A Comparative Study of a Sternum-Sparing Procedure and Clamshell Incision in Bilateral Lung Transplantation

Purpose@#Clamshell incision offers excellent exposure and access to the pleural spaces and is a standard incision for lung transplantation. However, due to its high sternal complication rate, the clamshell incision is considered a procedure that requires improvement. In this study, we aimed to investigate the outcomes of transverse sternotomy with clamshell incision in comparison to sternum-sparing bilateral anterolateral thoracotomy (BAT). @*Materials and Methods@#In total, 134 bilateral sequential lung transplants were performed from May 2013 to June 2022. The clamshell incision was used between May 2013 and December 2017, and the BAT was introduced in January 2018. Thirty-four patients underwent clamshell surgery, and 100 patients underwent BAT. We retrospectively compared patient characteristics and perioperative and postoperative outcomes between the two groups. @*Results@#The clamshell group required an operation time of 745.18±101.76 min, which was significantly longer than that of the BAT group at 669.90±134.09 min (p=0.003). The mechanical ventilation period after surgery was 17.26±16.04 days in the clamshell group, significantly longer than the 11.35±12.42 days in the BAT group (p=0.028). Intensive care unit stay was also significantly longer in the clamshell group (21.54±15.23 days vs. 15.03±14.28 days; p=0.033). In-hospital mortality rates were 26.5% in the clamshell group and 22.0% in the BAT group. @*Conclusion@#Less-invasive lung transplantation via sternum-sparing BAT is a safe procedure with low morbidity and favorable outcomes. Preventing sternal instability enables more stable breathing after surgery, earlier weaning from mechanical ventilation, and faster recovery to routine activities.

Rescue Technique for Malposition Caused by Mislabeled Stent Graft in Thoracic Aneurysm

The aim of this paper is to report a salvage treatment for malpositioned stent graft due to mislabeled product during thoracic endovascular aortic repair (TEVAR) in descending thoracic aneurysm (DTA). A 78-year-old male presented with 6.7×4.1 cm sized saccular DTA and 7.1×7.3 cm sized abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA). DTA was initially treated by TEVAR and 2 months later AAA was treated by open aortic repair. Unfortunately, although the stent graft was correctly labeled for DTA, the actual size of product wrapped in a box was different contrary to our expectations. On completion angiography, proximal sealing zone showed no endoleak, however, celiac trunk and superior mesenteric artery (SMA) was found to be accidentally occluded. Through an emergent thoracotomy, distal part of stent graft was removed by cutting distal segment of stent graft and pulling out maneuver to restore blood flow. The completion angiography presented no endoleak, and celiac trunk and SMA were secured. Cutting distal segment of stent graft and pulling out maneuver is one of feasible rescue technique to maintain blood flow of occluded celiac trunk during TEVAR.

Validity of Outcome Prediction Scoring Systems in Korean Patients with Severe Adult Respiratory Distress Syndrome Receiving Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation Therapy

Recently, several prognostic scoring systems for patients with severe acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) requiring extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) have been published. The aim of this study was to validate the established scoring systems for outcome prediction in Korean patients. We retrospectively reviewed the data of 50 patients on ECMO therapy in our center from 2012 to 2014. A calculation of outcome prediction scoring tools was performed and the comparison across various models was conducted. In our study, the overall hospital survival was 46% and successful weaning rate was 58%. The Predicting Death for Severe ARDS on V-V ECMO (PRESERVE) score showed good discrimination of mortality prediction for patients on ECMO with AUC of 0.80 (95% CI 0.66-0.90). The respiratory extracorporeal membrane oxygenation survival prediction (RESP) score and simplified acute physiology score (SAPS) II score also showed fair prediction ability with AUC of 0.79 (95% CI 0.65-0.89) and AUC of 0.78 (95% CI 0.64-0.88), respectively. However, the ECMOnet score failed to predict mortality with AUC of 0.51 (95% CI 0.37-0.66). When evaluating the predictive accuracy according to optimal cut-off point of each scoring system, RESP score had a best specificity of 91.3% and 66.7% of sensitivity, respectively. This study supports the clinical usefulness of the prognostic scoring tools for severe ARDS with ECMO therapy when applying to the Korean patients receiving ECMO.

Thrombotic Complications during Interventional Lung Assist: Case Series / 결핵및호흡기질환

Interventional lung assist (iLA) effectively reduces CO2 retention and allows protective ventilation in cases of life-threatening hypercapnia. Despite the clinical efficacy of iLA, there are a few major limitations associated with the use of this approach, such as bleeding, thrombosis, and catheter-related limb ischemia. We presented two cases in which thrombotic complications developed during iLA. We demonstrated the two possible causes of thrombotic complications during iLA; stasis due to low blood flow and inadequate anticoagulation.

Clinical Characteristics of Respiratory Extracorporeal Life Support in Elderly Patients with Severe Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome / 대한중환자의학회지

BACKGROUND: Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) strategy is proposed to reduce the ventilator-induced lung injury in acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). As ECMO use has increased, a number of studies on prognostic factors have been published. Age is estimated to be an important prognostic factor. However, clinical evidences about ECMO use in elderly patients are limited. Therefore, we investigated clinical courses and outcomes of ECMO in elderly patients with ARDS. METHODS: We reviewed medical records of patients with severe ARDS who required ECMO support. Study patients were classified into an elderly group (> or = 65 years) and a non-elderly group (< 65 years). Baseline characteristics, ECMO related outcomes and associated factors were retrospectively analyzed according to group. RESULTS: From February 2011 to June 2013, a total of 31 patients with severe ARDS were treated with ECMO. Overall, 14 (45.2%) were weaned from ECMO, 9 (29.0%) survived to the general ward and 7 (22.6%) survived to discharge. Among the 18 elderly group patients, 7 (38.9%) were weaned from ECMO, 4 (22.2%) were survived to the general ward and 2 (11.1%) were survived to discharge. Overall intensive care unit survival was inversely correlated with concomitant acute kidney injury or septic shock. CONCLUSIONS: In this study, ECMO outcome was poor in severe ARDS patients aged over 65 years. Therefore, the routine use of ECMO in elderly patients with severe ARDS is not warranted except in highly selective cases.

Clinical Characteristics of Respiratory Extracorporeal Life Support in Elderly Patients with Severe Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome / 대한구급학회지

BACKGROUND: Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) strategy is proposed to reduce the ventilator-induced lung injury in acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). As ECMO use has increased, a number of studies on prognostic factors have been published. Age is estimated to be an important prognostic factor. However, clinical evidences about ECMO use in elderly patients are limited. Therefore, we investigated clinical courses and outcomes of ECMO in elderly patients with ARDS. METHODS: We reviewed medical records of patients with severe ARDS who required ECMO support. Study patients were classified into an elderly group (> or = 65 years) and a non-elderly group (< 65 years). Baseline characteristics, ECMO related outcomes and associated factors were retrospectively analyzed according to group. RESULTS: From February 2011 to June 2013, a total of 31 patients with severe ARDS were treated with ECMO. Overall, 14 (45.2%) were weaned from ECMO, 9 (29.0%) survived to the general ward and 7 (22.6%) survived to discharge. Among the 18 elderly group patients, 7 (38.9%) were weaned from ECMO, 4 (22.2%) were survived to the general ward and 2 (11.1%) were survived to discharge. Overall intensive care unit survival was inversely correlated with concomitant acute kidney injury or septic shock. CONCLUSIONS: In this study, ECMO outcome was poor in severe ARDS patients aged over 65 years. Therefore, the routine use of ECMO in elderly patients with severe ARDS is not warranted except in highly selective cases.

Castleman's Disease with Myasthenia Gravis

Castleman's disease is a rare disorder characterized by benign tumors that may develop in the lymph node tissue throughout the body. Castleman's disease associated with myasthenia gravis is an especially rare disease. Only less than 10 cases have been reported in the world literature. The cause of Castleman's disease is associated with immune mediated reaction, and myasthenia gravis also develops due to an antibody-mediated process. The cause of myasthenia gravis is the immune activity of Castleman's disease, which may be the promoter of the antibody-mediated process. We report here a case of Castleman's disease, which was incidentally found in a patient diagnosed with myasthenia gravis.

Clinical Study of the Treatments for Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm; Comparison between the Retroperitoneal and Transperitoneal Approaches / 대한흉부외과학회지

BACKGROUND: The principal surgical technique for treating an abdominal aortic aneurysm since the 1960s has been the transperitoneal approach, yet there have been some recent studies that have reported improved surgical results with using the retroperitoneal approach. However, there are only limited clinical Korean studies that have, compared between the transperitoneal and retroperitoneal approaches. MATERIAL AND METHOD: This study included 36 patients who had been diagnosed as having an aneurysm of the abdominal aorta and they were surgically treated between January 2001 and July 2007. The patients were subdivided into the retroperitoneal approach group (n=17) and the transperitoneal approach group (n=19), and they were compared in terms of the preoperative risk factors, the postoperative complications and the operative mortality. The risk factors of operative mortality risk and long-term survival for the 36 patients were assessed by the Kaplan-Meier method. RESULT: There were no significant differences between the groups in terms of gender, age, the underlying disease, a history of smoking, rupture of aneurysm, the preoperative symptoms, the operation time and the incidence of postoperative complications. However, the duration of postoperative fasting, the number of days of having an indwelling nasogastric tube and the length of the stay in the intensive care unit were significantly short for the retroperitoneal approach group (p or =1.8 mg/dL, p=0.016) and ruptured aneurysm (p<0.001) were the significant risk factors of operative mortality. As assessed by the Kaplan-Meier method, the long-term survival was comparable between the groups and the five-year survival rate of all the patients was 57.5%. CONCLUSION: In the present study, a retroperitoneal approach has several advantages such as a shorter intensive care unit stay, a shorter duration of postoperative fasting and a shorter duration of an indwelling nasogastric tube. Therefore, unless there is any contraindication for a retroperitoneal approach, it could be considered as a primary surgical access for repairing an abdominal aortic aneurysm.

Treatment of Subclavian Vein Thrombosis: Medial Claviculectomy and Internal Jugular Vein Transposition / 대한흉부외과학회지

Subclavian vein thrombosis in thoracic outlet syndrome is an uncommon disease. Thrombolysis, venoplasty with a balloon and stent insertion are needed for treating this condition. Sometimes, trans-axillary first rib resection is also needed. We report here on a case of subclavian vein thrombosis that was successfully treated with the medial calviculectomy, internal jugular vein transposition and stent insertion.

Salmonella Osteomyelitis of the Sternoclavicular Joint Mimicking Tuberculosis in an Otherwise Healthy Person / 대한임상미생물학회지

Osteomyelitis caused by Salmonella Typhi is rare in an otherwise healthy person. Here, we describe a case of Salmonella osteomyelitis in a sternoclavicular joint mimicking malignancy or tuberculosis, in an immunocompetent patient. Salmonella infection should be included in the differential diagnosis of osteomyelitis, especially in patients with a previous history of diarrhea.