequent in men then in women by a ratio of five to one, and the peak incidence occurred in the sixth decade. Dysphagea was tile most common symptoms in 82 per cent of our cases. The tumor was located mostly in the middle and the lower one third [88.4%] The histological diagnosis was made in 52 cases. The squamous cell carcinoma was tile commonest [67. 8%], and the rest was the adenocarcinoma in the lower one third [32. 2%]. Forty-seven cases were operated on and resection was feasible in twenty-seven patients with 5 cases of hospital mortality.