No abstract available.
Pelvic Bones*

No abstract available.

The authors had analysed retrospectively a series of 286 consecutive patients with head injury who were admitted to the department of neurosurgery. Dong Gang Hospital between March and July, 1992. 59 cases underwent craniotomy for evacuation of intracranial hematoma and/or placement of subarachnoid bolt for intracranial pressure monitoring under general anesthesia. Patients with a Glasgow Coma Scale(GCS) Score of 8 or less had significantly higher serum glucose levels postoperatively than patients with GCS score of 12 to 15(p<0.05). Patients who subsequently remained in a vegetative state or died had significantly higher glucose levels postoperatively than patients who had good outcome or moderate disability(p<0.05). Among the more severely injured patients(GCS Score< or =8), a serum glucose level greater than 200mg/dl on admission is associated with a significantly worse outcome(p<0.05). The results suggest that severely head-injured patients frequently showed hyperglycemia and the elevted serum glucose level may worsen the neurological outcome in such patients.
Anesthesia, General ; Blood Glucose* ; Coma ; Craniocerebral Trauma ; Craniotomy ; Glucose ; Hematoma ; Humans ; Hyperglycemia ; Intracranial Pressure ; Neurosurgery ; Persistent Vegetative State ; Retrospective Studies

This study analyzed 88 patients who sustained a cervical spine injury during the past 4 years(Jan, 1993-May, 1996) in whom had 33 anterior, 21 posterior interventions were underwent and 34 remaining patients recieved conservative treatment with halovest. In 45 cases of upper cervical injuries, 16 operations were done. Among these, anterior approach was used in 3 patients and posterior approach in 13 patients. In 43 cases of lower cervical injuries, 39 operations were done. The anterior approach was used in 30 patients, posterior approach in 9 patients, and bilateral approached in remaing 4 cases. For patients with a predominent posterior ligamentous or osteoligamentous lesion, we selected anterior approach, when closed reduction was possible. Whenever the facet joint remained interlocked, a posterior approach was chosen. This report does not mentioned priority of anterior procedure at any case. Although clinical experience does not support the experimental data, we examined the reliability of anterior approach with use of internal fixation.
Humans ; Ligaments ; Spine* ; Zygapophyseal Joint

Traumatic or sponataneous arterial dissections have been well recognized at the cervical portion of the internal carotid artery and extracranial vertebral artery as an important cause of stroke, especially in young and middle-aged patients. Multiple arterial dissections following craniocervical injury are exceedingly rare. We describe a patient with brain stem infarction caused by basilar occlusion secondary to basilar artery dissection, associated with left ICA dissecting aneurysm after following minor craniocervical trauma without known underlying arteriopathy.
Aneurysm, Dissecting ; Basilar Artery ; Brain Stem Infarctions ; Carotid Artery, Internal ; Humans ; Stroke ; Trauma, Nervous System ; Vertebral Artery

Primary pericardial mesothelioma is a rare tumor of mesodermal origin that is infrequently diagnosed antemortem and survival is short. A 60 year old male case of pericardial mesothelioma (epitheloid type) is reported. He was admitted to Yeungnam University Hospital because of chest pain, dyspnea, orthopnea and nonproductive cough. Chest x-ray suggested pericardial effusion. 2-D echocardiography showed echo free spaces of massive pericardial effusion and areas of thick hyperrefractile echoes arising from the pericardium. Pericardiocentesis was attempted and aspirated fluid was bloody exudates. Pericardial window operation with biopsy was done. Swan-Ganz catheterization showed equalization between right atrial pressure and pulmonary capillary wedge pressure. The pathologic diagnosis was established by histologic finding at pericardial biopsy.
Atrial Pressure ; Biopsy ; Catheterization, Swan-Ganz ; Chest Pain ; Cough ; Diagnosis ; Dyspnea ; Echocardiography ; Exudates and Transudates ; Humans ; Male ; Mesoderm ; Mesothelioma* ; Pericardial Effusion ; Pericardiocentesis ; Pericardium ; Pulmonary Wedge Pressure ; Thorax

PURPOSE: The number of sore patients are increasing steadily, especially in old ages, chronic disease and paralytic patients. Most of patients need to surgical treatment. The aim of this paper is to assess clinical analysis of surgical treatment and to consider operative methods, complications, and recurrences. METHODS: We reviewed the data from 82 consecutive patients with 101 pressure sores from March 2003 to May 2006 to discuss the occurrence rate and recurrence rate according to the site on the basis of the presence or absence of paraplegic and its etiology-the patients were categorized into three diagnostic groups: traumatic paraplegics(TP), nontraumatic paraplegics (NTP), and nontraumatic nonparaplegics(NTNP). We examined the sites and sizes of each lesions, patient's state, primary causes of pressure sore, operative methods as each sites and groups, occurrence of complications and recurrences on each groups. RESULTS: In 82 patients, 52 patients were male, 30 patients were female. The male to female ratio was 1.7 :1. Mean age was 55.8 years. 27 patients were in TP group, 35 in NTP group, and 20 in NTNP group, respectively. The common site of sore were sacral area (50.5%), greater trochanteric area(15.8%) and ischial area(13.9%). In each group, incidence rate of recurrence and complication were 11.1%, 40.7% in TP, 5.7%, 5.7% in NTP and 15%, 45% in NTNP. CONCLUSION: Surgeons must consider the general condition of the patient and possibility of recurrence and returning of daily life. We propose that cutaneous flap, fasciocutaneous flap or skin graft as well as musculocutaneous flap be useful to repair of sore site as each patient's state.
Chronic Disease ; Female ; Femur ; Humans ; Incidence ; Male ; Myocutaneous Flap ; Pressure Ulcer* ; Recurrence ; Skin ; Transplants

INTRODUCTION: Most of the palatal fistulas develop along the suture line in a small size, so they can be corrected easily by re-palatoplasty or various flap surgery using the local mucoperiosteum. But it is very difficult to repair if the fistula is very large or located anterior to the hard palate. Buccal mucosal or vestibular mucosal flaps may settle the problems but there are many limitations on the size and location. And other extraoral distant flaps need not only many surgical steps but also cause inconvenience. But tongue flap proffers as an excellent method for the repair of large anterior palatal fistula because of highly mobility and rich blood supply and low donor site morbidity. MATERIALS & METHODS: We treated the six cases of large palatal fistulas using the distally based tongue flap. We dissected under the submucosa layer around fistula site preserving the mucoperiosteum and the elevated flap was rotated to nasal side and sutured with 4-0 Vicryl(R) for the repair of the nasal side. And then we elevated the tongue flap on the distal portion of the tongue. The elevated tongue flap was placed on the defect area and sutured with 4-0 Chromic(R). After 2 or 3 weeks, we detached the tongue flap which was placed on the fistula site. Donor site was closed with 4-0 Chromic(R). RESULTS: The mean size of palatal fistula was 7.2 cm. All of patients complained the discomforts in masticating and speaking before flap detaching operation. A wound dehiscence was observed on tongue flap sutured to defect site. But it was healed by revisionary suture. There was no donor site complication. CONCLUSION: The authors propose that the distally based tongue flap is an excellent method for the repair of large palatal fistula because of its highly mobility, rich blood supply, and few of donor site morbidit
Fistula* ; Humans ; Palate, Hard ; Sutures ; Tissue Donors ; Tongue* ; Wounds and Injuries

BACKGROUND: Video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery(VATS) has been established as a new method for treatment of spontaneous pneumothorax. We compared the clinical results of VATS with those of thoracotomy performed during the recent 5 years. MATERIAL AND METHOD: We analyzed 126 patients whose medical records were available among the 154 patients who underwent operations for spontaneous pneumothorax from 1992 to 1996. The mean age was 27.1 years(15 to 75 years). 87 patients were operated on by VATS(Group A) and the other 39 by thoracotomy(Group B). The mean follow-up period was 14.7 months. RESULT: The operation time was shorter in group A than in group B(90.6+/-38.6minutes: 117.2+/-58.9minutes, p<0.05). The duration of postoperative hospital stay was shorter in group A than in group B(6.7+/-4.2: 9.4+/-3.3 days, p<0.05). The amount of analgesics(nalbuphin HCl, ketoprofen) used postoperatively were 2.4+/-2.8 ampules in group A, which is less than the 6.5+/-5.6 ampules in group B(p<0.05). The number of staples used in group A was smaller(2.7+/-1.3 in group A, 1.76+/-1.1 in group B, p<0.05). The duration of chest tube indwelling(4.3+/-4.0 days in group A, and 5.6+/-3.0 days in group B, NS), the recurrence rate(13.8% in group A, 2.6% in group B, NS), and the duration of air leakage(1.3+/-3.3 days in group A, and 1.0+/-2.5days in group B, NS) were not statistically different between the two groups. CONCLUSION: The application of VATS for the treatment of spontaneous pneumothorax has brought in better clinical results(shorter operation time, shorter hospital stay, less pain, and better cosmetic merits) than the thoracotomy without increasing any morbidity. However no advantages in recurrence rates and duration of postoperative air leakages are revealed.
Chest Tubes ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Length of Stay ; Medical Records ; Pneumothorax* ; Recurrence ; Thoracic Surgery, Video-Assisted* ; Thoracoscopy ; Thoracotomy*

BACKGROUND: Combined spinal-epidural anesthesia (CSEA) for cesarean section has gained an increasing interest as it combines a reliability of spinal anesthesia and the flexibility of epidural anesthesia. The aim of this study is to compare the surgical analgesia and the frequency of side effects for cesarean section produced by CSEA using subarachnoid fentanyl or placbo. METHODS: The study was performed in a randomized, double-blined fashion in 40 (20 per group) healthy, full-term parturients presenting for elective cesarean section. We compared the effects of intrathecal fentanyl (20 microgram), and placebo when administered together with 0.5% hyperbaric bupivacaine 7 mg in combined spinal-epidural anesthesia (CSEA) for cesarean section. Patients' anesthetic levels, vital signs and intraoperative pain were recorded. If anesthetic level achieved by intrathecal injection was not sufficient for cesarean section (T4), additional 2% lidocaine 2 ml per segment was administered epidurally. Patients were asked to rate their severity of pain on a visual analog scale (VAS) score intraoperatively and intravenous fentanyl was administered if the patient experienced intraoperative discomfort. The quality and side effects of anesthsia and neonatal Apgar scores were compared between two groups. RESULTS: The number (percent) of patients achieved sensory block level above T4 by subarachnoid injection alone was significantly higher in the fentanyl group (17/18, 94.4%) than the control grop (10/16, 62.5%). The dose of epidural lidocaine was significantly less in the fentanyl group (p<0.05). The frequency of intraoperative pain was significantly less in the fentanyl group (17%) than in the control group (50%). CONCLUSION: We conclude that adding fentanyl into subarachnoid injection in CSEA for cesarean section significantly decreases the additional epidural local anesthetics and intraoperative pain.
Analgesia ; Anesthesia* ; Anesthesia, Epidural ; Anesthesia, Spinal ; Anesthetics, Local ; Bupivacaine ; Cesarean Section* ; Female ; Fentanyl* ; Humans ; Injections, Spinal ; Lidocaine ; Pliability ; Pregnancy ; Visual Analog Scale ; Vital Signs