Prognostic significance using histologic subtype in stage I lung adenocarcinoma.

Background: The pathologic feature of lung adenocarcinoma is extremely complex because the prognosis of same-stage lung adenocarcinoma significantly differs because of pathological diversity. This study aimed to evaluate the clinical association between histologic subtype and recurrence. Further, the prognostic significance of histologic subtype in stage I lung adenocarcinoma was examined.

Significance of histologic subtype size as a prognostic indicator in stage IA lung adenocarcinoma.

Background: Predicting prognosis is complex due to a unique characteristic in stage IA lung adenocarcinoma. The feature indicated heterogeneous histologic subtype and ground glass opacity (GGO). Many studies demonstrated different prognoses according to histologic subtype or non-GGO lesion.

Stem cell laden nano and micro collagen/PLGA bimodal fibrous patches for myocardial regeneration.

Background: Although the use of cardiac patches is still controversial, cardiac patch has the significance in the field of the tissue engineered cardiac regeneration because it overcomes several shortcomings of intra-myocardial injection by providing a template for cells to form a cohesive sheet. So far, fibrous scaffolds fabricated using electrospinning technique have been increasingly explored for preparation of cardiac patches. One of the problems with the use of electrospinning is that nanofibrous structures hardly allow the infiltration of cells for development of 3D tissue construct.

Comparison of clinical results between high grade patterns in stage I lung adenocarcinoma.

Background: The histological subtype has been introduced in invasive lung adenocarcinoma. The predominant micropapillary and solid subtypes are categorized as high-grade patterns and provide a worse prognosis. However, the prognostic analysis of high-grade patterns has not previously been fully investigated.

Predicting prognosis using a pathological tumor cell proportion in stage I lung adenocarcinoma.

Background: Tumor size is a valuable prognostic factor because it is considered a measure of tumor burden. However, it is not always correlated with the tumor burden. This study aimed to identify the prognostic role of pathological tumor proportional size using the proportion of tumor cells on the pathologic report after curative resection in pathologic stage I lung adenocarcinoma.

Evaluation of electroporated area using 2,3,5-triphenyltetrazolium chloride in a potato model.

Irreversible electroporation (IRE) is a tissue ablation method, uses short high electric pulses and results in cell death in target tissue by irreversibly permeabilizing the cell membrane. Potato is commonly used as a tissue model for electroporation experiments. The blackened area that forms 12 h after electric pulsing is regarded as an IRE-ablated area caused by melanin accumulation.

A supramolecular host-guest interaction-mediated injectable hydrogel system with enhanced stability and sustained protein release.

Injectable hydrogels have been studied as drug delivery systems because of their minimal invasiveness and sustained drug release properties. Pluronic F127, consisting of poly(ethylene oxide)-poly(propylene oxide)-poly(ethylene oxide) triblock copolymers, exhibits thermo-responsive properties and hence is injectable due to its rapid sol-gel transition. Unmodified Pluronic F127-based hydrogels, however, have limited long-term stability and controllable release of drugs entrapped within them.

Significant difference in recurrence according to the proportion of high grade patterns in stage IA lung adenocarcinoma.

Background: Patients with early lung cancer are the best candidates for surgical resection. However, those patients with high grade patterns (micropapillary or solid) do not have a good prognosis, even if they have been diagnosed with stage I lung adenocarcinoma. A new modified grading system has been introduced and this study aimed to identify the prognostic role of the new grading system in patients with stage IA lung adenocarcinoma.

Prognostic impact according to the proportion of the lepidic subtype in stage IA acinar-predominant lung adenocarcinoma.

Background: Adenocarcinoma is the most common type of lung cancer and most adenocarcinomas have heterogeneous subtypes. Acinar-predominant adenocarcinoma is the most common. This study aimed to identify the prognostic impact of other mixed histological subtypes in acinar-predominant lung adenocarcinoma.

Use of imaging studies to predict postoperative recurrences of primary spontaneous pneumothorax.

Background: Bullectomy with pleural procedure is the most effective means of treating primary spontaneous pneumothorax (PSP). However, recurrences after thoracoscopic bullectomy are unexpectedly frequent. Our aim was to identify the premonitory imaging features after thoracoscopic bullectomy that may associate with recurrences in PSP.

Should We Consider the Resected Lung Volume in Primary Spontaneous Pneumothorax?

Background: Although bullectomy is the most curative treatment in primary spontaneous pneumothorax (PSP), postoperative recurrence is not uncommon. New bulla formation at the staple line is the most common cause of recurrence. However, the mechanism is not known.

Stem cell-loaded adhesive immiscible liquid for regeneration of myocardial infarction.

Myocardial infarction (MI) causes serious loss of cardiac muscle and dysfunction. To restore MI, exogenous stem cells should be efficiently delivered. However, due to severe physical and physiological cardiac environment, recent strategies have faced challenges, including low cell persistence, low integration, and delayed therapeutic effects.

Comprehensive Examination of Mechanical and Diffusional Effects on Cell Behavior Using a Decoupled 3D Hydrogel System.

Hydrogels possess several physical and chemical properties suitable for engineering cellular environments for biomedical applications. Despite recent advances in hydrogel systems for cell culture, it is still a significant challenge to independently control the mechanical and diffusional properties of hydrogels, both of which are well known to influence various cell behaviors when using hydrogels as 3D cell culture systems. Controlling the crosslinking density of a hydrogel system to tune the mechanical properties inevitably affects their diffusional properties, as the crosslinking density and diffusion are often inversely correlated.

Trends in Percutaneous Coronary Intervention and Coronary Artery Bypass Surgery in Korea.

Background: Coronary angioplasty has been replacing coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) because of the relative advantage in terms of recovery time and noninvasiveness of the procedure. Compared to other Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) countries, Korea has experienced a rapid increase in coronary angioplasty volumes.

Methods: We analyzed changes in procedure volumes of CABG and of percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) from three sources: the OECD Health Data, the National Health Insurance Service (NHIS) surgery statistics, and the National Health Insurance claims data.

Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgeons' Perception of the Concentration of Cardiovascular Operations in Seoul Metropolitan Area's Hospitals.

Background: The purpose of this study is to evaluate the concentration of cardiovascular surgical procedures in a metropolitan area and investigate the perception of specialists regarding governmental policies to resolve this imbalance.

Methods: From March to May 2015, surveys were distributed to members of the Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery Association. The final pool of research subjects consisted of 75 respondents.

Projections of Demand for Cardiovascular Surgery and Supply of Surgeons.

Background: While demand for cardiovascular surgery is expected to increase gradually along with the rapid increase in cardiovascular diseases with respect to the aging population, the supply of thoracic and cardiovascular surgeons has been continuously decreasing over the past 10 years. Consequently, this study aims to achieve guidance in establishing health care policy by analyzing the supply and demand for cardiovascular surgeries in the medical service area of Korea.

Methods: After investigating the actual number of cardiovascular surgeries performed using the National Health Insurance claim data of the Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service, as well as drawing from national statistics concerning the elderly population aged 65 and over, this study estimated the number of future cardiovascular surgeries by using a cell-based model.

Development of Models for Regional Cardiac Surgery Centers.

Background: This study aimed to develop the models for regional cardiac surgery centers, which take regional characteristics into consideration, as a policy measure that could alleviate the concentration of cardiac surgery in the metropolitan area and enhance the accessibility for patients who reside in the regions.

Methods: To develop the models and set standards for the necessary personnel and facilities for the initial management plan, we held workshops, debates, and conference meetings with various experts.

Results: After partitioning the plan into two parts (the operational autonomy and the functional comprehensiveness), three models were developed: the 'independent regional cardiac surgery center' model, the 'satellite cardiac surgery center within hospitals' model, and the 'extended cardiac surgery department within hospitals' model.

The Association Between Treatment Frequency and Treatment Outcome for Cardiovascular Surgeries.

Background: This study analyzed the association between the volume of heart surgeries and treatment outcomes for hospitals in the last five years.

Methods: Hospitals that perform heart surgeries were chosen throughout Korea as subjects using from the Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service. The treatment outcome of the heart surgeries was defined as the mortality within 30 postoperative days, while the annual volume of the surgeries was categorized.

Imbalance in Cardiovascular Surgery Medical Service Use Between Regions.

Background: This study uses the relevance index to understand the condition of regional medical service use for cardiovascular surgery and to identify the medical service use imbalance between regions.

Methods: This study calculated the relevance index of 16 metropolitan cities and provinces using resident registration address data from the Ministry of Government Administration and Home Affairs and the 2010-2014 health insurance, medical care assistance, and medical benefits claims data from the Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service. We identified developments over the 5-year time period and analyzed the level of regional imbalance regarding cardiovascular surgery through the relative comparison of relevance indexes between cardiovascular and other types of surgery.

The Longitudinal Trend of Cardiac Surgery in Korea from 2003 to 2013.

Background: The purpose of this study was to investigate longitudinal changes of the utilization of operational and surgical medical care inside and outside a metropolitan area over 10 years, analyzing the residential areas of patients and the locations of medical facilities for major cardiovascular surgery.

Methods: Data analysis was conducted by classifying the addresses of patients and the locations of medical care facilities of metropolitan cities and provinces, using data from the National Health Insurance Corporation from January 2003 to December 2013.

Results: There is serious concentration of major heart surgery to medical facilities in Seoul; this problem has not improved over time.

Pure ground-glass opacity on chest computed tomography: predictive factors for invasive adenocarcinoma.

Background: Pure ground-glass opacity (GGO) on computed tomography (CT) is considered a diagnostic feature of noninvasive lung adenocarcinoma. However, pure GGO can sometimes be associated with invasive adenocarcinoma (IA). The purpose of this study was to determine the predictive factors for IA when pure GGO is present.

A clinical decision-making model for repeat surgical treatment of pectus Bar displacement: distance measurement after nuss procedure.

Background: Bar displacement is one of the most common and serious complications after the Nuss procedure. However, measurements of and factors affecting bar displacement have not been reported. The objectives of this study were to develop a decision model to guide surgeons considering repeat treatment and to estimate optimal cut-off values to determine whether reoperation to correct bar displacement is warranted.

Emerging Fixation Technique to Prevent Pectus Bar Displacement: Needlescope-Assisted 3-Point Fixation.

Background: Bar flipping displacement is one of the most common complications after the Nuss procedure for pectus excavatum. We evaluated the results of a modified Nuss procedure with needlescope-assisted bar fixation.

Methods: The records of 41 patients with pectus excavatum who underwent single pectus bar insertion with the Nuss procedure between July 2011 and August 2014 were retrospectively reviewed.

A new protocol for concomitant needle aspiration biopsy and localization of solitary pulmonary nodules.

Background: Pulmonary nodules may require thoracoscopic resection in cases where percutaneous needle aspiration (PCNA) is non-diagnostic or not technically feasible. We developed a new protocol to localize pulmonary nodules concomitantly with PCNA. We retrospectively reviewed the use of concomitant PCNA and preoperative localization under computed tomography (CT) guidance.

Prediction of compensatory hyperhidrosis with botulinum toxin A and local anesthetic.

Objective: Compensatory hyperhidrosis (CH) is one of the most problematic complications of sympathectomy, which occurs often and is hard to treat. A predictive procedure (PP) for CH can help patients experience compensatory sweating before sympathectomy to determine whether or not to perform sympathectomy. Our study aimed to evaluate the CH after the PP and sympathectomy in patients with primary palmar hyperhidrosis using multiple drugs.