Esophagogastirc Anastomosis: Analysis of Postoperative Morbidity and Mortality / 대한흉부외과학회지

BACKGROUND: After an esophageal resection for an esophageal disease, the stomach becomes the most common organ for a substitute. The stomach has the advantages of being simple with fewer complications when used properly. The complications of an esophageal reconstruction using the stomach as the substitute are assessed and discussed. MATERIAL AND METHOD: Between 1990 and 1998, 44 patients who underwent esophagogastric anastomosis were treated in the department of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery of Yongdong Severance Hospital, Seoul, Korea. RESULT: The rate of postoperative complications and mortality in these 44 patients were 70.5% and 13.6%, respectively. The major complications in our series involved the stricture of anastomosis(13.6%), pneumonia(11.4%), and wound infection(9.1%). The most frequent causes of postoperative deaths were pulmonary complications and sepsis(6.8%). CONCLUSION: Anastomotic leakage is no longer a major complication of an esophagogastrostomy. Most postoperative stricture can be overcome with frequent esophageal dilations. Postoperative pulmonary infection, nutrition, and physiotherapy are very important in reducing the rate of pulmonary morbidity and mortality.

Intermuscular Hematoma in Esophagus: without Tearing / 대한흉부외과학회지

Spontanous hematoma of the esophagus is a rare condition affecting middle aged or elderly women. We experienced one case of esophageal hematoma which attracted our attention due to its confusing presentation clinically. The pathogenesis has been in dispute so far. The diagnosis has traditionally been made by barium esophagogram. We proved the diagnosis of spontaneous hematoma of the esophagus by utilizing CT scan and MRI. This condition led to conservative treatment and full recovery ultimately, but we performed the surgical correction because the filling defect persisted and the dysphagia got worse on the 20th day of hospital stay. Hematoma was located between the inner layer of circular muscle and the outer layer of longitudinal muscle which we considered as intermuscular hematoma of the esophagus.

Clipping of T2 Sympathetic Chain Block for Essential Hyperhidrosis / 대한흉부외과학회지

BACKGROUND: A definitive cure for an essential hyperhidrosis can be obtained by an upper thoracic sympathectomy. However, this is offset by the occurrence of a compensatory hyper hidrosis as a side effect and it is irreversible. We performed a thoracoscopic sympathetic chain block using an endoscopic clip in order to avoid the compensatory hyperhidrosis. MATERIAL AND METHOD: From Aug. 1998 to Nov. 1998, 42 cases of thoracoscopic clipping of the T2 sympathetic chain were performed. The sympathetic chain was clipped using an endoscopic clip instead of cutting. RESULT: Bilateral procedure took less than 40 minutes and occasionally necessitated one night in the hospital. There were no mortality nor life- threatening complications. Horners syndrome occurred in two cases. At the end of postoperative follow-up(median 3 months), 95.0% of the patients were satisfied with the results. Compensatory sweating occurred in 31 cases(77.5%) where nine of those cases were classified as either embarrassing(6 cases-15.0%) or disabling(3 cases-7.5%). CONCLUSION: Endoscopic thoracic T2 sympathetic chain block using endoscopic clipping is an efficient, safe and minimally invasive surgical method for the treatment of palmar and craniofacial hyperhidrosis and the results were similar to those underwent T2 sympathicotomy. We recommend that patients receive endoscopic sympathetic chain block in summer.

Hyperhidrosis Treated by Thoracoscopic Sympathicotomy / 대한흉부외과학회지

BACKGROUND: Hyperhidrosis of the palms, axillae and face has a strong negative impact on social and professional life. The present existing non-operative therapeutic options seldom give sufficient relief and have a transient effect. A definitive cure can be obtained by upper thoracic sympathectomy. However, this is offset by the occurrence of a high rate of side effects, such as embarrassing compensatory sweating. MATERIAL AND METHOD: From Sep. 1997 to Feb. 1998, 89 cases of the needle(2 mm) thoracoscopic thoracic sympathicotomy were performed. The second thoracic ganglion was resected by cutting with a endoscissors. RESULT: A bilateral procedure takes less than 25 min and requires just one night in hospital. There have been no mortality or life-threatening complications. One patient(<2%) required intercostal drainage because of pneumothorax. Primary failure occurred in one cases(<2%) and recurrent hyperhidrosis occurred in no cases. The patients with failure was successfully re-sympathicotomy. At the end of postoperative follow-up(median 3 months), 96.6% of the patients were satisfied. Compensatory sweating occurred in 57 cases(64.0%) with fourteen of those cases classified as either embarrassing in 10 cases(11.2%) or disabling in 4 cases(4.5%). CONCLUSION: Endoscopic transthoracic sympathicotomy is an efficient, safe and minimally invasive surgical method for the treatment of palmar and craniofacial hyperhidrosis.

According to Extent of Sympathectomy, Compensatory Hyperhidrosis in Essential Hyperhidrosis / 대한흉부외과학회지

BACKGROUND: Since 1992, we developed the technique for video endoscopic sympathectomy to treat palmar hyperhidrosis. It was soon proven to be a simple and effective therapy for essential hyperhidrosis. Compensatory hyperhidrosis, however, is the main cause of patient dissatisfaction after video-assisted thoracoscopic sympathectomy. According to many authors, initial satisfaction rate was high(94-98%), but it was declined with time (66%) due to mainly to embarrassing side effects. MATERIAL AND METHOD: From January 1992 to February 1998, the thoracoscopic T2 sympathicotomy, T2 sympathectomy and T2-4 sympathectomy were performed in 315 patients suffering from Essential hyperhidrosis in the Department of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery in the Respiratory Center of Yongdong Severance Hospital Seoul, Korea. Eighty-nine patients underwent T2 sympathicotomy, and Eighty-eight patients underwent division T2 sympathectomy. RESULT: All of the treated patients obtained satisfactory alleviation of essential hyperhidrosis. The global rate of compensatory sweating were ; 64.0% in T2 sympathicotomy, 73.8% in T2 sympathectomy and 87.8% in T2-4 sympathectomy. The rate of embarrassing or disabling compensatory sweating was significantly higher in T2 sympathicotomy 15.7%(14/89) and in T2 sympathectomy 32.8%(28/88) than in T2-4 sympathectomy 58.0%(80/138) with significancy in statistic analysis(p<0.05). Video- assisted thoracoscopic sympathectomy is an effective minimally invasive and effective procedure. CONCLUSION: We suggest that the incidence and degree of compensatory hyperhidrosis was closely related to the extent of thoracic sympathectomy.

Pulmonary Infarction of Left Lower Lobe after Left Upper Lobe Lobectomy: 1 case report / 대한흉부외과학회지

The remaining lung infarction is a rare but life-threatening complication after a thoracic operation and trauma. We report a case of this rare complication after the left upper lobectomy due to pulmonary aspergilloma. The infarction of the remaining left lower lobe occurred due to kinking of the pulmonary vessels after the left upper lobectomy and the completion pneumonectomy was performed in the post-operative second day. Therefore, prompt diagnosis and treatment may be necessary to prevent morbidity and mortality associated with pulmonary infarction from torsion of pulmonary artery and vein.

Chest Wall Implantation of Lung Cancer after Fine Needle Aspiration Biopsy: 2 cases / 대한흉부외과학회지

Implantation of malignant cells along the needle aspiration tract is an extremely rare potential complication following a percutaneous fine needle aspiration biopsy of a lung carcinoma. The dissemination of malignant cells by a needle aspiration biopsy may convert an operable and potentially curable lesion into a fatal disease. We report two cases of chest wall implantation of carcinoma of the lung after a thin needle aspiration biopsy. A fifty-five year old male was successfully treated by a radical full-thickness excision of the chest wall and immediate reconstruction with the latissimus dorsi musculocutaneous island flap. A sixty-eight year old female was treated with a partial-thickness excision of the chest wall and skin graft due to superimposed infection and ulceration of the metastatic chest wall carcinoma. One case lived for 31 months up to November 1994, and the other's condtion has been uneventful for 3 months up to now.