Dohun Kim

Acute aortic dissection in pregnancy with the marfan syndrome.

Acute aortic dissection (AAD) during pregnancy can be fatal to both the pregnant mother and the baby, particularly in patients with the Marfan syndrome. We report a case of the modified Bentall procedure in surgery for AAD in a 31-year-old pregnant woman at 24 weeks of gestation with the Marfan syndrome. The patient recovered well after the operation, but unfortunately, the fetus could not be saved.

Response Evaluation after Neoadjuvant Chemoradiation by Positron Emission Tomography-Computed Tomography for Esophageal Squamous Cell Carcinoma

PURPOSE Parameters of positron emission tomography-computed tomography (PET-CT) were compared with the results of histopathologic examination in order to determine which can provide an objective indication of response after neoadjuvant chemoradiation for treatment of thoracic esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (SCC). MATERIALS AND METHODS Between August 2003 and January 2010, data on 25 patients who underwent neoadjuvant chemoradiation and subsequent resection for treatment of esophageal SCC were retrospectively reviewed. Changes in maximum standardized uptake value (ΔSUVmax), metabolic tumor volume (ΔMTV), and total lesion glycolysis (ΔTLG) were analyzed by comparison with the histopathologic findings. RESULTS Pathologic complete remission (CR) for the main tumor was achieved in 11 patients. Postradiation esophagitis was observed in 10 patients. ΔSUVmax of the main tumor was significantly greater in the CR group than in the partial response (PR) group (p=0.039), while ΔMTV and ΔTLG of the main tumor were not (p=0.141 and p=0.349, respectively). The cut-off ΔSUVmax value for CR was estimated as 72.1%, indicating significantly better accuracy than visual interpretation (p=0.045). Of the 48 involved lymph nodes, ΔSUVmax and ΔMTV of lymph nodes were significantly greater in the CR group than in the PR group (p=0.045 and p=0.014, respectively), while ΔTLG was not (p=0.063). The cut-off value of ΔSUVmax for prediction of CR in lymph nodes was calculated as 50.67%. CONCLUSION PET-CT could be used for prediction of response to neoadjuvant treatment in thoracic esophageal SCC. ΔSUVmax may be a more significant predictor for CR after neoadjuvant chemoradiation than ΔTLG and ΔMTV.

Chyle leakage patterns and management after oncologic esophagectomy: A retrospective cohort study

This study aims to evaluate the incidence and characteristics of chyle leakage after curative oncologic esophagectomy, and the effectiveness of thoracic duct ligation.

Primary Pulmonary Amyloidosis with Mediastinal Lymphadenopathy

We report a case of inadvertent hoarseness after surgery for primary pulmonary amyloidosis. A 55-year-old male was transferred to our facility due to a lung mass. Chest computed tomography revealed a solitary pulmonary nodule. Positron emission tomography–computed tomography showed fluorodeoxyglucose uptake in the main mass and in the mediastinal lymph nodes. To confirm the pathology of the mass, wedge resection and thorough lymph node dissection were performed via video-assisted thoracic surgery (VATS). No complications except for hoarseness were observed; hoarseness developed soon after surgery and lasted for 3 months. The main mass was diagnosed as amyloidosis, but this was not found in the lymph nodes. In conclusion, VATS wedge resection for peripheral amyloidosis is a feasible and safe procedure. However, mediastinal lymph node dissection is not recommended unless there is evidence of a clear benefit.

Unintended Pulmonary Artery Ligation during PDA Ligation

A 10-day-old boy was transferred to our hospital due to tachypnea. Patent ductus arteriosus (PDA), 4.8 mm in diameter, with small ASD was diagnosed on echocardiography. Surgical ligation of the ductus was performed after failure of three cycles of ibuprofen. However, the ductus remained open on routine postoperative echocardiography on the second postoperative day, and chest CT revealed inadvertent ligation of the left pulmonary artery (LPA) rather than the PDA. Emergent operation successfully reopened the clipped LPA and ligated the ductus on the same (second postoperative) day.Mechanical ventilator support was weaned on postoperative day 21, and the baby was discharged on postoperative day 47 with a normal left lung shadow.

Mediastinal Paraganglioma: Complete Resection Using Video-Assisted Thoracoscopic Surgery

Mediastinal paragangliomas are very rare neuroendocrine tumors. Complete resection is the standard treatment of a paraganglioma because of the tumors potential malignancy and poor response to chemo- or radiotherapy. However, the highly vascular nature of the tumor and its characteristic anatomic location make complete resection difficult. We report a case of an anterior mediastinal paraganglioma, which was incidentally found on a chest computed tomography scan for chronic cough work-up of a 55-year-old woman. Complete resection was accomplished using video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery, and the patient recovered without any complications.

Rapid growing huge teratoma: complete surgical resection.

We report successful total resection of a huge mediastinal teratoma. An 11-year-old male underwent chest computed tomography that revealed a 14-cm mediastinal mass occupying the right thoracic cavity. The mass was successfully removed without any postoperative postoperative complication.

The Effects of a Culturally Tailored, Patient-Centered Psychosocial Intervention in South Korean Cancer Survivors:

This study aimed to develop a culturally tailored, patient-centered psychosocial intervention program and to investigate the effects of the program on health-related quality of life, sleep disturbance, and depression in cancer survivors. This was a one-group pretest and posttest design. A total of 19 cancer survivors participated in the program. The program was designed to have an 8-week duration with one class per week. Every class was composed of a 90-min education session and a 90-min exercise. Among the health-related quality of life subscales, the scores of global health status/quality of life, physical functioning, and emotional functioning at posttest were statistically increased than those at pretest. Fatigue scores significantly decreased, whereas no changes were observed in sleep disturbance or depression scores. The findings of this study suggested that a culturally tailored, patient-centered psychosocial intervention could be applied in clinical settings to improve health-related quality of life in cancer survivors.

Psychological Problems of Pneumothorax According to Resilience, Stress, and Post-Traumatic Stress

Objective The aims of the study were to investigate psychological distress in pneumothorax patients. Methods A cohort study was performed in 101 patients with spontaneous pneumothorax. They were divided into three groups: (A) under 19 years old, (B) those of an intermediate age, and (C) over 45 years old. General well-being [Psychological Wellbeing Index-Short Form (PWI-SF)], traumatic event [Impact of Event Scale (IES)], and resilience [Life Orientation Test-Revised (LOT-R)] were assessed. Results There were 35 patients in Group A, 51 in B, and 15 in C. The mean length of hospital stay was five days in all patients. The overall recurrence rate after surgery was 8%. All patients were under severe stress and reported an average PWI-SF score of 39. The IES score was 27, which did not meet the criteria for post-traumatic stress disorder but was higher in Group C than in the other groups (p=0.02). Age and operation were significant factors for a high IES, but age was the only significant factor according to multivariate analysis. Conclusion Pneumothorax patients may be at high risk for severe stress. Moreover, post-traumatic stress was higher in elderly patients. Actions to reduce the psychological problems in these patients are required.

What is difficult about doing video-assisted thoracic surgery (VATS)? A retrospective study comparing VATS anatomical resection and conversion to thoracotomy for lung cancer in a university-based hospital

Background To analyze causes and clinical outcomes of conversion to thoracotomy during video-assisted thoracic surgery (VATS) anatomical resection for patients with non-small cell lung cancer. Methods A total of 245 consecutive pulmonary resections were performed from January 2013 to July 2016 at Chungbuk National University Hospital. Patients who underwent curative, anatomical resection for lung cancer were included in the study. Preoperative basal characteristics, functional factors, radiologic findings and clinical outcomes were compared between converted and non-converted patients. Results Of the 245 patients, 91 (benign disease) and 17 (non-anatomical resection) were excluded from the study. Of the 137 remaining patients, 51 (37%) who received anatomical resection via VATS and 38 (28%) via conversion to thoracotomy were included in the study, but 48 (35%) with planned thoracotomy were excluded. Gender, previous medical history, American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) score, body mass index (BMI) and forced expiratory volume for 1 second (FEV1) were not different between the two groups. However, age (P<0.01), enlarged lymph node by chest computed tomography (P=0.04), lesion fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) uptake except main mass by positron emission tomography with computed tomography (P=0.01) (P<0.01), and tumor location (P=0.03) were significantly different between groups. Multivariate analysis showed patient age [odds ratio (OR), 1.06; P=0.04] and tumor location (OR, 2.71; P=0.03) were predicted conversion to thoracotomy. Converted patients showed a trend for longer duration of thoracic drainage, longer hospital stays and higher blood loss, but operation time (P<0.01) was the only statistically different factor between patient groups. Conclusions Elderly patients, in particular if their lung mass was located in the middle or lower lobe, may be likely to convert to thoracotomy during VATS anatomical resection for lung cancer. These factors can help determine surgical approach, especially when surgeons are not familiar with VATS.