BACKGROUND: Lobectomy is the generally accepted standard treatment for early-stage non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). However, especially in elderly patients, it is often necessary to perform pneumonectomy in order to maximize the likelihood of curative treatment, although pneumonectomy is a challenging procedure. METHODS: We analysed patients who were clinically diagnosed with stage I NSCLC and underwent pneumonectomy with curative intent from 2004 to 2011. The patients were divided into an elderly group (> or =70 years) and a younger group (<70 years). We retrospectively analysed the outcomes of these groups of patients in order to characterize the role of pneumonectomy as a treatment for elderly patients with clinical stage I NSCLC. RESULTS: Thirty patients younger than 70 years of age (younger group) and fourteen patients 70 years of age or older (elderly group) who underwent pneumonectomy were enrolled in the present study. The median follow-up period was 35 months (range, 0 to 125 months). The perioperative mortality rate (within 90 days after the operation) was 7.1% in the elderly group and 6.7% in the younger group (p=0.73). No significant differences between the two groups were observed regarding the occurrence of pneumonia, acute respiratory distress syndrome, cardiac arrhythmia, bronchopleural fistula, and vocal cord paralysis. The overall five-year survival rate was 79.4% in the younger group and 35.7% in the elderly group, which was a significant difference (p=0.018). The five-year disease-free survival rate was 66.7% in the younger group and 35.7% in the elderly group, but this difference was not statistically significant (p=0.23). CONCLUSION: Although elderly patients with early stage lung cancer showed a worse long-term survival rate after pneumonectomy than younger patients, the outcomes of elderly patients were similar to those of younger patients in terms of perioperative mortality and postoperative complications. Patients should not be denied pneumonectomy solely due to old age.
Aged* ; Arrhythmias, Cardiac ; Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung* ; Disease-Free Survival ; Fistula ; Follow-Up Studies ; Geriatrics ; Humans ; Lung Neoplasms ; Mortality ; Pneumonectomy* ; Pneumonia ; Postoperative Complications ; Respiratory Distress Syndrome, Adult ; Retrospective Studies ; Survival Rate ; Vocal Cord Paralysis

BACKGROUND: Many recent results of clinical trials show that pre-operative concurrent chemoradiotherapy and surgical resection could increase the survival of N2 positive stage IIIA non-small cell lung cancer. This study was performed to assess the feasibility, toxicity, and affect rates of concurrent chemoradiotherapy and surgical resection in N2 positive stage IIIA non-small cell lung cancer. MATERIAL AND METHOD: Thirty-one patients who underwent preoperative concurrent chemoradiotherapy for N2 positive stage IIIA non-small-cell lung cancer from May 1997 to April 1999 were entered into the study. Mean age was 61 yrs (43-70 yrs), There were 24 men and 7 women. The confirmation of N2 disease were achieved through mediastinoscopic biopsy (24) and CT scans (7). Induction was achieved by two cycles of cisplatin and etoposide(EP) plus concurrent chest radiotherapy to 45 Gy. Resections were done at 3 weeks after the complection of preoperative concurrent chemoradiotherapy. Resections were performed in 23 patients, excluding 5 refusals and 3 distant metastasis. All patients were compled the thoracic radiotherapy except one who had distant metastasis. Twenty three patients were completed the planned 2 cycles of EP chemotherapy, and 8 patients were received only 1 cycle for severe side effects (6), refusal (1), and distant metastasis(1). There was one postoperative mortality, and the cause of death was ARDS. Three patients who had neutropenic fever and one patient who had radiation pneumonitis were required admission and treatment. Esophagitis was the most common acute side effect, but relatively well-tolerated in most patients. The complection rate of concurrent chemoradiotherapy was 74%, resection rate was 71%, pathologic complete remission rate was 13.6%, and pathologic down-staging rate was 68%. CONCLUSION: Morbidity related to each treatment was acceptable and many of the patients have benefited down staging of its disease. Further prospective, preferably randomized, clinical trials of larger scale may be warranted to confirm the actual benefit of preoperative concurrent chemoradiotherapy and surgical resection in N2-positive stage IIIA non-small cell lung cancer.
Biopsy ; Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung ; Cause of Death ; Chemoradiotherapy* ; Cisplatin ; Disulfiram ; Drug Therapy ; Esophagitis ; Female ; Fever ; Humans ; Lung Neoplasms ; Male ; Mortality ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Radiation Pneumonitis ; Radiotherapy ; Thorax ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed

BACKGROUND: Sleeve lobectomy of the main bronchus has been proposed to spare lung tissue in patients who cannot tolerate pneumonectomy because of impaired lung function. The purpose of this study was to evaluate whether sleeve lobectomy can preserve lung function as expected from preoperative evaluation of lung function in patients with non-small cell lung cancer. METHOD: Between January 1995 and March 1998, 15 patients with non-small cell lung cancer who underwent sleeve resection were evaluated. Preoperative evaluations included spirometry and quantitative lung perfusion scan, from which predicted postoperative FEV1 was calculated. At least 3 months after operation follow up spirometry and bronchoscopy were performed. Predicted FEV1 was compared with measured postoperative FEV1. RESULT: Fourteen men and one woman, with median age of 58 years, were reviewed. The diagnosis was squamous cell carcinoma in 13 patients and adenocarcinoma of lung in 2 patients. Our results showed a excellent preservation of pulmonary function after sleeve lobectomy. Correlation between the predicted (mean, 2180 +/- 570mL) and measured FEV1 (mean, 2293 +/- 499mL) was good ( r = 0.67, P< 0.05 ). Furthermore, patient with low FEV1 (<2L) showed improved lung function after sleeve lobectomy. CONCLUSION: These findings indicated a complete recovery of the reimplanted lung lobes after sleeve lobectomy. Therefore, this technique could be safely used in lung cancer patients with impaired lung function.
Adenocarcinoma ; Bronchi ; Bronchoscopy ; Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung ; Carcinoma, Squamous Cell ; Diagnosis ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Lung Neoplasms* ; Lung* ; Male ; Perfusion ; Pneumonectomy ; Respiratory Function Tests ; Spirometry

PURPOSE: This is to evaluate the acute complication, resection rate, and tumor down-staging after pre-operative concurrent chemoradiotherapy for stage IIIA (N2) non-small cell lung cancer. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Fifteen patients with non-small cell lung cancer were enrolled in this study from May 1997 to June 1998 in Samsung Medical Center. The median age of the patients was 61 (range, 45~67) years and male to female ratio was 12:3. Pathologic types were squamous cell carcinoma (11) and adenocarcinoma (4). Pre-operative clinical tumor stages were cT1 in 2 patients, cT2 in 12, and cT3 in 1 and all were N2. Ten patients were proved to be N2 with mediastinoscopic biopsy and five had clinically evident mediastinal lymph node metastases on the chest CT scans. Pre-operative radiation therapy field included the primary tumor, the ipsilateral hilum, and the mediastinum. Total radiation dose was 45 Gy over 5 weeks with daily dose of 1.8 Gy. Pre-operative concurrent chemotherapy consisted of two cycles of intravenous cis-Platin (100 mg/m2) on day 1 and oral Etoposide (50 mg/m2/day) on days 1 through 14 with 4 weeks' interval. Surgery was followed after the pre-operative re-evaluation including chest CT scan in 3 weeks of the completion of the concurrent chemoradiotherapy if there was no evidence of disease progression. RESULTS: Full dose radiation therapy was administered to all the 15 patients. Planned two cycles of chemotherapy was completed in 11 patients and one cycle was given to four. One treatment related death of acute respiratory distress syndrome occurred in 15 days of surgery. Hospital admission was required in three patients including one with radiation pneumonitis and two with neutropenic fever. Hematologic complications and other acute complications including esophagitis were tolerable. Resection rate was 92.3% (12/13) in 13 patients excluding two patients who refused surgery. Pleural seeding was found in one patient after thoracotomy and tumor resection was not feasible. Post-operative tumor stagings were pT0 in 3 patients, pT1 in 6, and pT2 in 3. Lymph node status findings were pN0 in 8 patients, pN1 in 1, and pN2 in 3. Pathologic tumor down-staging was 61.5% (8/13) including complete response in three patients (23.7%). Tumor stage was unchanged in four patients (30.8%) and progression was in one (7.7%). CONCLUSION: Pre-operative concurrent chemoradiotherapy for Stage IIIA (N2) non-small cell lung cancer demonstrated satisfactory results with no increased severe acute complications. This treatment scheme deserves more patient accrual with long-term follow-up.
Adenocarcinoma ; Biopsy ; Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung* ; Carcinoma, Squamous Cell ; Chemoradiotherapy* ; Disease Progression ; Drug Therapy ; Esophagitis ; Etoposide ; Female ; Fever ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Lymph Nodes ; Male ; Mediastinum ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Radiation Pneumonitis ; Respiratory Distress Syndrome, Adult ; Thoracotomy ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed

BACKGROUND: Minimally invasive direct coronary artery bypass surgery(MIDCAB) has been increasing in interest along with the new techniques in myocardial immobilization for easier and safer procedures. Until the opening of the era of new techniques, adequate accuracy and good patency of grafts were debatable. Our experiences of MIDCAB were studied according to the stages of technical developments. Material and Methods: Since March 1996, 55 patients have undergone MIDCAB procedures. The patients of off-pump CABG(no cardiopulmonary bypass under full sternotomy) were excluded from the study. In the early experience(Stage I), a left anterior small thoracotomy through the left parasternal incision was performed(n=6); then an approach through the lower partial sternotomy was used(Stage II, n=33); and recently, a chest wall elevator for harvesting the internal thoracic artery and the foot plate for myocardial immobilization have been used(USSC, Norwalk, CT)(Stage III, n=16). RESULT: The surgical procedures of four patients in the Stage II group have been converted to conventional bypass because of the deeply seated left anterior descending coronary artery in two patients, fracture of the calcific lesion in the right coronary artery in one patient, and a cardiogenic shock during hypothermia in the other patient with ventricular dysfunction. Two patients in stage II experienced symptomatic recurrences after surgery and restenosis was verified on angiocardiography. They were managed by interventional procedures. All the other patients were doing well without symptoms, except one patients in Stage II who underwent PTCA procedure for a lesion in the circumflex artery during the follow up period. CONCLUSION: The new and specialized devices are essential to the development of MIDCAB surgery. MIDCAB and the hybrid procedures in multi-vessel disease are on the way to further development. So far, our experience is limited only to a single device among the many new devices for the purpose.
Angiocardiography ; Arteries ; Cardiopulmonary Bypass ; Coronary Artery Bypass ; Coronary Vessels ; Elevators and Escalators ; Follow-Up Studies ; Foot ; Humans ; Hypothermia ; Immobilization ; Mammary Arteries ; Recurrence ; Shock, Cardiogenic ; Sternotomy ; Surgical Procedures, Minimally Invasive ; Thoracic Wall ; Thoracotomy ; Transplants ; Ventricular Dysfunction

BACKGROUND: Use of the left internal thoracic artery(ITA) to bypass the left anterior descending(LAD) coronary artery has become the standard of care based on its superior graft patency, reduced cardiac events, and enhanced survival. But rarely we encountered with injury to the artery during harvesting which leads to loss of the merits of surgery. We reconstructed inadequate ITAa with other arterial conduits so proximal stump to be a blood source if possible. MATERIAL AND METHOD: Between January 1996 and March 1999, 12 patients received bypass with the reconstructed left internal thoracic artery grafts to left anterior descending artery because of an injury(n=8), short or small(n=4). Right or left ITA was used to LAD as a free graft(n=2). And the other 10 left ITAs were extended with radial artery(n=6), right ITA(n=3), saphenous vein(n=1). Composite "T" graft was made with other arterial conduits in these extended graft(n=5). RESULT: There was only one morbidity of minor would problem, and no mortality. The patency of extended graft to LAD was complete in 5 patients who received angiography during the period of 2wks to 2 years postoperative, but one of side branch of "T" graft occluded. All of these patients were well. CONCLUSION: Reconstructive extension with the use of other arterial conduit for the injured proximal ITA is warranted in any patients with acceptable results.
Angiography ; Arteries* ; Coronary Vessels ; Humans ; Mammary Arteries* ; Mortality ; Standard of Care ; Transplants*

BACKGROUND: Increasing interest in the use of arterial conduites is based on the better patency of the internal thoracic artery(ITA) than the saphenous vein graft and the hope that other arterial conuits will perform similarly over the long term. MATERIAL AND METHOD: Between May 1997 and July 1998, 43 patients underwent coronary artery bypass grafting with ITA and the radial artery(RA). There were 28 men and 15 women with a mean age of 61.5 years(range, 35 to 78). In 43 patents, 30 bilateral ITA(including 7 diabetes mellitus, 5 more older 70 years), 8 bilateral ITA only, 2 left ITA and both RA, 11 left ITA and left RA and 22 both ITA and left RA were used. RESULT: There was 1 hospital mortality. Of the 42 patients alive, 39 patients are asymptomatic. Postoperative complications were postoperative bleeding in 1 patients, and low cardiac output syndrome in 3. Follow-up angiography was performed in 5 patients after the operation(mean 3 months), and all ITA & RA grafts showed excellent results. CONCLUSION: We conclude that complete arterial revascularization with internal thoracic artery and radial artery is technically feasiale with low mortality and morbidity, and but long term follow-up is needed.
Angiography ; Cardiac Output, Low ; Coronary Artery Bypass* ; Coronary Vessels* ; Diabetes Mellitus ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Hemorrhage ; Hope ; Hospital Mortality ; Humans ; Male ; Mammary Arteries ; Mortality ; Postoperative Complications ; Radial Artery* ; Saphenous Vein ; Transplants

BACKGROUND: Recent advances in understanding the anatomy of the complete atrioventricular septal defect(including right-dominant unbalanced atrioventricular septal defect) have led to alternative methods of repairing these defects. MATERIAL AND METHOD: From May 1997 to July 1998, 8 consecutive infants(age range, 2 to 28 months, mean body weight 6.0+/-2.2 kg) received a single-stage intracardiac repair of the complete atrioventricular septal defect with modified surgical methods. Depending on the specific anatomic structure, the procedure was simplified in 3 patients by a direct closure of the ventricular element of the defect(Group I). Two patients judged unsuitable for direct closure due to a potential left ventricular outflow tract obstruction had received a standard two-patch repair(Group II). The remaining 3 patients with right-dominant unbalanced complete atrioventricular septal defect underwent biventricular repair; to enlarge the orifice of the left atrioventricular valve, the ventricular septal patch was placed slightly more to the right of the ventricular crest, a left sided bridging leaflet was augmented with an autologous pericardial patch, and the leaflet was repaired with a double- orifice(Group III . RESULT: In all 8 patients, the postoperative echocardiography demonstrated good hemodynamics. Seven patients were weaned from the ventilators after a mean 3+/-1 days, and 1 patient was weaned after 24 days due to a reoperation and emphysematous lung problem. A reoperation was performed in 1 patient for progressive left atrioventricular valve regurgitation due to leaflet tearing. There were no early and late mortalities. At the time of the latest review, judging from the echocardiographic criteria, left atrioventricular valve stenosis was mild in 1 patient(mean pressure gradient 6.5 mmHg, 13.5%), left atrioventricular valve regurgitation was absent or grade I in 7 patients(87.5%). The right atrioventricular valve regurgitation was absent or grade I in all 8 patients(100%). CONCLUSION: Infants with complete atrioventricular septal defect were treated with either a simplified approach with direct closure of the ventricular element of the defect or a modified surgical technique for a right-dominant unbalanced atrioventricular septal defect, depending on the anatomic structure. The results were no operative mortalities and low morbidity.
Body Weight ; Constriction, Pathologic ; Echocardiography ; Hemodynamics ; Humans ; Infant ; Lung ; Mortality ; Reoperation ; Ventilators, Mechanical

Minimally invasive coronary artery bypass grafting without using cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) is a recently accepted modality of myocardial revascularization prcedures which is particularly suitable to the patients with lesions in the left anterior descending (LAD) and the right coronary arteries. Of the consecutive 35 patients of coronary artery bypass grafting performed at Sejong General Hospital from March to August 1996, six patients underwent minimally invasive coronary artery bypass grafting without CPB. All had stenotic lesions of the LAD more than 90%. Bypass grafting of the LAD was approached through midline sternotomy in one, through ministernotomy in two, and through limited left anterior thoracotomy in three patients, respectively. The internal mammary arteries were prepared without the use of thoracoscope. The mobilized mammary arteries were connected directly to the LAD in 5 patients, and the anastomosis required interposition of a segment of the radial artery in the remaining one. The diagonal branch was revascularized with the saphenous vein graft at the same time in one patient. No blood transfusion was necessary in 2 patients, and average blood required during surgery was 800ml in 4 patients. All patients were extubated from 4 to 14 hours (mean 9 hours) after operation. Early postoperative coronary angiography in 5 patients between 7 and 10 days after surgery has proved full patency of the grafts. With these limited clinical experiences, the clinical results demonstrated that minimally invasive coronary artery bypass grafting without CPB is an useful procedure especially in patients with isolated lesion in the proximal LAD.
Blood Transfusion ; Cardiopulmonary Bypass ; Coronary Angiography ; Coronary Artery Bypass* ; Coronary Vessels* ; Hospitals, General ; Humans ; Mammary Arteries ; Myocardial Revascularization ; Radial Artery ; Saphenous Vein ; Sternotomy ; Surgical Procedures, Minimally Invasive ; Thoracoscopes ; Thoracotomy ; Transplants

Recent advances in understanding the anatomy of complete atrioventricular septal defect have led to alternative methods of repairing these defects. Here we report two cases of complete atrioventricular septal defect repair by direct closure of the ventricular element of the defect. Follow-up for average of 3 months suggests that, when direct closure can be performed, the results can be comparable with those of the standard technique. Our initial success with this approach is encouraging; however, longer follow-up and more experiences are required to establish whether it will be broadly applicable.
Follow-Up Studies