Intractable chylous leak after radical esophagectomy treated with radiotherapy.

Postoperative chylous leak after esophagectomy is a rare but potentially life-threatening complication that results in hypovolemia, electrolyte imbalance, malnutrition, and immunologic deficiency. However, the management of postoperative chylous leak remains controversial. Following a diagnosis of esophageal cancer, a 64-year-old man was treated by video-assisted thoracoscopic esophagectomy, laparoscopic gastric tube formation, prophylactically thoracic duct ligation, and reconstruction with esophagogastrostomy at the neck level.

Large mesenchymal cystic and chondroid pulmonary hamartoma mimicking lung cancer: Case report.

Pulmonary hamartoma is the most commonly resected benign neoplasm of lung. The mesenchymal cystic subtype is a rare and often bilaterally occurring variant composed of multiple cysts and nodules. Herein, we present an asymptomatic 70-year-old woman with a large and mostly cystic growth of right hilar region.

Left anterior descending artery dissection with retrograde aortic dissection during percutaneous coronary intervention: a case report.

Retrograde catheter-induced coronary artery dissection during percutaneous coronary intervention is an exceedingly rare occurrence, and the likelihood of it extending into the aorta is even more uncommon. Typically, surgical treatment involves aortic root replacement combined with coronary artery bypass grafting. However, in this particular case, a meticulous approach was employed.

Can concomitant above-knee femoropopliteal bypass with artificial graft affect the outcome of femorofemoral bypass with artificial graft?

Objectives: Few have studied the effect of concomitant femoropopliteal (FEM-POP) bypass surgery on the outcome of femorofemoral (FEM-FEM) bypass in patients with peripheral arterial disease (PAD). This study was aimed to analyze the risk relationship of concomitant FEM-POP bypass on the patency of FEM-FEM bypass.

Methods: From March 2009 to April 2020, a total of 27 patients who underwent FEM-FEM bypass surgery using polytetrafluoroethylene grafts were retrospectively analyzed according to concomitant FEM-POP bypass surgery.

Effects of lower thoracic sympathicotomy on plantar hyperhidrosis.

Background: The purpose of this study was to investigate whether performing lower thoracic sympathicotomy (LTS) from T10 to T12 affects plantar hyperhidrosis in patients with palmo-plantar (PP) or palmo-axillary-plantar (PAP) hyperhidrosis.

Methods: Between January 2015 and January 2020, all consecutive patients with primary hyperhidrosis who underwent bilateral thoracoscopic sympathicotomy and met the inclusion criteria were included. Sympathicotomy was performed using one of the following two methods: the conventional upper thoracic expanded thoracic sympathicotomy.

Heart rate variability as a potential diagnostic tool to predict compensatory hyperhidrosis after sympathectomy in patients with primary focal hyperhidrosis.

Background: Primary focal hyperhidrosis (PFH) is associated with autonomic nervous activity, and studies investigating this association in patients with PFH are very important. Heart rate variability (HRV) is a simple and noninvasive electrocardiographic test showing activity and balance in the autonomic nervous system, which consists of sympathetic and parasympathetic components. The aims of this study are to investigate associations between autonomic nervous activity and hyperhidrosis characteristics using HRV and to investigate the association between HRV findings and compensatory hyperhidrosis (CH) after sympathectomy.

Conservative treatment for recurrent secondary spontaneous pneumothorax in patients with a long recurrence-free interval.

Background: Although recurrence is included in surgical indications, there is no definitive guideline for managing recurrent spontaneous pneumothorax (SP) according to characteristics of recurrence, such as the type [primary SP (PSP) or secondary SP (SSP)] and recurrence-free interval (RFI). Actually, some patients with early cessation of air leak after closed thoracostomy tubes, a long RFI, or medical comorbidities are often managed conservatively without surgery. However, the validity of this management is unclear.

New sympathicotomy for prevention of severe compensatory hyperhidrosis in patients with primary hyperhidrosis.

Background: Primary hyperhidrosis (PH) is characterized by excessive and uncontrollable secretion in the eccrine sweat glands of the craniofacial region, armpits, hands, and feet. Sympathicotomy is the most effective treatment for severe PH; however, compensatory hyperhidrosis (CH) remains the most devastating postoperative complication. The purpose of the present study was to suggest a new sympathicotomy method for PH to prevent severe CH.

Serum lactate dehydrogenase activity and its isoenzyme patterns in patients with pectus excavatum.

Background: In previous study, we found elevated serum total lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) before correction of pectus excavatum and a decrease in total LDH after the deformity correction. In the present study, we analyzed total LDH activity and its isoenzyme patterns to investigate the causes of these laboratory findings in patients with pectus excavatum.

Methods: Between March 2014 to December 2018, 85 patients with pectus excavatum who had undergone the Nuss procedure (NP) and bar removal (BR) were included into this study.

Successful surgical treatment of massive spontaneous hemothorax due to intrathoracic secondary degeneration of a neurofibroma from mediastinal involvement of type 1 neurofibromatosis.

Massive hemothorax caused by a mediastinal mass is extremely rare. Herein, we present a case of successful surgery for a massive hemothorax caused by intrathoracic cystic hemorrhagic degeneration of a neurofibroma in a patient with neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1). A 44-year-old man with NF1 was admitted to our emergency department for chest pain and dyspnea.

Complete thoracoscopic excision of an infected bronchogenic cyst due to mediastinitis.

Because bronchogenic cysts can result in infection, further complications due to compression of adjacent organs or malignant transformation, symptomatic and complicated bronchogenic cysts are usually surgically removed. However, surgical excision can be hazardous or incomplete because of dense adhesion to surrounding vital organs as a consequence of severe inflammation. Herein, we report a rare case of infected bronchogenic cyst caused by mediastinitis and we describe how a surgical approach using video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) should be considered for treatment, even among patients with complicated bronchogenic cysts.

Successful repair of thoracic outlet syndrome in a growing young patient due to posterior sternoclavicular joint dislocation.

Posterior sternoclavicular dislocation is an extremely rare injury, usually related to heavy trauma, such as a traffic accident. The anatomical proximity of vital mediastinal structures often discourages a closed reduction during emergency situations. In this case report, we present a 17-year-old male patient who was admitted to our emergency department after having fallen down a flight of stairs five days previously.

Hemangioma originating from the main pulmonary artery.

In this study, we report the case of a 42-year-old female patient who was diagnosed with hemangioma in the pericardium connected to the main pulmonary artery. Chest CT revealed a hypodense, well-marginated, mass-like lesion, probably connected to the main pulmonary artery, and multiple heterogeneous attenuations were seen with contrast enhancement. The tumor was resected using conventional extracorporeal circulation for complete resection involving the main pulmonary artery wall.

Effects of a Proteasome Inhibitor on Cardiomyocytes in a Pressure-Overload Hypertrophy Rat Model: An Animal Study.

Background: The ubiquitin-proteasome system (UPS) is an important pathway of proteolysis in pathologic hypertrophic cardiomyocytes. We hypothesize that MG132, a proteasome inhibitor, might prevent hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (CMP) by blocking the UPS. Nuclear factor kappa-light-chain-enhancer of activated B cells (NF-κB) and androgen receptor (AR) have been reported to be mediators of CMP and heart failure.

Comparison of clinical outcomes of pharmaco-mechanical thrombectomy in iliac vein thrombosis with and without May-Thurner syndrome.

Background: May-Thurner syndrome (MTS) has a different etiology from that of general deep vein thrombosis (DVT). However, few clinical comparisons of MTS-induced and non-MTS-induced DVT have been reported. The aim of this study was to analyze the clinical results of pharmaco-mechanical thrombectomy (PMT) in DVT with and without MTS.

The Role of Pharmacomechanical Endovascular Intervention for Iliofemoral Vein Thrombosis Compared to Conventional Anticoagulation Therapy.

Although anticoagulation therapy is the primary treatment for deep vein thrombosis (DVT), it has not been associated with the rapid recanalization of the venous occlusion. Moreover, it is associated with long-term disability due to post-thrombotic syndrome (PTS). In contrast, pharmacomechanical endovascular intervention (PMI) results in more rapid clinical improvement in DVT patients, but there are few reports on its long-term outcomes.

Surgical outcomes of the modified single-patch technique in complete atrioventricular septal defect.

We examined the usefulness of the modified single-patch technique for the surgical management of complete atrioventricular septal defect (AVSD). Sixty-one patients undergoing total correction for complete AVSD from January 1997 to December 2006 were classified to the modified single-patch technique group (18 patients) and the classical one-/two-patch technique group (43 patients). The surgical outcomes of the modified single-patch technique were compared with those of the classical-patch technique.