A Giant Pseudo-Aneurysm on the Anastomosis Site for a Redo Bentall Operation due to Behçet Disease Treated by Thoracic Endovascular Aortic Aneurysm Repair with a Custom-Made Stent Graft

A 34-year-old man who had undergone aortic valve replacement 8 years ago underwent an additional Bentall operation due to mechanical valve dehiscence 2 years later. Subsequently, he was diagnosed with Behçet disease and Batter syndrome. A week after being hospitalized again due to chest pain and dyspnea, a large pseudo-aneurysm was detected on computed tomography. Because of the excessively large size of the pseudo-aneurysm, surgical treatment seemed very risky. Therefore, we planned to perform thoracic endovascular aortic repair (TEVAR) and treated him successfully. However, the patient experienced recurrence of the same symptoms 4 months later, and was found to have type IV endoleak.He received a TEVAR procedure again, and it was successful.

The Effect of Pulsatile Versus Nonpulsatile Blood Flow on Viscoelasticity and Red Blood Cell Aggregation in Extracorporeal Circulation

BACKGROUND: Extracorporeal circulation (ECC) can induce alterations in blood viscoelasticity and cause red blood cell (RBC) aggregation. In this study, the authors evaluated the effects of pump flow pulsatility on blood viscoelasticity and RBC aggregation. METHODS: Mongrel dogs were randomly assigned to two groups: a nonpulsatile pump group (n=6) or a pulsatile pump group (n=6). After ECC was started at a pump flow rate of 80 mL/kg/min, cardiac fibrillation was induced. Blood sampling was performed before and at 1, 2, and 3 hours after ECC commencement. To eliminate bias induced by hematocrit and plasma, all blood samples were adjusted to a hematocrit of 45% using baseline plasma. Blood viscoelasticity, plasma viscosity, hematocrit, arterial blood gas analysis, central venous O2 saturation, and lactate were measured. RESULTS: The blood viscosity and aggregation index decreased abruptly 1 hour after ECC and then remained low during ECC in both groups, but blood elasticity did not change during ECC. Blood viscosity, blood elasticity, plasma viscosity, and the aggregation index were not significantly different in the groups at any time. Hematocrit decreased abruptly 1 hour after ECC in both groups due to dilution by the priming solution used. CONCLUSION: After ECC, blood viscoelasticity and RBC aggregation were not different in the pulsatile and nonpulsatile groups in the adult dog model. Furthermore, pulsatile flow did not have a more harmful effect on blood viscoelasticity or RBC aggregation than nonpulsatile flow.

Right Heart Failure during Veno-Venous Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation for H1N1 Induced Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome: Case Report and Literature Review

A 38-year-old male was admitted with symptoms of upper respiratory infection. Despite medical treatment, his symptoms of dyspnea and anxiety became aggravated, and bilateral lung infiltration was noted on radiological imaging studies. His hypoxemia failed to improve even after the application of endotracheal intubation with mechanical ventilator care, and we therefore decided to initiate venovenous extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (VV ECMO) for additional pulmonary support. On his twentieth day of hospitalization, hypotension and desaturation (arterial saturated oxygen <85%) developed, and right ventricular failure was confirmed by two-dimensional echocardiography. Therefore, we changed from VV ECMO to venoarteriovenous (VAV) ECMO, and the patient ultimately recovered. In this case, right ventricular dysfunction and volume overloading were induced by long-term VV ECMO therapy, and we successfully treated these conditions by changing to VAV ECMO.

Comparison of Extracorporeal Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation with Conventional Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation: Is Extracorporeal Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation Beneficial?

BACKGROUND: With improvements in cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) techniques, the quality and the effectiveness of CPR have been established; nevertheless, the survival rate after cardiac arrest still remains poor. Recently, many reports have shown good outcomes in cases where extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) was used during prolonged CPR. Accordingly, we attempted to evaluate the impact of extracorporeal cardiopulmonary resuscitation (ECPR) on the survival of patients who experienced a prolonged cardiac arrest and compared it with that of conventional CPR (CCPR). METHODS: Between March 2009 and April 2014, CPR, including both in-hospital and out-of-hospital CPR, was carried out in 955 patients. The ECPR group, counted from the start of the ECPR program in March 2010, included 81 patients in total, and the CCPR group consisted of 874 patients. All data were retrospectively collected from the patients' medical records. RESULTS: The return of spontaneous circulation (ROSC) rate was 2.24 times better in CPR of in-hospital cardiac arrest (IHCA) patients than in CPR of out-of-hospital CA (OHCA) patients (p=0.0012). For every 1-minute increase in the CPR duration, the ROSC rate decreased by 1% (p=0.0228). Further, for every 10-year decrease in the age, the rate of survival discharge increased by 31%. The CPR of IHCA patients showed a 2.49 times higher survival discharge rate than the CPR of OHCA patients (p=0.03). For every 1-minute increase in the CPR duration, the rate of survival discharge was decreased by 4%. ECPR showed superiority in terms of the survival discharge in the univariate analysis, although with no statistical significance in the multivariate analysis. CONCLUSION: The survival discharge rate of the ECPR group was comparable to that of the CCPR group. As the CPR duration increased, the survival discharge and the ROSC rate decreased. Therefore, a continuous effort to reduce the time for the decision of ECMO initiation and ECMO team activation is necessary, particularly during the CPR of relatively young patients and IHCA patients.

Comparative Study of Cryostripping and Endovenous Laser Therapy for Varicose Veins: Mid-Term Results

BACKGROUND: Conventional stripping is considered to be the standard procedure for great saphenous vein (GSV) varicosities, but many other alternative treatments such as cryostripping, endovenous laser therapy (EVLT), radio-frequency ablation, and ultrasound-guided foam sclerotherapy have been developed. Among them, both cryostripping and laser therapy have been reported to be less traumatic, with lower rates of complications and recurrences when compared to conventional stripping. To compare the efficacy of these treatments, we have analyzed and compared the mid-term clinical outcomes of cryostripping and EVLT. METHODS: Patients diagnosed with varicose veins of the GSV and treated with cryostripping or laser therapy between September 2008 and April 2013 were enrolled in this study. Duplex ultrasonography was used for the diagnosis and evaluation of varicosity and reflux, and the clinical-etiology-anatomy-pathophysiology classification was used to measure the clinical severity. The symptoms, Venous Clinical Severity Score (VCSS), recurrence rates, and complication rates of the cryostripping and laser therapy groups were analyzed and compared. RESULTS: A total of 68 patients were enrolled in this study. 32 patients were treated with cryostripping, and 36 patients were treated with laser therapy. The median follow-up period was 29.6 months. Recurrence was noted in three patients from the cryostripping group and in two patients from the EVLT group. There was no difference in the VCSS score, operative time, duration of hospital stay, and complication rate between the cryostripping group and the EVLT group. CONCLUSION: The mid-term clinical outcomes of cryostripping were not inferior to those of EVLT. Further, considering its cost-effectiveness, cryostripping seems to be a safe and feasible method for the treatment of varicose veins.

Unexpected Pathologic Diagnosis of the Mitral Valvular Mass

A 59-year-old man with multifocal cerebral infarction was found to have the large obstructive mitral valvular mass. Although benign tumor was under suspicion before surgery, he was finally diagnosed as chronic infective endocarditis by microscopic evaluation. The precise diagnosis and the proper management of a cardiac mass are very important since even the benign tumor may cause fatal complications. However, primary cardiac mass has the broad spectrum from pseudo-tumor to malignancy and the differential diagnosis using non-invasive methods is not easy even with the currently available imaging techniques.

Thoracic Duct Embolization with Lipiodol for Chylothorax due to Thoracic Endovascular Aortic Repair with Debranching Procedure

Chylothorax is a rare postoperative complication of a thoracic surgical procedure. Here, we report a case of chylothorax after thoracic endovascular aortic repair with debranching for the distal arch aneurysm of the aorta. First, the patient was treated by a medical method (nil per os, fat-free diet, and octreotide), but this method failed. The patient strongly refused surgical treatment. Therefore, we tried to occlude the thoracic duct by lymphangiography Lipiodol, and this line of treatment was successful.

Popliteal Artery Entrapment Syndrome: A Case with Bilateral Different Types

Popliteal artery entrapment syndrome (PAES) is a non-artherosclerotic cause of claudication and acute ischemia of the legs in young athletic individuals. It is classified in terms of the abnormal anatomical relationship between the popliteal artery and surrounding structures. All types of PAES have the same pathophysiology. Repetitive arterial compression by surrounding structures causes progressive vascular injury. Bilateral PAES is reported in about 30% of cases. Bilateral PAES is usually of the same type in each artery; exceptions are rare. We report a case of a young athletic patient who suffered bilateral PAES of two different types.

Correlation between HER2 Overexpression and Clinicopathological Characteristics in Gastric Cancer Patients Who Have Undergone Curative Resection

PURPOSE: At present, a human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2)-based concept of tumor biology has been established, and trastuzumab (Herceptin(R); Genentech/Roche, San Francisco, CA, USA), a monoclonal humanized antibody directed against HER2, is a pivotal agent for the management of HER2 positive (HER2+) metastatic breast cancer. It is also known that HER2 has a predictive value in gastric cancer; however, its association with the prognosis of this disease remains uncertain. The purpose of this study was to evaluate both the relationship between HER2 overexpression in the tumors of gastric cancer patients, and the prognosis of these patients who have had curative resection. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 139 consecutive patients with gastric cancer who underwent surgery at the Kosin University Gospel Hospital between October 2011 and March 2012 were included in this retrospective study. All tumor samples were examined for HER2 expression by immunohistochemistry. A retrospective review of the medical records was conducted to determine the correlation between the presence of HER2 overexpression and clinicopathological factors. RESULTS: The HER2+ rate was 15.1%. HER2 overexpression was associated with histological grade (P=0.044) and Lauren classification (P=0.036). There was no significant difference in the 2-year overall survival between HER2+ and HER2- patients (P=0.396). Multivariate analysis showed that HER2 was not an independent prognostic factor. CONCLUSIONS: HER2 overexpression in tumors was associated with histological grade and Lauren classification in gastric cancer patients with curative resection. However, HER2 was not an independent prognostic factor for gastric cancer in our study.

Is There a Role for a Needle Thoracoscopic Pleural Biopsy under Local Anesthesia for Pleural Effusions?

BACKGROUND: A closed pleural biopsy is commonly performed for diagnosing patients exhibiting pleural effusion if prior thoracentesis is not diagnostic. However, the diagnostic yield of such biopsies is unsatisfactory. Instead, a thoracoscopic pleural biopsy is more useful and less painful. METHODS: We compared the diagnostic yield of needle thoracoscopic pleural biopsy performed under local anesthesia with that of closed pleural biopsy. Sixty-seven patients with pleural effusion were randomized into groups A and B. Group A patients were subjected to closed pleural biopsies, and group B patients were subjected to pleural biopsies performed using needle thoracoscopy under local anesthesia. RESULTS: The diagnostic yields and complication rates of the two groups were compared. The diagnostic yield was 55.6% in group A and 93.5% in group B (p<0.05). Procedure-related complications developed in seven group A patients but not in any group B patients. Of the seven complications, five were pneumothorax and two were vasovagal syncope. CONCLUSION: Needle thoracoscopic pleural biopsy under local anesthesia is a simple and safe procedure that has a high diagnostic yield. This procedure is recommended as a useful diagnostic modality if prior thoracentesis is non-diagnostic.

Porcine Dermal Collagen (Permacol) for Sternal Reconstruction

In chest wall reconstruction after wide chest wall resection, the use of a musculocutaneous flap or prosthetic materials is inevitable for maintaining thoracic movement and a closed pleural cavity. We report a case of a 63-year-old male with a large invasive thymic carcinoma in the anterior mediastinum. The mass measured 6.8 cm and involved the sternum, left side of the parasternal area, ribs, and intercostal muscles. The patient underwent subtotal sternectomy, radical thymectomy, and reconstruction with biological mesh (Permacol). Successful chest wall reconstruction without any other complications was achieved, demonstrating the effectiveness of Permacol.

Partial Pericardial Defect Incidentally Discovered During Coronary Bypass Surgery

A 71-yr-old male patient with three vessel coronary artery disease underwent a coronary artery bypass graft. The patient was found to have a large pericardial defect at the apex of the heart that measured approximately 18 cm in circumference. The edge of the pericardial defect impinged on the epicardial coronary arteries. The left phrenic nerve descended via the dorsal boundary of the pericardial defect. Following coronary artery bypass grafting, the pericardial defect was repaired with a polytetrafluorethylene patch. The patient had an uncomplicated postoperative course.

Percutaneous Intervention in Axillary Loop-Configured Arteriovenous Grafts for Chronic Hemodialysis Patients

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the fistulographic features of malfunctioning axillary loop-configured arteriovenous grafts and the efficacy of percutaneous interventions in failed axillary loop-configured arteriovenous grafts. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Ten patients with axillary loop-configured arteriovenous grafts were referred for evaluation of graft patency or upper arm swelling. Fistulography and percutaneous intervention, including thrombolysis, percutaneous transluminal angioplasty and stent placement, were performed. Statistical analysis of the procedure success rate and the primary and secondary patency rates was done. RESULTS: Four patients had graft related and subclavian venous stenosis, two patients had graft related stenosis and another four patients had subclavian venous stenosis only. Sixteen sessions of interventional procedures were performed in eight patients (average: 2 sessions / patient) until the end of follow-up. An interventional procedure was not done in two patients with central venous stenosis. The overall procedure success rate was 69% (11 of 16 sessions). The post-intervention primary and secondary patency rates were 50% and 63% at three months, 38% and 63% at six months and 25% and 63% at one year, respectively. CONCLUSION: Dysfunctional axillary loop-configured arteriovenous grafts almost always had subclavian venous and graft-related stenosis. Interventional treatments are helpful to overcome this and these treatments are expected to play a major role in restoring and maintaining the axillary loop-configured arteriovenous loop grafts.

Takotsubo Cardiomyopathy Induced after Postoperative ICU Care: Case Reports / 대한구급학회지

'Takotsubo cardiomyopathy' or 'stress-induced cardiomyopathy' is a newly described clinical entity that's characterized by transient left ventricular apical ballooning and left ventricular apical dyskinesis in the absence of any angiographic feature of significant coronary artery disease. The cause of takotsubo cardiomyopathy is unclear, but catecholamines probably play a role in the genesis of takotsubo cardiomyopathy. We report here on two cases of takotsubo cardiomyopathy that occurred during ICU care.

Descending Thoracic Aorto-bifemoral Artery Bypass Grafting in a Leriche's Syndrome / 대한흉부외과학회지

Extra-anatomic graft bypass is frequently performed instead of standard infrarenal aorto-iliac reconstruction in patients with Leriche syndrome in whom the thrombus extends to the level of the renal arteries. However, many different surgical options are still being attempted due to the unsatisfying long-term graft patency. We performed a descending thoracic aorto-bifemoral bypass graft with 14 and 14-7-7 mm artificial vessels through a posterolateral thoracotomy, a median laparotomy, and a longitudinal inguinal incision in a 48-year-old male who suffered from claudication with Leriche syndrome. After surgery, the patient recovered well and was discharged. The patient walked well without any symptoms during the 6 month follow-up period in the outpatient department. We have concluded that descending thoracic aorto-bifemoral bypass grafting could be considered as an alternative method for patients with Leriche syndrome in whom standard infrarenal aorto-iliac reconstruction is unsuitable.

Repair of Posttraumatic Tricuspid Regurgitation Using Artificial Chordae and an Annuloplasty Ring / 대한흉부외과학회지

A 52-year-old man was taken to the emergency room following a motor vehicle accident. An echocardiogram showed moderate to severe tricuspid regurgitation due to rupture of the anterior chordae. An operation to repair the traumatic tricuspid regurgitation was recommended; however, the patient refused because he was asymptomatic. Two years later, he developed mild generalized edema and dyspnea. The echocardiogram revealed progressive severe tricuspid regurgitation and annular dilatation. We treated the posttraumatic tricuspid regurgitation successfully using artificial chordae and ring annuloplasty.

High Grade Sarcoma Arising from the Chest Wall of a Chronic Tuberculous Empyema: A case report / 대한흉부외과학회지

A 50 year old male patient was admitted due to fever and left upper-quadrant abdominal pain. He had a history of previous treatment for pulmonary TB and splenectomy due to aplastic anemia. A large peritoneal abscess with connection to a chronic left side tuberculous empyema thoracis was diagnosed on admission. Chest CT also revealed a soft tissue lesion on the left anterior chest wall. Staged drainage of the peritoneal lesion followed by left side pleuropneumonectomy with chest wall resection was performed. The pathologic studies showed a high grade sarcoma of the chest wall.

Effects of Additional Pleurodesis with Dextrose and Talc-Dextrose Solution after Video Assisted Thoracoscopic Procedures for Primary Spontaneous Pneumothorax

Recurrence after thoracoscopic surgery for primary spontaneous pneumothorax is a lingering problem, and many intraoperative methods to induce pleural symphysis have been introduced. We analyzed the effects of chemical pleurodesis during thoracoscopic procedures. Between August 2003 and July 2005, 141 patients among indicated surgical treatment for primary spontaneous pneumothorax in two hospitals of our institution allowed this prospective study. The patients were randomly assigned to 3 groups: thoracoscopic procedure only (group A, n=50), thoracoscopic procedure and pleurodesis with dextrose solution (group B, n=49), and thoracoscopic procedure and pleurodesis with talc-dextrose mixed solution (group C, n=42). There was no significant difference in demographic data among the three groups. The two groups that underwent intraoperative pleurodesis had significantly longer postoperative hospital stays (A/B/C: 2.50+/-1.85/4.49+/-2.10/6.00+/-2.58 days; p=0.001) and a higher incidence of postoperative fever (A/B/C: 10.0/22.45/52.38%; chi-square= 21.598, p=0.00). No significant differences were found for recurrence rates or the number of postoperative days until chest tube removal. Therefore, the results of our study indicate that intraoperative chemical pleurodesis gives no additional advantage to surgery alone in deterring recurrence for patients with primary spontaneous pneumothorax. Thus, the use of such scarifying agents in the operating room must be reconsidered.

Psychiatric Analysis about Transsexuals

PURPOSE: Transsexualism is considered to be the extreme end of the spectrum of gender identity disorders characterized by, among other things, a pursuit of sex reassignment surgery(SRS). We evaluated psychologic status, health-related quality of life in female-to-male (FTM), male-to-female(MTF) transgender individuals. METHODS: We used the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory, Beck Anxiety Inventory, Beck Depression Inventory, Moudsley obsessive-compulsive Inventory, SCL-90-R, Short-Form 36-Question Health Survey version 2(SF-36v2). We enrolled 40 transsexual participants. RESULTS: Analysis of quality of life health concepts demonstrated statistically significant(p<0.01) diminished quality of life among the transsexual participants as compared to the Korea male and female population. FTM transgender participants reported more higher hostile, phobic than MTF transgenders. Overall, in all psychologic status examination, Transgender individuals are within normal population boundary. On all category, result is improved post-operatively. CONCLUSION: Transgender participants reported mental status within normal boundary. SRS improved their quality of life and mental stability.

Percutaneous Cryoablation of Lung Cancer in High Risk Patients / 대한흉부외과학회지

Surgical resection is the most effective treatment in operable lung cancers. However, less invasive local treatments are being applicated to the patients having high surgical risk due to their poor general condition. Cryosurgery is known to be highly effective and safe in the treatment of liver and prostate cancers and it is also being applicated in the treatment of lung cancers, especially with the excision of tracheal mass and lung parenchymal cancers. In our hospital, we have tried a less invasive method, the cryotherapy, to a patient who had a newly developed lung cancer at his right lower lobe after he had been treated with right upper lobe resection and left upper lobe resection due to bilateral lung cancers. After the treatment, he is being followed up at our out patient department for 2 years. Here, we present the method and result that have been applicated in this case.