• Journal of the Korean Arthroscopy Society
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• v.5 no.2
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• pp.120-123
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• 2001

Purpose : We used transparent flexible tube which had provided the good visual field of median nerve when it was used in endoscopic release of transverse carpal ligament and evaluated the safety of that technique. Materials and Methods : We evaluated the 12 patients(20cases) who had been diagnosed as carpal tunnel syndrome and performed by endoscopic carpal tunnel release between Mar. 1997 and Mar. 2000. We used two portal technique and released the transverse carpal ligament with direct supervision of median nerve. Results : 14 cases$(70\%)$ were revealed excellent or good results and 6 cases$(30\%)$ were fair. No serious complications were shown such as nerve injury. Conclusion : We could avoid the complications of endoscopic carpal tunnel release using the transparent flexible tube which had provided tire good circumferential vision around the median nerve and it is unnecessary to maintain the wrist Joint hyperextension state during operation. Also that tube was easily obtainable in hospital so we need not to purchase the expensive operation apparatus.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.27 no.4
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• pp.331-334
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• 1994

Pneumatic rupture is a rare cause of esophageal injury, as evidenced by only 19 cases reported in the literature. We experienced one case of esophageal rupture due to bursting of a truck inner tube. The patient, who was a 45-year old male, had severe chest pain, respiratory distress, flushing in the face and neck, and subcutaneous emphysema after tire explosion. Three days after the incident, a diagnosis of rupture of the thoracic esophagus was established by esophagogram using water soluble contrast media, and then emergency operation was done. The operation involved mediastinal and thoracic drainage and resection of the esophagus combined with cervical esophagostomy and feeding gastrostomy. On the 105th day after the operation, cervical esophagogastrostomy via substernal route was performed. The patient was successfully treated with the staged operations. As in the other reported cases, the injury was located in the lower one third of the esophagus. Four main characteristics of the clinical signs of pneumatic rupture are 1] wounds or burns to the face or mouth, 2] chest pain or epigastric pain, 3] subcutaneous emphysema, and 4] respiratory distress. We emphasize that the high index of suspicion of esophageal rupture is very important in diagnosis and that diagnosis should be based on the same findings common to other forms of esophageal injury.