• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.45 no.3
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• pp.161-165
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• 2012

Background: Median sternotomy can weaken the upper abdominal wall and result in subxiphoid incisional hernia. We evaluated risk factors associated with the development of subxiphoid incisional hernias after coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG). Materials and Methods: Of 1,656 isolated CABGs performed between January 2001 and July 2010, 1,599 patients who were completely followed up were analyzed. The mean follow-up duration was $49.5{\pm}34.3$ months. Subxiphoid incisional hernia requiring surgical repair developed in 13 patients (0.8%). The hernia was diagnosed $16.3{\pm}10.3$ months postoperatively, and hernia repair was performed $25.0{\pm}26.1$ months after the initial operation. Risk factors associated with the development of subxiphoid incisional hernia were analyzed with the Cox proportional hazard model. Results: Five-year freedom from the hernia was 99.0%. Univariate analysis revealed that female sex (p=0.019), height (p=0.019), body surface area (p=0.046), redo operation (p=0.012), off-pump CABG (p=0.049), a postoperative wound problem (p=0.041), postoperative bleeding (p=0.046), and low cardiac output syndrome (p<0.001) were risk factors for the development of the hernia. Multivariable analysis showed that female sex (p=0.01) and low cardiac output syndrome (p<0.001) were associated with subxiphoid hernia formation. Conclusion: Female sex and postoperative low cardiac output syndrome were risk factors of subxiphoid hernia. Therefore, special attention is needed for patients with high-risk factors.

• Archives of Plastic Surgery
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• v.36 no.1
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• pp.1-10
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• 2009

Purpose: Partial necrosis of skin flaps remains a substantial problem in reconstructive surgery. We investigated the potential use of an adenovirus vector encoding the VEGF, COMP-angiopoietin-1 gene in an attempt to promote the viability of the inferior epigastric artery flap in a rat model. Methods: Three by six cm lower abdominal transverse skin flaps, supplied only by the left inferior epigastric artery, were designed. After skin flap elevation, the adenovirus VEGF and adenovirus COMP-angiopoietin-1 were injected into the distal portion of the flap, which has a high tendency of developing flap ischemia. Control animals were injected with the same volume of normal saline. On 3, 7 and 14 days after the flap elevation, the flap survival and vascularization were assessed using Visitrak digital$^{(R)}$, CD31 immunohistochemistry in addition to evaluating the general histological characteristics. Results: There was a significant increase in the mean percentage of flap viability by 89.8%, 91.1% and 94.8% in flaps transfected with adenovirus VEGF, COMP-angiopoietin-1, coadministraion of VEGF and COMP-angiopoietin-1 at seven days, and by 95.6%, 94.8% and 96.3% at 14 days. Histological assessment revealed that there were more blood vessels formed after adenovirus with VEGF, COMP-angiopoietin-1 or VEGF plus COMP-angiopoietin-1 than with adenovirus Lac Z. Conclusion: The results of this study suggest that adenovirus-mediated VEGF, COMP-angiopoietin-1 gene therapy, promote therapeutic angiogenesis in patients that undergo reconstructive procedures.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.22 no.5
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• pp.816-822
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• 1989

Aneurysms of the descending thoracic aorta can be caused by various etiologies. So, its abrupt rupture leads life-threatening state, it must be operated as soon as possible. Surgical treatment of the descending thoracic aortic aneurysm requires temporary cross-clamping of major artery. The obligatory occlusion of the descending thoracic aorta during management causes proximal arterial hypertension and distal arterial hypotension. The former may leads to left ventricular failure, or cerebrovascular accident, whereas the latter may leads to spinal cord ischemia or renal injury. Some have recommended insertion of temporary shunt around the occluded descending aorta to prevent above problems. Still others would favor expeditious operation employing simple aortic occlusion during the repair of the descending aorta. Recently we had experienced two cases of dissecting aneurysms of descending thoracic aorta which performed aortoplasty with Gore-Tex conduit under simple aortic occlusion. The one was 34-year-old female patient with traumatic dissecting aortic aneurysm [5 em X 5 cm] on the descending thoracic aorta distal to the origin of the left subclavian artery and the other was 58-year-old female patient with atherosclerotic dissecting descending thoracic aortic aneurysm [6 cmX7 cm] and diffuse abdominal aortic aneurysms [3X5 cm]. Both patients performed standard left posterolateral thoracotomy. After the aneurysmal sac was mobilized, occluding vascular clamps were placed on the transverse aorta proximal to the origin of the left subclavian artery, and on the distal descending aorta without adjuvant bypass procedures for 31 and 32 minutes, respectively, and the aneurysmal sac was repaired with 18 mm ringed Gore-Tex conduit graft. Both patients postoperative courses were uneventful.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.27 no.2
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• pp.140-147
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• 1994

Reconstruction of the pharynx and cervical esophagus presents a tremendous challenges to surgeons. Over the past 2 years[1990, Dec.-1993, Jun], the free jejunal graft has been performed in 17 cases in Korea Cancer Center Hospital.The indications of this procedures were almost malignant neoplasms involving neck and upper aero-digestive tract; Hypopharyngeal cancer[12 cases, including 2 recurrent cases], laryngeal cancer[2 cases], thyroid cancer[2 cases, including 1 recurrent case], cervical esophageal cancer[1 case]. There were fifteen men and two women, and the mean age was 59.6 years. The anastomosis site of jejunal artery were common carotid artery[16 cases] or external carotid artery[1 case] and that of jejunal vein were internal jegular [15 cases] or facial[1 case] and superior thyroid vein[1 case]. The length of jejunal graft was from 9 cm to 17 cm[mean 13 cm] and the mean ischemic time was 68 minutes. There was one hospital mortality which was irrelevant to procedures[variceal bleeding] and one graft failure[1/16]. Other postoperative complications were neck bleeding or hematoma[3 cases], abdominal wound infection or disruption[5 cases], anastomosis site leakage[1 case], pneumonia[2 cases], graft vein thrombosis[1 case], and food aspiration[1 case]. The function of conduit was excellent and ingestion of food was possible in nearly all cases. Postoperative adjuvant radiation therapy was also applicable without problem in 7 cases. During follow-up periods, the anastomosis site stenosis developed in four patients, and the tracheal stoma was narrowed in one case but easily overcome with dilation. In conclusion, we think that the free jejunal graft is one of the excellent reconstruction methods of upper digestive tract, especially after radical resection of malignant neoplasm in neck with a high success rate and low mortality and morbidity rate.

• Journal of Genetic Medicine
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• v.18 no.2
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• pp.142-146
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• 2021

Alagille syndrome (AGS) is a rare autosomal dominant inherited disorder, with major clinical manifestations of bile duct paucity, cholestasis, cardiovascular anomaly, ophthalmic abnormalities, butterfly vertebrae, and dysmorphic facial appearance. It is caused by heterozygous mutations in JAG1 or NOTCH of the Notch signaling pathway presenting with variable phenotypic penetrance and involving multiple organ systems. The following case report describes a unique case of a 16-year-old female with AGS who presented with the primary complaint of renovascular hypertension. She had a medical history of ventricular septal defect and polycystic ovary syndrome. The patient had a dysmorphic facial appearance including frontal bossing, bulbous tip of the nose, a pointed chin with prognathism, and deeply set eyes with mild hypertelorism. Stenoocclusive changes of both renal arteries, celiac artery, lower part of the abdominal aorta, and left intracranial artery, along with absence of the left internal carotid artery were found on examination. Whole exome sequencing was performed and revealed a pathologic mutation of JAG1, leading to the diagnosis of AGS. Reverse phenotyping detected butterfly vertebrae and normal structure and function of the liver and gallbladder. While the representative symptom of AGS in most scenarios is a hepatic problem, in this case, the presenting clinical features were the vascular anomalies. Clinical manifestations of AGS are diverse, and this case demonstrates that renovascular hypertension might be in some cases a presenting symptom of AGS.

• Journal of Digestive Cancer Research
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• v.5 no.1
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• pp.23-27
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• 2017

Although laparoscopic pancreaticoduodenectomy (LPD) is considered as minimally invasive surgery, an advanced level of laparoscopic skill is still required. LPD comprises various procedures including reconstruction. Therefore, establishment of a safe approach at each step is needed. Prevention of intraoperative bleeding is the most important factor in safe completion of LPD. The establishment of effective retraction methods is also important at each site to prevent vascular injury. I also recommend the "uncinate process first" approach during initial cases of LPD, in which the branches of the inferior pancreaticoduodenal artery are dissected first, at points where they enter the uncinate process. This approach is performed at the left side of the superior mesenteric artery (SMA) before isolating the pancreatic head from the right aspect of the SMA, which allows safe dissection without bleeding. Safe and reliable reconstruction is also important to prevent postoperative complications. Laparoscopic pancreatojejunostomy requires highly skilled suturing technique. Pancreatojejunostomy through a small abdominal incision, as in hybrid-LPD, facilitates reconstruction. In LPD, the surgical view is limited. Therefore, we must carefully verify the position of the pancreaticobiliary limb. A twisted mesentery may cause severe congestion of the pancreaticobiliary limb following reconstruction, resulting in severe complications. We must secure the appropriate position of the pancreaticobiliary limb before starting reconstruction. We describe the incidence of intraoperative and postoperative complications and appropriate technique for safe performance of LPD.

• Korean Circulation Journal
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• v.53 no.10
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• pp.655-676
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• 2023

Interest in sex differences in coronary artery disease (CAD) has been steadily increasing. Concurrently, most of the data on these differences have primarily been Western-oriented. The KoRean wOmen'S chest pain rEgistry (KoROSE), started in 2011, has since published numerous research findings. This review aims to summarize the reported differences between men and women in CAD, integrating data from KoROSE. Cardiovascular risk in postmenopausal women escalates dramatically due to the decrease in estrogen levels, which normally offer cardiovascular protective effects. Lower estrogen levels can lead to abdominal obesity, insulin resistance, increased blood pressure, and endothelial dysfunction in older women. Upon analyzing patients with CAD, women are typically older and exhibit more cardiovascular risk factors than men. Diagnosing CAD in women tends to be delayed due to their symptoms being more atypical than men's. While in-hospital outcome was similar between sexes, bleeding complications after percutaneous coronary intervention occur more frequently in women. The differences in long-term prognosis for CAD patients between men and women are still a subject of ongoing debate. Pregnancy and reproductive factors also play a significant role as risk factors for cardiovascular disease in women. A notable sex disparity exists, with women found to use fewer cardiovascular protective drugs and undergo fewer interventional or surgical procedures than men. Additionally, women participate less frequently than men in clinical research. Through concerted efforts to increase awareness of sex differences and mitigate sex disparity, personalized treatment can be provided. This approach can ultimately improve patient prognosis.

• The Korean Journal of Nuclear Medicine
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• v.27 no.1
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• pp.59-64
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• 1993

To evaluate the usefulness and differences in diagnosing coronary artery disease (CAD) between men and women of intravenous dipyridamole $^{99m}Tc$-MIBI myocardial SPECT, we obtained $^{99m}Tc$-MIBI myocardial SPECT and compared with the findings of coronary angiographies. Ninety eight male and 37 female patients who underwent dipyridamole $^{99m}Tc$-MIBI myocardial imaging within one month of cardiac catheterization were studied. Scans were considered abnormal if perfusion defect was detected and the defect size was more than 12% for left anterior descending artery (LAD) and circumflex (LCX) and 8% for right coronary artery (RCA) territories. Lesions${\geqq}$50% luminal diameter narrowing were considered significant CAD. Overall sensitivity for detection of CAD was 94.3% in men and 96.4% in women; specificity was 70% in men and 52.6% in women (P=not significant, ns). Vessel-matched sensitivity was 75.3% in men and 72.7% in women (P=ns): specificity was 84.6% in men and 67.9% in women (P < 0.025). For individual coronary artery, the sensitivity in men and women was 87.7%, 81.8% for LAD; 78%, 83.3% for RCA and 52.2%, 46.7% for LCX (P=ns): the specificity was 80%, 40% for LAD (P<0.01), 82.5%, 68.4% for RCA, 88.9%, 86.4% for LCX (P=ns). The hemodynamic parameter after intravenous dipyridamole in men and women were significantly changed; the heart rate was increased and systolic, diastolic blood pressure was decreased. Adverse effects were reported in 58.8% of men and 72.7% in women (P=ns). The incidence of chest pain and headache were higher in women. There was no significant difference in the incidences of nausea, abdominal pain, dizziness, facial flushing, dyspnea. In conclusion, dipyridamole $^{99m}Tc$-MIBI myocardial SPECT is a safe, noninvasive test for evaluation of CAD. There was no gender difference to detect CAD, but more false-positive rate in women especially in the territory of LAD.

• Journal of Gastric Cancer
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• v.16 no.2
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• pp.72-77
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• 2016

Purpose: During laparoscopic gastrectomy, an aberrant left hepatic artery (ALHA) arising from the left gastric artery (LGA) is occasionally encountered. The aim of this study was to define when an ALHA should be preserved during laparoscopic gastrectomy. Materials and Methods: From August 2009 to December 2014, 1,340 patients with early gastric cancer underwent laparoscopic distal gastrectomy. One hundred fifty patients presented with an ALHA; of the ALHA was ligated in 116 patients and preserved in 34 patients. Patient characteristics, postoperative outcomes and perioperative liver function tests were reviewed retrospectively. Correlations between the diameter of the LGA measured on preoperative abdominal computed tomography and postoperative liver enzyme levels were analyzed. Results: Pearson's correlation analysis showed a positive correlation between the diameter of the LGA and serum aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and alanine aminotransferase (ALT) levels on postoperative day 1 in the ALHA-ligated group (P=0.039, P=0.026, respectively). Linear regression analysis estimated the diameter of the LGA to be 5.1 mm and 4.9 mm when AST and ALT levels were twice the normal limit on postoperative day 1. Conclusions: We suggest preserving the ALHA arising from a large LGA, having diameter greater than 5 mm, during laparoscopic gastrectomy to prevent immediate postoperative hepatic dysfunction.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• v.55 no.2
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• pp.96-98
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• 2014

Vascular complications after percutaneous angiography include hematoma, pseudoaneurysm, arteriovenous fistula, thromboembolism, arterial laceration and infection. Hematomas may occur in the groin, thigh, retroperitoneal, intraperitoneal, or abdominal wall. A 54-year-old female underwent percutaneous transfemoral angiography for the evaluation of cerebral aneurysm. Renal subcapsular hematoma developed 3 hours after the procedure. Renal subcapsular hematoma after percutaneous angiography is very rare. We investigated the possible causes of renal subcapsular hematoma. To avoid this rare complication, we need to perform guide-wire passage carefully from the beginning of the procedure under full visual monitoring.