Publications by authors named "Nezih O Ermerak"

Background: The cross-bar technique of minimally invasive pectus excavatum (PE) correction remains underreported, which is especially true of pediatric patients. We therefore reviewed the experience of a Turkish and an Austrian center. An additional novelty characterizing both pediatric cohorts was the use of short bars.

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Background: Lung cancer is associated with the greatest cancer mortality as it typically presents with incurable distributed disease. Biomarkers relevant to risk assessment for the detection of lung cancer continue to be a challenge because they are often not detectable during the asymptomatic curable stage of the disease. A solution to population-scale testing for lung cancer will require a combination of performance, scalability, cost-effectiveness, and simplicity.

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Objectives: Minimally invasive esophagectomy has improved over time becoming faster and less invasive. We have changed our technical approach from multiportal to uniportal video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) esophagectomy over the years. In this study, we analysed our results with uniportal VATS esophagectomy technique.

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Background: We aim to describe four new subtypes of PE in detail and represent modification of the Nuss procedure called crossed bar technique for their optimum correction with good results.

Methods: 101 patients who underwent crossed bar technique between August 2005 and February 2022 were included into the study.

Results: The mean age of the patient series was 21.

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Objectives: The underlying mechanisms for the development of chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension and prognostic biomarkers are not clear yet. Thus, our aim is to assess and identify new biomarkers for the expression of 84 key genes linked to angiogenesis.

Methods: Patients who had levels more than 1000 dynes·sec·cm were included in the test group, and the other patients were included in the control group.

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Background: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is still an ongoing entity and every day we face new sequalae of the disease. We hereby present surgical results of patients who are treated for post-COVID chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension.

Methods: Data were collected among patients who underwent pulmonary endarterectomy and had a diagnosis of post-COVID chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension.

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Article Synopsis
  • Hydatid cyst is a parasitic disease caused by Echinococcus granulosis, with pulmonary artery involvement being rare; the study focused on surgical treatment outcomes for this condition through pulmonary endarterectomy (PEA).
  • Eight patients, mostly young women, were analyzed, with symptoms primarily being exertional dyspnea and some cases of hemoptysis; two patients died from complications, but PEA significantly reduced pulmonary vascular resistance.
  • The study concluded that PEA can effectively diagnose and treat pulmonary arterial hydatidosis, although it should only be performed in specialized centers due to potential high risks of complications.
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Introduction:  Pectus carinatum (PC) is a congenital chest wall deformity which is characterized by the protrusion of the sternum and costal cartilages. Although orthotic and exercise therapies are commonly offered by physicians for PC treatment, there is a lack of evidence on the benefits of exercises and how long the orthosis should be worn. The aim of this study is to investigate the effects and feasibility of custom-made compression orthosis and exercises in the treatment of PC.

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Pulmonary aspergilloma is an uncommon pulmonary disease that complicated with many other respiratory disorders. Despite advances in medication, surgical treatment continues to form the basis of aspergilloma treatment. However, the use of uniportal video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery is extremely limited in pulmonary aspergilloma.

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In this report, we present a case specifying the availability of uniportal thoracoscopic resection of a total rib safely without the need for conventional thoracotomy. The favorable outcome of this case suggests that the uniportal thoracoscopic technique described here is a safe and successful approach for resection of costal lesions with good cosmetic results. To our knowledge, this is the first case reporting the entire rib resection via uniportal thoracoscopic approach.

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Background: The second most common deformity of the anterior chest wall, pectus carinatum, is a diverse deformity that has been largely managed using open techniques. This study reviews clinical experience with a newly designed bar for minimally invasive repair of pectus carinatum.

Methods: We reviewed the records of all patients recorded in our Chest Wall Deformities Clinical Database.

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Objectives: The aim of this study is to present our experience with Nuss bar removal and evaluate potential risk factors. The Nuss procedure requires an operation to remove the bar 2-3 years after the initial correction. Although removal of the bar is generally believed to be safe, perioperative complications including major bleeding can occur.

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Sternal cleft is a rare chest wall deformity. It can be diagnosed in the intrauterine stage with ultrasonography. Newborn period is the optimal time for the surgical correction of sternal cleft, due to the elasticity of the sternum and minimal compression of underlying structures.

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Background: Nuss procedure has become the procedure of choice for well-selected patients with pectus excavatum. Perioperative complications may pose difficulty during the subsequent bar removal due to adhesions and tissue plane disruptions during the initial surgery and repair. This report describes bar removal experience in patients whose Nuss procedures were complicated by cardiac injury, pericardial breach, and lung parenchyma/diaphragm injury during the initial procedure.

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Minimally invasive repair of pectus excavatum (MIRPE) is the procedure of choice in experienced centers and can be offered in combination with other thoracic procedures. Between 2001 and 2013, 3 cases involving MIRPE and lung surgery were done in our clinic. While postoperative course of 2 procedures (MIRPE and video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery [VATS] segmentectomy and MIRPE and VATS bullectomy) were uncomplicated, the MIRPE and VATS lung biopsy patient developed major complications arising from prolonged air leak and was ultimately managed with an Eloesser flap.

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Background: Pectus excavatum (PE) is the most common chest wall deformity. The Nuss Questionnaire modified for Adults (NQmA) is a disease-specific health-related quality of life assessment tool for patients with pectus deformities. The aim of this study is to adapt the NQmA into Turkish.

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Background: This study aimed to analyze the effect of preoperative chemoradiation on the adequacy of lymph node dissection.

Methods: Patients with esophageal cancer treated with esophagectomy by the same surgeon between 2004 and 2011 were reviewed. Specimens were examined by the same pathologist.

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Background: Pectus excavatum is the most common chest wall deformity. This deformity may cause physical limitations and psychosocial problems. In this study, we aimed to investigate the effect of minimally invasive repair of pectus excavatum on the quality of life.

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Sternal cleft is a rare chest wall deformity associated with various malformations. Primary closure is the gold standard in the newborn period. Alternative techniques are possible for older patients.

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Adult onset congenital bronchoesophageal fistula is a very rare entity. We report 2 cases of adult onset type II congenital bronchoesophageal fistula between the distal thoracic esophagus and the lower lobe superior segmental bronchi surgically treated through a right and left thoracotomy, respectively. In both cases the fistula was transected and sutured with no parenchyma resection.

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Invasive aspergillosis is an important cause of morbidity and mortality in immunocompromised patients. Among primary immunodefiencies, chronic granulomatous disease (CGD) has the highest prevalence of invasive fungal diseases. Voriconazole is recommended for the primary treatment of invasive aspergillosis in most patients.

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Objectives: Minimally invasive repair of pectus excavatum, the so-called Nuss procedure, has become a popular technique in recent years. The internal mammary arteries (IMAs) lie on the posterolateral surface of the sternum, and the Nuss bar is likely to obstruct the blood flow in these arteries. This obstruction could become important in the later stages of the lives of these young people if they were to require coronary artery bypass grafting.

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Objective: Pulmonary endarterectomy (PEA) is the treatment of choice for patients with chronic thrombo-embolic pulmonary hypertension (CTEPH). The aim of this study was to review our initial experience since the implementation of our program.

Methods: Data were collected prospectively on all patients who underwent PEA between March 2011 and March 2012.

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Objectives: Several studies previously demonstrated an improvement in the quality of life (QoL) of the patients undergoing a minimally invasive repair of pectus excavatum, but there are no data about such improvement following the minimally invasive repair of pectus carinatum (PC) deformity. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of the minimally invasive repair of PC deformity on the psychosocial and physical functioning of the patients.

Methods: Among 40 patients who underwent minimally invasive repair for PC deformity from July 2008 to March 2011, 35 patients accepted to answer the QoL questionnaires, and 30 of them who had completed the postoperative 6th month were evaluated in this study.

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