• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.32 no.2
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• pp.206-210
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• 1999

We report here 2 cases of deep-seated mediastinitis combined with sternal osteomyelitis after tracheal reconstruction which were successfully treated with sternectomy, in-situ or free omental transfer, and pectoralis major myocutaneous flap. In case I, an 8 year-old boy with deep seated mediastinitis and sternal osteomyelitis that developed after anterior tracheoplasty through a standard midline sternotomy. In case II, a 50 year-old female patient with mediastinal abcess and sternal osteomyelitis that developed after resection and end-to-end anastomosis of the trachea through an upper midline sternotomy. Treatments consisted of drainage and irrigation followed by wide resection of the infected sternum, placement of the viable omentum into the anterior mediastinal space, and chest wall reconstruction with a pectoralis major myocutaneous flap. The omentum was transferred as an in-situ pedicled graft in case I and a free graft in case II. Both patients have recovered smoothly wit out any events and have been doing well postoperatively.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.39 no.10 s.267
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• pp.765-769
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• 2006

Background: Nuss procedure is a minimally invasive technique for correcting the pectus excavatum. But there are some limitations of correcting the complex anomaly or grown-up patients. Material and Method: we retrospectively reviewed 135 consecutive patients who underwent repair of pectus excavatum by the Nuss procedure and its modifications between November 1999 and December 2004. We analyzed the computed tomography, age on operation, operative technique, and complications. Result: We operated 135 patients of pectus excavatum during 62 months. Total number of operations about Nuss procedure is 216, including bar removal procedure of 64 cases, redo Nuss procedures of 47 cases. We modified the point of bar insertion to the hinge point, made a shoulder in the bar to prevent a displacement. And then we changed the fixation material from Vicryl to steel wire. If the patients are old, we retract the sternum during bar rotation and fixation. Until 2002, the number of redo Nuss operations were 17, complications were 23. but, after modifications, the number of redo Nuss operation were 0, complications were 2. Conclusion: This result indicates that our modifications of Nuss operation is effective, and could decrease the number of redo Nuss operation and complications.

• Maxillofacial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery
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• v.36 no.2
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• pp.67-72
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• 2014

Necrotizing fasciitis (NF) is defined as rapidly progressive necrosis of subcutaneous fat and fascia. Although NF of the face is rare, its mortality rate is nearly 30%. It usually originates from dental infection and can lead to involvement of the neck, mediastinum, and chest wall. Complications resulting from pre-existing systemic diseases can increase the mortality rate. Known complication factors for NF include diabetes, malnutrition, advanced age, peripheral vascular disease, renal failure, and obesity. Here, we report a case of NF originating from dental infection in an 88-year-old woman already diagnosed with hypertension, thoracic aortic aneurysm, and renal diseases. Such conditions limited adequate surgical and antibiotic treatment. However, interdisciplinary treatment involving multiple departments was implemented with good results.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.44 no.5
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• pp.1125-1131
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• 1997

Occult papillary adenocarcinoma of the thyroid is known to be indolent, slow metastatic, and has a good prognosis. Occult thyroid carcinoma presenting as a blood-borne metastasis without obvious cervical lymph node involvement is extremely rare. A 65-year-old male patient was visited for hoarseness, dysphagia, and shortness of breath. Bronchoscopy with biopsy revealed a papillary carcinoma of thyroid by immunohistochemical staining. Head & neck CT revealed that involving both the upper esophagus and the posterior tracheal wall, extending into the mediastinum along the upper thoracic spine at $T_1-T_2$. We have experienced a rare case of occult papillary carcinoma which invaded the trachea, esophagus and fascia of thoracic spine. Treatment was initiated with radioactive iodine and external bean therapy.

• Archives of Plastic Surgery
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• v.45 no.6
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• pp.593-597
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• 2018

Sternal malunion, or loss, developed after a median sternotomy cannot only be difficult to manage and treat, but also may diminish one's quality-of-life drastically. The technique presented here represents a multispecialty approach in one stage for the reconstruction of an unstable thoracic cage. The procedure utilized a donated sternum and ribs. The sternum with ribs harvested from a single donor included adipose derived stromal vascular fraction (ADSVF) cells with marrow also from the same donor. Autologous muscle flaps, stabilized with acellular dermal matrix were utilized to provide a robust blood supply to the ADSVF cells and bone grafts. Acellular dermal matrix was used to construct the ribs and stabilize the plugs of stem cells and bone. These procedures, in the hands of multispecialty physicians, have led to several successful reconstructions involving complex chest wall deformities. This surgical intervention was performed in a one stage operation. This represents the first successful complete sternal transplant in a patient with return to normal activities and increased quality-of-life.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.25 no.3
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• pp.276-282
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• 1992

From Jan. 1981 to Dec. 1989 eleven cases of Funnel Chest, ten were males and one was female, were underwent an operation at the Department of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery. Cheonbuk National University Hospital. The age of patients ranged from 3 to 29 years old. They all had symptoms of feeling inferiority about chest deformity. The degree of concavity on the funnel chest varied in extent, and the severity which was measured by water volume filled into it varied from 20 ml to 140 ml. Nine patients were corrected by Ravitch method and two patients were corrected by the Modified sternal turnover method. The Ravitch method was more effective in asymmetrical, severe depression deformity and in children. On the other hand the Modified sternal turnover method with preservation of vascular supply of repair was more simple and more effective in case of relatively less severe, wide symmetrical depression deformity of the chest and in case of associated with congenital or acquired heart disease and disease of the ascending aorta. This method has the advantage of maintaining chest wall stability in postoperative period.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.25 no.9
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• pp.962-967
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• 1992

Eight patients with proven clinical stage Ill lung carcinoma of which six were epidermoid cell carcinoma and two were small cell carcinoma underwent concomitant radiation therapy and chemotherapy before surgical resection from March 1990 to February 1992 at the thoracic surgical department, Yongdong Severance Hospital, Yonsei University College Medicine The therapy consisted of more than one cycle of chemotherapy every 4 weeks and concomitant irradiation. Three to four weeks after chemotherapy and radiation therapy, the patient were reevaluated for thoracotomy and pulmonary resection. Two patients were found to have unresectable lesions and, radiosotopes were implanted to the remaining tumors. Three patients had complete pneumonectomies and two patients had pericardial penumonectomyo. Only one patient had complete pneumonectomy & concomitant resection of ribs attached to tumors with reconstruction of chest wall with Marlex mesh. Complete sterilization of lung tumor and mediastinal nodes proven histologically was achieved in 2 patients, without operative mortality. The median survival of all patients was eight months, but the median survival of survivors which lung tumor were completely resected completely and whose pathologic reports showed stage I or 0, was about 18 months to now. The overall result indicates some benefit from this preoperative chemotherapy and radiation therapeutic regimen in patients with advanced unresectable lung cancer.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.15 no.3
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• pp.278-284
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• 1982

As of today, the frequency of primary lung cancer is one of the improved problems in modern medicine and is increasing rapidly year by year. This study dealed with 138 cases of primary lung cancer proved by histopathologic examination in Thoracic & Card iovascular Surgery Dept. of N.M.C. from Sept. 1966 through June 1981. The majority of patients belong to 5th and 6th decade. Ratio between male and female was 3.7: 1. Initial symptoms were cough, blood tinged sputum, hemoptysis, chest pain, dyspnea and duration of symptoms before admission was within 6 months [60%] and 12 months [78%]. Histopathologically, 64 cases [61%] of them were the squamous cell carcinoma, 21 cases [15%] were the adenocarcinoma, 20 cases [14.8%] were the anaplastic carcinoma. Fifty-six cases were resectable: 43 cases were subjected to pneumonectomy and 13 cases were to lobectomy. The remaining 82 cases were nonresectable, but exploratory thoracotomy was performed in 22 cases of them. Among 56 resected cases, 33 cases were radically operated and 17 cases were subjected to palliative operation and 6 cases were subjected to extended operation. [Concomitant pericardium resection in 1 case and concomitant chest wall resection in 5 cases]. Surgical mortality was 10.7% and causes of death were aspiration of contralateral lung, respiratory insufficiency, postop. empyema with B.P.F, cardiogenic failure. This study analysed the cancer stage between preop clinical T.N.M. stage and postop. T.N.M. stage in 78 cases; resectable 56 cases and non-resectable 22 cases.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.10 no.1
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• pp.173-178
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• 1977

A 51 year old man was admitted to the Thoracic and Cardiovascular Department of Kyungpook University Hospital on April 7, 1976, with chief complaints of orthopnea and the chest pain for about 3 months. Physical examination showed narrow pulse pressure, puffy face, engorged neck veins at sitting position, distant heart sound, enlarged liver and edematous upper extremities. The chest roentgenogram demonstrated markedly enlarged cardiac silhouette. Low voltage and the low to diphagic T`s were noted on the electrocardiogram. Paroxysmal ventricular tachycardia was developed intermittently and was subsided spontaneously. Repeated pericardiocentesis were performed each of which yielded from 100 to 300ml. but intractable cardiac failure was progressed. The bacteriology and cytology of the pericardial fluid were not revealed any specific findings. The pericardiectomy was performed to release the intractable cardiac tamponade. Pericardium was found to be thickened and cardiac constriction was noted. The thickened pericardium was easily removed. A large hen`s egg sized dark blue tumor mass occupied the anterior wall of the right atrium and two thumb tip sized pearl gray tumors were placed at the just below portion of the main pulmonary artery. The biopsy report revealed primary fibrosarcoma of the heart. The patient was improved from the symptoms of the cardiac failure during the postoperative course.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.25 no.6
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• pp.630-636
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• 1992

From August 1990 through December 1991, 14 patients[all males] underwent int-rathoracic muscle transposition of extrathoracic skeletal muscles to treat empyemas, 6 patients had tuberculous empyemas, 4 had chronic empyemas of unknown etiology, 3 had pos-tpneumonectomy empyemas, and 1 had postlobectomy empyema. 9 patients had associated bronchopleural fistulas, Their ages ranged from 22 to 67 years, with mean age of 45.1$\pm$17. 6[$\pm$S.D] years. The serratus anterior was transposed in 13 patients, the latissimus dorsi in 12. In 11 patients, both the serratus anterior and the latissimus dorsi were transposed. The omental flap also transposed in 3 patients. To reduce the dead space in the thoracic cavity, thr-oacoplasty was also carried out in 10 patients. The number of the partially resected ribs was 3.0$\pm$0.8[$\pm$S.D.]. All operations were single stage procedures, and all wounds were closed primarily, with no permanent tubes or chest wall openings. There was no hospital mortality, and so no subsequent operation has been required. Follow-up of the patients ranged from 5 to 16 months with a mean of 9.2$\pm$3.1[$\pm$S.D] months, All the patints had no further signs or symptoms of the original infection after discharge. We conclude that intrathoracic transposition of extrathoracic skeletal muscle is an excellent method of treatment for persistent, life-threatening intrathoracic infections.