• Archives of Plastic Surgery
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• v.36 no.5
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• pp.583-590
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• 2009

Purpose: In the cases of a vascular compromised condition in an injured lower extremity, soft tissue coverage with free tissue transfer presents a challenging problem to the reconstructive surgeon. For this reason, cross - leg flaps are still used in unusual circumstances. Advances in surgical technique has made the cross - leg free flap possible although it may require long operation time along with significant donor site morbidity. Therefore, a pedicled cross - leg muscle flap may be an alternative treatment modality when local flap or free flap is not possible. Methods: Twelve patients(9 males and 3 females) underwent the operation between October of 2001 and December of 2008. The patients' age ranged from 6 to 82 years. The unusual defects included the regions such as the knee, popliteal fossa, distal third of the tibia, dorsal foot, and the heel. Indications for the cross - leg gastrocnemius flap are inadequate recipient vessels for free flap(in eight cases), extensive soft tissue injuries(in three cases) and free flap failure(in one case). The muscle flap was elevated from contralateral leg and transferred to the soft tissue defect on the lower leg while both legs were immobilized with two connected external fixator systems. Delay procedure was performed 2 weeks postoperatively, and detachment was done after the establishment of the adequate circulation. The average period from the initial flap surgery to detachment was 32 days (3 to 6 weeks). Mean follow - up period was 4 years. Results: Stable coverage was achieved in all twelve patients without any flap complications. Donor site had minimal scarring without any functional and cosmetic problems. No severe complications such as deep vein thrombosis or flap necrosis were noted although mild to moderate contracture of the knee and ankle joint developed due to external fixation requiring 3 to 4 weeks of physical treatment. All patients were able to walk without crutches 3 months postoperatively. Conclusion: Although pedicled cross - leg flaps may not substitute free flap surgery, it may be an alternative method of treatment when free flap is not feasible. Using this modification of the gastrocnemius flap we managed to close successfully soft tissue defects in twelve patients without using free tissue transfers.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.49 no.1
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• pp.29-34
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• 2016

Background: Pectus excavatum (PE) and pectus carinatum (PC) are the most common chest wall deformities. In this study, we aimed to characterize how patients obtained information about these deformities, as well as patients' family history, associated medical problems, and postoperative satisfaction after the Nuss and Abramson procedures. Methods: This cross-sectional retrospective study included patients who were operated by a single surgeon between 2006 and 2013. Follow-up calls were made after approval of our institution's ethics committee. We reached 207 of the 336 PE patients (61.6%) and 73 of the 96 PC patients (76%). Results: The majority of the patients were male (85% of the PE patients and 91.8% of the PC patients). The age of diagnosis of PE was $14.52{\pm}0.51years$ and the age at the time of operation was $17.89{\pm}0.42years$; for PC patients, the corresponding ages were $15.23{\pm}0.55years$ and $16.77{\pm}0.55years$, respectively. A total of 70% of the PE patients and 63.8% of the PC patients obtained information about pectus deformities through the Internet. In 27.1% of the PE patients with an associated anomaly, 57.1% (n=13) had scoliosis, while 41.1% of the PC patients with an associated anomaly had kyphosis (n=5). Postoperative satisfaction, as evaluated on a scale from 0 to 10, was $8.17{\pm}0.15$ for PE patients and $8.37{\pm}0.26$ for PC patients. The postoperative pain duration was $51.93{\pm}5.18days$ for PE patients and $38.5{\pm}6.88days$ for PC patients. Conclusion: In this study, we found that most patients with pectus deformities were male. The Internet was an important resource for patients to learn about their deformities. Family history and associated anomalies were identified as important aspects for consideration in the clinical setting. The patients reported high levels of postoperative satisfaction, and pain management was found to be one of the most important elements of postoperative care.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.42 no.6
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• pp.719-724
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• 2009

Background: As the patients who undergo heart transplantation have achieved better survival in recent years, growing number of recipients are at a risk for experiencing surgical complications in addition to rejection and infection. In this paper, we report on our experience with the surgical complications that occurred in heart transplant recipients. Material and Method: From April 1994 to September 2003, 37 heart transplantations were performed at our center by a single surgeon. The indications for transplantation were dilated cardiomyopathy, ischemic cardiomyopathy, valvular cardiomyopathy and familial hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. Result: Twenty postoperative complications required surgeries in 15 patients (41%). The types of operations required were; redo-sternotomy for bleeding (5), pericardiostomy for effusion (4), implantation of a permanent pacemaker (1), right lower lobe lobectomy for aspergilloma (1), removal of urinary stone (1), cholecystectomy for gall bladder stone (1), drainage of a perianal abscess (1), paranasal sinus drainage (1), total hip replacement (1), partial gingivectomy due to gingival hypertrophy (1), urethrostomy (1), herniated intervertebral disc operation (1) and total hysterectomy for myoma uteri (1). The locations of the complications were mediastinal in 10 (27%) cases and extramediastihalin 10 (27%) cases. Conclusion: The relatively high incidence of extrathoracic complications associated with heart transplantation emphasizes the importance of a multidisciplinary approach to the improve long-term survival when managing those complex patients.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.42 no.6
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• pp.807-812
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• 2009

The late Professor Lee CB (1915~1967) was one of the pioneers in the early stages of thoracic surgery in Korea while he was in charge of the Department of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery at Seoul National University hospital as the first director from 1957 until he died of liver cancer in 1967. He was a graduate from the old Seoul National University, and he dedicated himself to the field of lung surgery after he joined the army during the Korean War, which broke out in 1950. Among his many contributions to pulmonary surgery, he performed the first partial lung resection in Korea in 1953. His lecture notes were recently found. These lecture notes for medical students were written by hand in late 1950s, Considering the content and form of the lecture notes, they are thought to have very significant historical value. The lecture notes were a total of 277 pages on general thoracic surgery and cardiovascular surgery with 75 self-drawn figures. This study was intended to facilitate a better understanding of the history of thoracic surgery in Korea, and especially for young thoracic surgeons. These notes may well contribute to the field of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery in Korea.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• v.30 no.7
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• pp.891-895
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• 2001

Objective : Although surgical clipping of intracranial aneurysm is the definite method of treatment, there remains a small number of patients in whom surgical clipping is not technically possible. In such difficult cases, surgeon has to consider other therapeutic alternatives. In this report, we analyze our aneurysmal cases treated by wrapping and coating method and evaluate their surgical outcome and follow-up results. Method : Among the total of 877 patients operated from 1990 to 1999 for intracranial aneurysms at our hospital, 40 cases(4.6%) were treated by wrapping and coating method. They included 24 cases of single ruptured aneurysms and 16 with unruptured ones in multiple aneurysms. Wrapping with temporalis muscle and/or muslin gauze and coating with bioadhesive agent such as fibrin glue were performed. Result : Wrapping and coating method was performed mostly to the anterior communicating artery aneurysm (35%), and mostly because of the broad-based neck of an aneurysm(43%). At the time of discharge, 30 out of 40 patients(80%) showed favourable outcome and three cases died. The patients were monitored for average of 37 months(3-75 months). Among 24 cases with single ruptured aneurysm, 4 cases(17%) had early rebleeding within 6 months from the initial hemorrhage, and such rebleeding occurred within the first postoperative month in 3 cases. However, there was no rebleeding after the 6 months. Among 16 patients whose aneurysms were unruptured ones, none of them showed bleeding episode. Conclusion : It seems likely that the wrapping and coating method would be some help to prevent the rebleeding of an intracranial aneurysm. In order to obtain more accurate results regarding the efficacy of such method, it will be necessary to perform a multi-center study for longer follow-up periods and various wrapping and coating materials.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• v.60 no.5
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• pp.597-603
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• 2017

Objective : Several surgical methods have been reported for treatment of ossification of the posterior longitudinal ligament (OPLL) in the thoracic spine. Despite rapid innovation of instruments and techniques for spinal surgery, the postoperative outcomes are not always favorable. This article reports a minimally invasive anterior decompression technique without instrumented fusion, which was modified from the conventional procedure. The authors present 2 cases of huge beak-type OPLL. Patients underwent minimally invasive anterior decompression without fusion. This method created a space on the ventral side of the OPLL without violating global thoracic spinal stability. Via this space, the OPLL and anterior lateral side of the dural sac can be seen and manipulated directly. Then, total removal of the OPLL was accomplished. No orthosis was needed. In this article, we share our key technique and concepts for treatment of huge thoracic OPLL. Methods : Case 1. 51-year-old female was referred to our hospital with right lower limb radiating pain and paresis. Thoracic OPLL at T6-7 had been identified at our hospital, and conservative treatment had been tried without success. Case 2. This 54-year-old female with a 6-month history of progressive gait disturbance and bilateral lower extremity radiating pain (right>left) was admitted to our institute. She also had hypoesthesia in both lower legs. Her symptoms had been gradually progressing. Computed tomography scans showed massive OPLL at the T9-10 level. Magnetic resonance imaging of the thoracolumbar spine demonstrated ventral bony masses with severe anterior compression of the spinal cord at the same level. Results : We used this surgical method in 2 patients with a huge beaked-type OPLL in the thoracic level. Complete removal of the OPLL via anterior decompression without instrumented fusion was accomplished. The 1st case had no intraoperative or postoperative complications, and the 2nd case had 1 intraoperative complication (dural tear) and no postoperative complications. There were no residual symptoms of the lower extremities. Conclusion : This surgical technique allows the surgeon to safely and effectively perform minimally invasive anterior decompression without instrumented fusion via a transthoracic approach for thoracic OPLL. It can be applied at the mid and lower level of the thoracic spine and could become a standard procedure for treatment of huge beak-type thoracic OPLL.

• Journal of Korean Foot and Ankle Society
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• v.24 no.4
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• pp.129-134
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• 2020

Purpose: This study compared the results of proximal and distal chevron osteotomy in patients with severe hallux valgus. Several recent studies have shown that the indications for distal metatarsal osteotomy with a distal soft-tissue procedure could be extended to include severe hallux valgus. Materials and Methods: This study analyzed 127 severe hallux valgus surgeries. Of these, 76 patients (76 feet) were excluded for lack of adequate follow-up and additional procedures (Akin procedure), leaving 51 patients (51 feet) in the study. The mean age of the patients was 58 years (21~83 years), and the mean follow-up duration was 18 months (12~32 months). The patients were divided into two groups. Group 1 underwent distal chevron osteotomy, and group 2 underwent proximal chevron osteotomy performed sequentially by a single surgeon. The patients were interviewed for the American Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society (AOFAS) score before and one year after surgery. The anteroposterior weight-bearing radiography of the foot was taken before and one year after surgery. Results: There were no significant differences in pain and function after one year in either group. Both groups experienced significant pain reduction and an increase in the AOFAS score. Significant improvement of the hallux valgus and intermetatarsal angle corrections was observed in both groups, and the sesamoid position was similar in each group. More improvement in radiographic correction of intermetatarsal angle was noted in group 2. Both procedures gave similar good clinical and radiological outcomes. Conclusion: This study suggests that a distal chevron osteotomy with a distal soft-tissue procedure is as effective and reliable a means of correcting severe hallux valgus as a proximal chevron osteotomy with a distal soft-tissue procedure.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• v.64 no.6
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• pp.933-943
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• 2021

Objective : Percutaneous pedicle screw (PPS) fixation is a needle based procedure that requires fluoroscopic image guidance. Consequently, radiation exposure is inevitable for patients, surgeons, and operation room staff. We hypothesize that reducing the production of radiation emission will result in reduced radiation exposure for everyone in the operation room. Research was performed to evaluate reduction of radiation exposure by modifying imaging manner and mode of radiation source. Methods : A total of 170 patients (680 screws) who underwent fusion surgery with PPS fixation from September 2019 to March 2020 were analyzed in this study. Personal dosimeters (Polimaster Ltd.) were worn at the collar outside a lead apron to measure radiation exposure. Patients were assigned to four groups based on imaging manner of fluoroscopy and radiation modification (pulse mode with reduced dose) : continuous use without radiation modification (group 1, n=34), intermittent use without radiation modification (group 2, n=54), continuous use with radiation modification (group 3, n=26), and intermittent use with radiation modification (group 4, n=56). Post hoc Tukey Honest significant difference test was used for individual comparisons of radiation exposure/screw and fluoroscopic time/screw. Results : The average radiation exposure/screw was 71.45±45.75 µSv/screw for group 1, 18.77±11.51 µSv/screw for group 2, 19.58±7.00 µSv/screw for group 3, and 4.26±2.89 µSv/screw for group 4. By changing imaging manner from continuous multiple shot to intermittent single shot, 73.7% radiation reduction was achieved in the no radiation modification groups (groups 1, 2), and 78.2% radiation reduction was achieved in the radiation modification groups (groups 3, 4). Radiation source modification from continuous mode with standard dose to pulse mode with reduced dose resulted in 72.6% radiation reduction in continuous imaging groups (groups 1, 3) and 77.3% radiation reduction in intermittent imaging groups (groups 2, 4). The average radiation exposure/screw was reduced 94.1% by changing imaging manner and modifying radiation source from continuous imaging with standard fluoroscopy setting (group 1) to intermittent imaging with modified fluoroscopy setting (group 4). A total of 680 screws were reviewed postoperatively, and 99.3% (675) were evaluated as pedicle breach grade 0 (<2 mm). Conclusion : The average radiation exposure/screw for a spinal surgeon can be reduced 94.1% by changing imaging manner and modifying radiation source from real-time imaging with standard dose to intermittent imaging with modified dose. These modifications can be instantly applied to any procedure using fluoroscopic guidance and may reduce the overall radiation exposure of spine surgeons.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• v.62 no.5
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• pp.561-566
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• 2019

Objective : Functional outcomes have traditionally been evaluated and compared using subjective surveys, such as visual analog scores (VAS), the Oswestry disability index (ODI), and Short Form-36 (SF-36), to assess symptoms and quality of life. However, these surveys are limited by their subjective natures and inherent bias caused by differences in patient perceptions of symptoms. The Fitbit $Charge^{(R)}$ (Fitbit Inc., San Francisco, CA, USA) provides accurate and objective measures of physical activity. The use of this device in patients after laminectomy would provide objective physical measures that define ambulatory function, activity level, and degree of recovery. Therefore, the present study was conducted to identify relationships between the number of steps taken by patients per day and VAS pain scores, prognoses, and postoperative functional outcomes. Methods : We prospectively investigated 22 consecutive patients that underwent laminectomy for spinal stenosis or a herniated lumbar disc between June 2015 and April 2016 by the same surgeon. When patients were admitted for surgery and first visited after surgery, preoperative and postoperative functional scores were recorded using VAS scores, ODI scores, and SF-36. The VAS scores and physical activities were recorded daily from postoperative day (POD) 1 to POD 7. The relationship between daily VAS scores and daily physical activities were investigated by simple correlation analysis and the relationship between mean number of steps taken and ODI scores after surgery was subjected to simple regression analysis. In addition, Wilcoxon's signed-rank test was used to investigate the significance of pre-to-postoperative differences in VAS, ODI, and SF-36 scores. Results : Pre-to-postoperative VAS (p<0.001), ODI (p<0.001), SF-36 mental composite scores (p=0.009), and SF-36 physical composite scores (p<0.001) scores were found to be significantly different. Numbers of steps taken from POD 1 to POD 7 were negatively correlated with daily VAS scores (r=-0.981, p<0.001). In addition, the mean number of steps from POD 3 to POD 7 and the decrease in ODI conducted one month after surgery were statistically significant (p=0.029). Conclusion : Wearable devices are not only being used increasingly by consumers as lifestyle devices, but are also progressively being used in the medical area. This is the first study to demonstrate the usefulness of a wearable device for checking patient physical activity and predicting pain and prognosis after laminectomy. Based on our experience, the wearable device used to provide measures of physical activity in the present study has the potential to provide objective information on pain severity and prognosis.

• Journal of Biomedical Engineering Research
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• v.40 no.3
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• pp.105-115
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• 2019

Brain tumor surgery may be difficult, but it is also incredibly important. The technological improvements for traditional brain tumor surgeries have always been a focus to improve the precision of surgery and release the potential of the technology in this important area of the body. The need for precision during brain tumor surgery has led to an increase in Robotic-assisted surgeries (RAS). One of the challenges to the widespread acceptance of RAS in the neurosurgery is to recognize invisible tumor accurately. Therefore, it is important to detect brain tumor size and location because surgeon tries to remove as much tumor as possible. In this paper, we proposed brain tumor detection procedures for MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging) system. A method of automatic brain tumor detection is needed to accurately target the location of the lesion during brain tumor surgery and to report the location and size of the lesion. In the qualitative assessment, the proposed method showed better results than those obtained with other brain tumor detection methods. Comparisons among all assessment criteria indicated that the proposed method was significantly superior to the threshold method with respect to all assessment criteria. The proposed method was effective for detecting brain tumor.