Editorial: Outcomes of Laparoscopic Pyloromyotomy with Microscope and Stab Incision vs. Open Pyloromyotomy in Infantile Hypertrophic Pyloric Stenosis; Single Institution Experience

No abstract available.

Successful Peritoneal Dialysis in an Extremely Preterm Infant

Peritoneal dialysis can be considered renal supportive therapy, even in an extremely low birth weight infant with acute kidney injury not responding to general supportive measures. Although there have been several reports of successful peritoneal dialysis in extremely low birth weight infants, general practice guidelines and commercially available optimal peritoneal dialysis catheters have not been introduced. We report a successful case of peritoneal dialysis in an extremely low birth weight infant born at 25 weeks gestational age, with birth weight 790 g, with uncontrollable metabolic acidosis, hyperkalemia, progressive azotemia and continued anuria.

Transumbilical laparoscopic-assisted appendectomy is a useful surgical option for pediatric uncomplicated appendicitis: a comparison with conventional 3-port laparoscopic appendectomy

PURPOSE: Transumbilical laparoscopic-assisted appendectomy (TULA) is a single incision technique that uses a combined intra- and extracorporeal method. The aim of this study was to compare surgical outcomes of TULA with conventional 3-port laparoscopic appendectomy (LA). METHODS: A retrospective review of medical records between 2010 and 2014 identified 303 pediatric patients who underwent LA with uncomplicated acute appendicitis. Of these, 85 patients underwent TULA and 218 patients underwent conventional LA. Demographic data, clinical characteristics, perioperative outcomes and postoperative complications were compared between the 2 groups. RESULTS: The mean operation time in the TULA group was 30.39 minutes, which was significantly shorter than that of the LA group (47.83 minutes) (P < 0.001). The first day of oral intake after surgery was earlier (1.05 days vs. 1.32 days; P < 0.001) and the length of hospital stay was also shorter (2.54 days vs. 3.22 days; P < 0.001) for the TULA group than the LA group. Furthermore, the postoperative complication rate was lower in the TULA group (1 of 85, 1.25%) compared to the LA group (19 of 218, 8.7%) (P = 0.018). CONCLUSION: In conclusion, TULA procedure is recommended for uncomplicated appendicitis in children due to its simplicity and better postoperative outcomes.

High Occupational Stress and Low Career Satisfaction of Korean Surgeons

Surgery is a demanding and stressful field in Korea. Occupational stress can adversely affect the quality of care, decrease job satisfaction, and potentially increase medical errors. The aim of this study was to investigate the occupational stress and career satisfaction of Korean surgeons. We have conducted an electronic survey of 621 Korean surgeons for the occupational stress. Sixty-five questions were used to assess practical and personal characteristics and occupational stress using the Korean occupational stress scale (KOSS). The mean KOSS score was 49.31, which was higher than the average of Korean occupational stress (45.86) or that of other specialized professions (46.03). Young age, female gender, long working hours, and frequent night duties were significantly related to the higher KOSS score. Having spouse, having hobby and regular exercise decreased the KOSS score. Multiple linear regression analysis showed that long working hours and regular exercise were the independent factors associated with the KOSS score. Less than 50% of surgeons answered that they would become a surgeon again. Most surgeons (82.5%) did not want to recommend their child follow their career. Korean Surgeons have high occupational stress and low level of career satisfaction.

High Occupational Stress and Low Career Satisfaction of Korean Surgeons

Surgery is a demanding and stressful field in Korea. Occupational stress can adversely affect the quality of care, decrease job satisfaction, and potentially increase medical errors. The aim of this study was to investigate the occupational stress and career satisfaction of Korean surgeons. We have conducted an electronic survey of 621 Korean surgeons for the occupational stress. Sixty-five questions were used to assess practical and personal characteristics and occupational stress using the Korean occupational stress scale (KOSS). The mean KOSS score was 49.31, which was higher than the average of Korean occupational stress (45.86) or that of other specialized professions (46.03). Young age, female gender, long working hours, and frequent night duties were significantly related to the higher KOSS score. Having spouse, having hobby and regular exercise decreased the KOSS score. Multiple linear regression analysis showed that long working hours and regular exercise were the independent factors associated with the KOSS score. Less than 50% of surgeons answered that they would become a surgeon again. Most surgeons (82.5%) did not want to recommend their child follow their career. Korean Surgeons have high occupational stress and low level of career satisfaction.

Occupational stress and related factors among surgical residents in Korea

PURPOSE: The application rate for surgical residents in Korea has continuously decreased over the past few years. The demanding workload and the occupational stress of surgical training are likely causes of this problem. The aim of this study was to investigate occupational stress and its related factors in Korean surgical residents. METHODS: With the support of the Korean Surgical Society, we conducted an electronic survey of Korean surgical residents related to occupational stress. We used the Korean Occupational Stress Scale (KOSS) to measure occupational stress. We analyzed the data focused on the stress level and the factors associated with occupational stress. RESULTS: The mean KOSS score of the surgical residents was 55.39, which was significantly higher than that of practicing surgeons (48.16, P < 0.001) and the average score of specialized professionals (46.03, P < 0.001). Exercise was the only factor found to be significantly associated with KOSS score (P = 0.001) in univariate analysis. However, in multiple linear regression analysis, the mean number of assigned patients, resident occupation rate and exercise were all significantly associated with KOSS score. CONCLUSION: Surgical residents have high occupational stress compared to practicing surgeons and other professionals. Their mean number of assigned patients, resident recruitment rate and exercise were all significantly associated with occupational stress for surgical residents.

Long-term Outcome of Laparoscopic Hernia Sac Transection and Intracorporeal Ligation in Children: A Single Center Cohort Study / 소아외과

PURPOSE: Laparoscopic hernia repair in children is still controversial. The aim of this study was to report our long-term results of the laparoscopic hernia technique, which is based on the same surgical principles as conventional open herniotomy. METHODS: Five hundred fourteen pediatric patients with inguinal hernia were included in this study under informed consent. All patients underwent a laparoscopic technique of sac transection and intracorporeal ligation. The asymptomatic contralateral inguinal ring was routinely explored and repaired if a patient had patent processus vaginalis on the contralateral side. Patients were prospectively followed for 5 years. Those who were lost to follow-up were excluded from the study. Perioperative complications and recurrences were evaluated. RESULTS: The mean follow-up period was 29 months. Mean operation time was 27.5 minutes. Forty one percent of the patients had contralateral patent processus vaginalis. Only one hernia recurred (0.19%). We had one case of contralateral metachronous hernia (0.21%) during follow-up period. CONCLUSION: The long-term follow-up results of our study revealed that laparoscopic hernia sac transection and ligation can be a safe and effective alternative for conventional herniorraphy.

Comparison of Surgical Infection and Readmission Rates after Laparoscopy in Pediatric Complicated Appendicitis / 소아외과

PURPOSE: Laparoscopic appendectomy (LA) has become a gold standard for children even in complicated appendicitis. The purpose of this study was to compare the postoperative surgical site infection rates between laparoscopic and open appendectomy (OA) group in pediatric complicated appendicitis. METHODS: A total of 1,158 pediatric patients (age < or =15 years) underwent operation for appendicitis over a period of 8 years. Among these patients, 274 patients (23.7%) were diagnosed with complicated appendicitis by radiologic, operative and pathologic findings, and their clinical outcomes were retrospectively analyzed. RESULTS: Of the 274 patients with complicated appendicitis, 108 patients underwent LA and 166 patients underwent OA. Patients in the LA group returned to oral intake earlier (1.9 days vs. 2.7 days; p<0.01) and had a shorter hospital stay (5.0 days vs. 6.3 days; p<0.01). However, rate of postoperative intra-abdominal infection (organ/space surgical site infection) was higher in the LA group (LA 15/108 [13.9%] vs. OA 12/166 [7.2%]; p<0.01). Readmission rate was also higher in the LA group (LA 9/108 [8.3%] vs. OA 3/166 [1.8%]; p<0.01). CONCLUSION: The minimally invasive laparoscopic technique has more advantages compared to the open procedure in terms of hospital stay and early recovery. However, intra-abdominal infection and readmission rates were higher in the laparoscopy group. Further studies should be performed to evaluate high rate of organ/space surgical infection rate of laparoscopic procedure in pediatric complicated appendicitis.

Analysis of the occupational stress of Korean surgeons: a pilot study / 대한외과학회지

PURPOSE: Surgeons serve one of the most challenging and stressful professions. Ineffective control of occupational stress leads to burnout of the surgeon. The aim of this study was to obtain preliminary data on the sources and the degree of stress of surgeons and to determine the feasibility of the survey. METHODS: A total of 63 surgeons in our three affiliated hospitals were enrolled in this study. Fifty-five questions were used to assess the demographics, characteristics and Korean occupational stress scale (KOSS), which were prepared and validated by the National Study for Development and Standardization of Occupational Stress. RESULTS: Forty-seven of the 63 surgeons participated in this study (74.6%). The mean KOSS score of the survey was 50.9 +/- 8.55, which was significantly higher than that of other professions (P < 0.01). Drinking and smoking habits were not related to the KOSS score. Doing exercise was related to a low KOSS score in terms of low KOSS total score (P < 0.01). Average duty hours (P < 0.01) and night duty days per week (P = 0.01) were strongly related to higher KOSS in the linear regression analysis. CONCLUSION: This is the first study to evaluate job stress of surgeons in Korea. This study showed that Korean Surgeons had higher occupational stress than other Korean professions. A larger study based on this pilot study will help generate objective data for occupational stress of Korean Surgeons by performing a survey of the members of the Korean Surgical Society.

A Case of An Incidentally Diagnosed Adrenal Venous Malformation in A Child

Adrenal venous malformation is an uncommon disease. We report a case of an incidentally diagnosed adrenal cystic mass during an evaluation for gastritis in a child. A 14-year-old girl admitted to our pediatric department for epigastric pain. After the gastroscopy, she was diagnosed with hemorrhagic gastritis. A 5.5 cm-sized cystic mass was incidentally found adjacent to her left adrenal gland during an ultrasound examination for evaluating her abdominal symptoms. She underwent laparoscopic surgery for the diagnosis and treatment of this cystic mass, which was confirmed to be venous malformation at pathologic diagnosis.

A Preliminary Report of Laparoscopic Hernia Repair in Children

Minimally invasive techniques for pediatric inguinal hernia repair have been evolving in recent years. We applied the laparoscopic method to repair pediatric inguinal hernia using the techniques of sac transection and intra-corporeal ligation. Between November 2008 and August 2010, 67 pediatric patients (47 boys and 20 girls) with inguinal hernias were included in this study. Postoperative activities, pain, and complication were checked prospectively at regular follow-up. One patient presented with clinically bilateral hernia, and three patients had metachronous hernias. Thirty-two cases out of 63 patients with unilateral hernias had a patent processus vaginalis on the contralateral side. Mean operation time was 35+/-11.4 minutes for unilateral hernias and 43+/-11 minutes for bilateral hernias. There were no intra-operative complications. One patient had a small hematoma on the groin postoperatively, which subsided spontaneously in a week. Recurrence and metachronous hernia were not found at follow up. In summary, laparoscopic inguinal repair in children is safe, easy to perform and has an additional advantage of contralateral exploration. Further studies should include long term follow-up.

A Case of Sick Sinus Syndrome in Extremely Low Birth Weight Infant with Annular Pancreas

Sick sinus syndrome (SSS) is a disorder characterized by sinus node dysfunction. Although the condition is most common in the elderly, it can occur in children including neonates and its recognition and treatment are important. The diagnosis of SSS is based on the presence of sinus bradycardia, sinus arrest or exit block, combinations of sinoatrial and atrioventricular nodal conduction disturbances, and atrial tachyarrhythmias documented in the Holter recordings. In most children with SSS, previous history of congenital heart malformation or cardiac surgery is noted. SSS is also seen in the children including neonates without heart disease or other contributing factors, however SSS is most often idiopathic. The treatment of SSS depends on the basic rhythm problem, but generally involves the placement of a cardiac pacemaker. We report a case of SSS in extremely low birth weight infant without congenital heart disease and suggest that the treatment system is necessary for preterm infants with SSS.

Prenatally Detected Congenital Perineal Mass Using 3D Ultrasound which was Diagnosed as Lipoblastoma Combined with Anorectal Malformation: Case Report

We report a case of prenatally diagnosed congenital perineal mass which was combined with anorectal malformation. The mass was successfully treated with posterior sagittal anorectoplasty postnatally. On ultrasound examination at a gestational age of 23 weeks the fetal perineal mass were found on the right side. Any other defects were not visible on ultrasonography during whole gestation. Amniocentesis was performed to evaluate the fetal karyotyping and acetylcholinesterase which were also normal. As the fetus grew up, the mass size was slowly increased more and more. At birth, a female neonate had a perineal mass on the right side as expected. During operation, the anal sphincteric displacement was found near the mass and reconstructed through posterior sagittal incision. This is the first reported case of prenatally diagnosed congenital perineal mass, after birth which was diagnosed as lipoblastoma and even combined with anorectal malformation. This case shows that it can be of clinical importance to be aware of this rare fetal perineal mass in prenatal diagnosis and counseling.

Abdominal Cerebrospinal Pseudocyst: a Complication of Ventriculoperitoneal Shunt in a Child

Abdominal cerebrospinal fluid pseudocyst is an uncommon complication of ventriculoperitoneal shunt (VPS) performed for hydrocephalus. The incidence of VPS complications in children is higher than in adults. There are controversies and difficulties in the treatment of the abdominal pseudocyst. We report a case of abdominal pseudocyst complicating VPS in a boy. Partial excision of pseudocyst and replacement of the VP shunt were effective during a followup of 18 months postoperatively with no recurrence.

Infantile Littre's Hernia: A Case Report

The term "Littre's hernia" was originally defined by Reinke in 1841 as "the presence of a Meckel's diverticulum in any hernia sac." Littre's hernia is a very rare disease, which accounts for less than 1% of all Meckel's diverticula. We report a case of Littre's hernia experienced in a 45 day-old infant.

Prognostic Factors for Serosal Invasive Gastric Cancer: Clinical Significance of Metastatic Lymph Node Ratio

PURPOSE: The important prognostic factors for gastric cancer are the depth of invasion by the primary tumor and the lymph node metastasis. The 5th edition of the Union Internationale Contrala Cancrums (UICC) TNM classification, which is based on the number of metastatic lymph nodes, has proved to be a reliable and objective method for predicting the prognosis of patients suffering with gastric cancer. However, its value for the prognosis of treating patients with serosal invasive (T3) gastric cancer, it is still being debated. So, we retrospectively studied the prognostic factors for T3 gastric cancer patients and we also evaluated the staging method according to the number of metastatic lymph nodes and the metastatic lymph node ratio. METHODS: This retrospective study was based on the medical records of 369 patients who underwent curative resection for serosal invasive (pT3) gastric cancer from 1992 to 2000. The patients were divided into four groups according to the number of metastatic lymph nodes and the clinicopathologic factors were evaluated by comparative study and the patients were then, classified into 4 groups by the metastatic lymph node ratio (0.5). We evaluated the prognostic factors and performed a survival analysis by using the Kaplan-Meier method and the Cox proportional hazard model. RESULTS: Among the four groups, the significant different factors were tumor size, the Borrmann type, the type of gastrectomy, the histologic type, and lymph node dissection. According to the univariate survival analysis, the tumor size, Borrmann type, lymph node stage, and the metastatic lymph node ratio significantly affected the prognosis. Yet, when comparing each survival rate, there was not significant difference between the pT3pN0 and pT3pN1 calassification. When we classified the metastatic lymph node ratio into 4 categories, each group then showed a significantly different survival rate. By conducting a multivariate analysis, only the metastatic lymph node ratio was an independent prognostic factor for serosal invasive gastric cancer (P=0.028). CONCLUSION: For evaluating patients with serosal invasive gastric cancer, there have been some problems with using the lymph node staging, so the metastatic lymph node ratio is a more reliable prognostic factor as it provides information about the extent of lymph node dissection and the degree of lymph node metastasis.

A Comparative Study of Pancreaticoduodenectomy for Benign and Malignant Disease

PURPOSE: The mortality and morbidity rate after pancreaticoduodenectomy (PD) is still high, although the operative techniques and skills and the perioperative care has been improved. The incidence of PD for benign disease is 5~20%. The aim of this study is to determine the factors that differentiate between the benign group and the malignant group by comparing the clinical manifestations, and we studied the safety of performing PD for benign diseases by observing the early and late postoperative complications. METHODS: We retrospectively studied 124 patients who had been diagnosed with benign or malignant pancreatic diseases and who underwent PD between April 1995 and December 2005. We divided the patients into two groups, i.e., the benign group (20) and the malignant group (104), to compare their clinical characteristics and postoperative outcomes. Result: Chronic pancreatitis was the most common disease (35%) in the benign group and distal CBD cancer was the most common disease (40.4%) in the malignant group. Jaundice, weight loss, and elevation of CA 19-9 were more frequent in the malignant group than in the benign group (p<0.05). There were no statistical differences in the mortality rate (10.0% vs 6.7%), reoperation rate (5.0% vs 4.8%), hospital stays (27.1 days vs 24.0 days), early complications (30.0% vs 44.6%) and late complications (22.2% vs 26.4%) between the two groups. There were no mortality and newly developed malignancy during 33.4 months of follow-up period in benign group. CONCLUSION: On the preoperative evaluation, jaundice, weight loss, and elevation of CA 19-9 were more frequent in the malignant group. The postoperative early and late complications showed no difference between the two groups and complication rate was generally favorable. Thus, PD can be performed safely for benign diseases that cannot be treated in a conservative fashion and also for other clinically suspicious malignant diseases.

Squamous Cell Carcinoma Arising in Recurrent Epidermal Cyst

Cutaneous epidermal cysts are benign lesions commonly experienced in the outpatients department, but the occurrence of a squamous cell carcinoma arising within a cutaneous epidermal cyst is extremely rare. Herein, a case of a squamous cell carcinoma arising from a recurrent epidermal cyst is reported.

Necrotizing Fasciitis of Perineum after Surgery and Radiation Therapy for Rectal Cancer

Necrotizing fasciitis is a rare disease characterized by rapidly progressive soft tissue infection primarily involving the superficial fascia and is associated with significant morbidity and mortality. Necrotizing fasciitis of the genitalia and the perineum, also known as Fournier's gangrene, usually occurs after local trauma, perirectal or perineal infections, and complicated surgery, such as circumcision and herniorraphy. The lack of initial external clinical signs, because the process begins in the deep subcutaneous tissue, make early diagnosis and adequate surgical management difficult. The progression of the disease is often fulminant, and the prognosis hinges on accurate diagnosis and immediate surgical debridement. The present case report documents the rare development of fulminant necrotizing fasciitis associated with a rectal cancer surgery and radiation therapy.