• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.55 no.1
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• pp.85-87
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• 2022

Diaphragmatic hernias have been reported in 0.8%-1.6% of patients who experience blunt chest trauma. The hernia is assumed to form as a result of direct diaphragmatic violation or significant intraabdominal or intrathoracic pressure caused by the trauma. Some reports have described cases of delayed diaphragmatic hernia and subsequent stomach perforation that occurred a few days to several years after an accident. We report an extremely rare case of diaphragmatic herniation in which the process from initial blunt trauma to visceral organ perforation took only 2 days, without any evidence of herniation on the initial X-ray or computed tomography. Delayed diaphragmatic herniation and subsequent visceral organ perforation should not be missed during the period immediately after blunt chest trauma.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.43 no.1
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• pp.47-52
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• 2010

Background: Traumatic diaphragmatic rupture is not common, but it requires swiftly performing an emergency operation. This study was conducted to evaluate the prognostic factors for mortality after surgically treating traumatic diaphragmatic rupture. Material and Method: From Jan 2001 to Dec. 2008, we experienced 37 cases of multiple traumas with diaphragmatic injuries that were confirmed by surgical procedures. We evaluated various factors, including the type of injury, the associated injuries, the preoperative vital signs, the ISS, the time until surgery and the rupture size. Result: There were 30 patients with blunt trauma and 7 patients with penetrating trauma. Thirty-four patients had associated injuries and the mean ISS was 20.8. Postoperative complications occurred in 11 patients and hospital mortalities occurred in 6 patients. The prognostic factors that had an influence on the postoperative mortalities were the preoperative intubation state, the patient who exhibited hypotension and a high ISS. Conclusion: Traumatic diaphragmatic rupture is just one part of multiple traumas. The postoperative mortalities might depend on not only on the diaphragmatic rupture itself, but also on the severity of the associated injuries.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.44 no.1
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• pp.76-79
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• 2011

Right-sided diaphragmatic rupture is less common and more difficult to diagnose than left-sided lesion. It is rarely combined with the herniation of the abdominal organs into the thorax. High level of suspicion is the key to early diagnosis, and a delay in diagnosis is implicated with a considerable risk of mortality and morbidity. We experienced a case of right-sided diaphragmatic rupture combined with complete avulsion of the right kidney and herniation of the liver into the thoracic cavity.

• Journal of Trauma and Injury
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• v.31 no.2
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• pp.66-71
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• 2018

Patients with traumatic aortic rupture rarely reach the hospital alive. Even among those who arrive at the hospital alive, traumatic aortic rupture after high-speed motor vehicle accidents leads to a high in-hospital mortality rate and is associated with other major injuries. Here, we report a rare case of descending midthoracic aortic rupture with blunt diaphragmatic rupture. Successful management with emergency laparotomy after an immediate endovascular procedure resulted in a favorable prognosis in this case.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.26 no.10
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• pp.791-797
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• 1993

We evaluated forty cases of traumatic diaphragmatic ruptures that we have experienced from Mar. 1976 to Mar. 1992. Thirty patients were male and 10 were female[M:F=3:1]. The age distribution was ranged from 2 to 76 years with the mean age of 35 years. The traumatic diaphragmatic ruptures were due to blunt trauma in 26 cases[traffic accident 20, fall down 4, others 2] and penetrating trauma in 14 cases[stab wound 13, gun shot 1]. In the blunt trauma, 21 of 26 cases were diagnosed within 24 hours after injury and all cases except one in penetrating trauma were diagnosed within 24 hours. In the blunt trauma, the rupture site was located in the left in 20 cases and in the right in 6 cases. In the penetrating trauma, the rupture site was located in the left in 10 cases and in the right in 4 cases. The repair of 40 cases were performed with thoracic approach in 19 cases, thoracoabdominal approach in 17 cases and abdominal approach in 4 cases. The postoperative mortality was 7.5 %[3/40]. The causes of death were septic shock[1], acute renal failure[1] and hypovolemic shock[1].

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.2 no.1
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• pp.59-64
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• 1969

Three cases of traumatic diaphragmatic hernia were repaired in this department from June 1967 to Nov.1968. The first case, a 14 year old girl, was diagnosed as diaphragmatic hernia during the operation of the diffuse peritonitis from jejunaI perforation 3 days after the traffic accident at local clinic and she was transfered to this hospital after the closure of the perforated jejunum. Herniated stomach, transverse colon, spleen and left lobe of the liver were repositioned and the diaphragmatic rupture at the posterolateral portion of the left diaphragm was repaired with two layer sutures by transthoracic approach. The second case. a 26 year old man. was diagnosed immediately after the traffic accident at local clinic and transfered to this hospital 24 hours later. Herniated and distended stomach, transverse colon and jejunum were repositioned and the large diaphragmatic rupture, about 9 cm in length, from the posterolateral portion to the base of the pericardium was directly repaired with two layer sutures. The third case, a 26 year old man, who had a history of stab wound at left lower lateral chest two years ago,was admitted with the sudden onset of abdominal pain and vomiting. The diaphragmatic hernia was confirmed with barium enema. The herniated stomach and transverse colon through the defect, about 3.5 cm in diameter, at anterolateral portion of the left diaphragm, were repositioned and the defect was repaired with two layer sutures. All of the cases recovered uneventfully.

• Journal of Trauma and Injury
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• v.25 no.4
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• pp.217-222
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• 2012

Purpose: Diaphragmatic rupture following trauma is often an associated and missed injury. This report is about our experience with treating traumatic diaphragmatic rupture (TDR). Methods: From January 2007 to September 2012, 18 patients who had a diaphragmatic rupture due to blunt trauma or penetrating injury underwent an operation for diaphragmatic rupture at our hospital. We retrospectively reviewed their medical records, including demographic factors, initial vital signs, associated injuries, interval between trauma and diagnosis, injured side of the diaphragm, diagnostic tools, surgical method or approaches, operative time, herniated organs, complications, and mortality. Results: The average age of the patients was 43 years, and 16 patients were male. Causes of trauma included motor vehicle crashes (n=7), falls (n=7), and stab wounds (n=5). The TDR was right-sided in 6 patients and left-sided in 12. The diagnosis was made by using a chest X-ray (n=3), and thorax or upper abdominal computed tomography (n=15). Ten(10) patients were diagnosed within 12 hours. A thoracotomy was performed in 8 patients, a video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery in 4 patients, a laparotomy in 3 patients, and a sternotomy in one patient. Herniated organs were the omentum (n=11), stomach (n=8), spleen and colon (n=6), and liver (n=6). Eighteen diaphragmatic injuries were repaired primarily. Seven patients underwent ventilator care, and two of them had pneumonia and acute respiratory distress syndrome. There were no operative mortalities. Conclusion: Early diagnosis and surgical treatment determine the successful management of TDR with or without the herniation of abdominal organs. The surgical approach to TDR is chosen based on accompanying organ injuries and the injured side.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.21 no.3
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• pp.471-478
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• 1988

We evaluated forty cases of traumatic diaphragmatic injuries that we have experienced from Jan. 1972 to Dec. 1987. 28 patients were male and 12 were female[M:F=2.3:1]. The age distribution was ranged from 4 to 71 years with mean age of 26. The diaphragmatic injuries were due to blunt trauma in 27 cases[traffic accident 22, fall down 3, others 2] and penetrating trauma in 13 cases[stab wound 11, gun shot 1, other 1]. In the blunt injury,14 cases of 17 were diagnosed and treated within 24 hours in the left diaphragmatic injury but only 3 cases of 7 cases in the right diaphragmatic injury were diagnosed and treated within 24 hours. All cases except one in penetrating injury were diagnosed and treated within 12 hours. In the blunt injury, the rupture site was located in the left in \ulcorner7 cases and in the right in 7 cases. In the penetrating injury, the rupture site was located in the left in 11 cases and in the right in 2 cases. The repair of 37 cases were performed with thoracic approach in 20 cases, thoracoabdominal approach in 12 cases and abdominal approach in 5 cases. Over all mortality was 17.5%[7/40] and postoperative mortality was 11%[4/37]. The causes of death were hypovolemic shock[3], combined head injury[2], acute renal failure[1] and septic shock with ARDS[1].

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.27 no.12
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• pp.1023-1026
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• 1994

We reviewed 10 cases of traumatic diaphragmatic injuries at Soonchunhyang University Gumi Hospital from January 1990 through April 1993. seven patients were male and three patients were female. The age distribution was ranged from 25 to 79 years, predominant 4th decades occurred in male. The traumatic diaphragmatic injuries were due to blunt trauma in 9 cases (traffic accident 7 and crash injury 2) and penetrating wound in 1 case (stab wound). The common symptom were dyspnea (60%), chest pain and abdominal pain in order frequency. In the blunt trauma and crash injury, te rupture site was all located in the left(9 cases). In the penetrating wound, the rupture site was located in the right(1 case). The surgical repair of 10 cases were performed with transthoracic approach in 9 cases and thoracoabodominal approach in 1 case. The postoperative mortality was 10% (1/10). The cause of death was multiple organ failure with pulmonary edema.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.20 no.4
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• pp.839-846
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• 1987

The records of 10 patients with traumatic diaphragmatic hernia seen from November 1977 through July 1987 were reviewed. All the patients had a transdiaphragmatic evisceration of abdominal contents into the thorax. We treated 7 male and 3 female patients ranging in age from 3 to 62 years. In 8 patients, diaphragmatic hernia followed blunt trauma and in 2 patients, stab wounds to the chest. The herniation occurred on the right side in 3 patients and on the left side in 7. All the patients sustained additional injuries: rib fractures [7 patients], additional limb, pelvic and vertebral fractures [6], closed head injury [2], lung laceration [1], liver laceration [1], renal contusion [1], ureteral rupture [1], and splenic rupture [1]. Organs herniated through the diaphragmatic rent included the omentum [6 patients], stomach [4], liver [4], colon [3], small intestine [1], and spleen [1]. For right-sided injuries, the liver was herniated in all 3 patients and the colon, in 1. in the initial or latent phase, dyspnea, diminished breath sounds, bowel sounds in the chest were noted in 4 patients, and in the obstructive phase, nausea, vomiting, and abdominal pain were found in all 3 patients. Two patients had a diagnostic chest radiograph with findings of bowel gas patterns, and an additional 8 had abnormal but nondiagnostic studies. Hemothorax, pleural effusion or abnormal diaphragmatic contour were common abnormal findings. Three patients were operated on during the initial or acute phase [immediately after injury], 4 patients were operated on during the latent or intermediate phase [3 to 210 days], and 3 patients were operated on during the obstructive phase [10 to 290 days]. Six patients underwent thoracotomy, 2 required thoracoabdominal incision, and 2 had combined thoracotomy and laparotomy. Primary suture was used to repair the diaphragmatic hernia in 9 cases. One patient required plastic repair by a Teflon felt. Empyema was the main complication in 2 patients. In 1 patient, the empyema was treated by closed thoracostomy and in 1, by decortication and open drainage. There were no deaths.