Results of treatment for mediastinal tumors by video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) in Viet Duc Hospital

Background: Video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) is a now new, effective approach in diagnosis and treatment of thoracic diseases. Objective: To summarize and evaluate the results of VATS for mediastinal tumors. Subjects and method: A retrospective study included patients with mediastinal tumors who performed VATS in Viet Duc Hospital from March 2006 to August 2007. The measurements about age, sex, hospital-admitted reasons, tumor\u2019s size and location, outcomes and complications were analysed. Results: There were sixteen patients, included 9 males and 7 females. The patients\ufffd?average age was 35.3 years (ranged from 16 to 72 years). Clinical characteristics of mediastinal tumors were chest pain (11 cases), trouble breathing (4 cases), cough (2 cases). CT scanner detected mediastinal tumors in all patients (16 cases). Pathologically, 15 patients had benign tumors and only one had malignant tumor. The average time for postoperative drainage withdrawal was 3.0625 days (ranged from 2 to 5 days). The average time of hospital stay was 5 days (ranged from 3 to 11 days). There was no postoperative complication. Conclusion: VATS for mediastinal tumors obtained good outcomes. This was a selective method with many advantages for mediastinal tumors.

Assessing the emergency situation for peripheral vascular wounds/trauma in Viet Duc Hospital from 2004 to 2006

Background: peripheral vascular wounds/trauma is a severe type of surgical emergency, the increasing rate due to the rapid increase of traffic, labor and living accidents. Subjectives and Method: retrospective study, all patients with peripheral vascular wounds/traumas (alone or combination in multiple trauma) were emergency operated at Viet Duc Hospital from January 2004 to June 2006. Results: A total of 310 patients with peripheral vascular injuries in the study, of which accounted for 62.3% of injury, trauma group accounted for 37.7%. The mean age of 30. In first aid, pressed tape accounted for high rate (71.5%). Rate of popliteal vascular trauma due to fractures around the knee accounted for 65.5%, the rate of brachial vascular trauma with fractures around the elbow was 50%. Rate of late diagnosis of arterial trauma was 14.6%, higher than the arterial wounds (2.6%). The rate of ultrasound for forelimbs - where vessels were many wounds, was lower than that for hindlimbs - where vessels were many traumas (44% vs 67.9%). For vascular wounds, more directly vascular connection and more intervention on veins, whereas, for arterial trauma, more vascular graft. Rate of complications was low (7.4%), with no deaths. Conclusions: Overall, the results of emergency surgery for peripheral vascular wounds/trauma were well. No cases was death from vascular lesions, rate of complications was low.