Cherry Hemangioma Treated Using the Pharaon LipoⓇ Laser: A Report of Two Cases / 대한피부과학회지

A cherry hemangioma is a type of capillary hemangioma that commonly occurs in older adults. Despite its benign nature, treatment is often required for cosmetically unacceptable lesions, and therapeutic options include electrocoagulation, sclerotherapy, cryotherapy, or laser therapy. Laser therapy using a V-beam and long-pulsed neodymium-doped yttrium aluminum garnet laser has shown favorable outcomes in patients with hemangiomas. We report two cases of cherry hemangiomas treated with the ‘Pharaon LipoⓇ laser’, an advanced and powerful diode laser that is not commonly used for hemangiomas but is selected for lipolysis and varicose vein coagulation. A 64-year-old German man presented with a several-decade history of multiple erythematous maculopapules on his chest, and a 30-year-old Korean man presented with a one-year history of similar lesions on his abdomen. Histopathological evaluation of biopsy specimens confirmed diagnosis of cherry hemangiomas. We successfully treated these lesions using the Pharaon Lipo Ⓡlaser without any adverse effect.

Cherry Hemangioma Treated Using the Pharaon LipoⓇ Laser: A Report of Two Cases / 대한피부과학회지

A cherry hemangioma is a type of capillary hemangioma that commonly occurs in older adults. Despite its benign nature, treatment is often required for cosmetically unacceptable lesions, and therapeutic options include electrocoagulation, sclerotherapy, cryotherapy, or laser therapy. Laser therapy using a V-beam and long-pulsed neodymium-doped yttrium aluminum garnet laser has shown favorable outcomes in patients with hemangiomas. We report two cases of cherry hemangiomas treated with the ‘Pharaon LipoⓇ laser’, an advanced and powerful diode laser that is not commonly used for hemangiomas but is selected for lipolysis and varicose vein coagulation. A 64-year-old German man presented with a several-decade history of multiple erythematous maculopapules on his chest, and a 30-year-old Korean man presented with a one-year history of similar lesions on his abdomen. Histopathological evaluation of biopsy specimens confirmed diagnosis of cherry hemangiomas. We successfully treated these lesions using the Pharaon Lipo Ⓡlaser without any adverse effect.

Clinical Outcomes of Atypical Inflammatory Variants of Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm

Background@#Most abdominal aortic aneurysms are degenerative atherosclerotic aneurysms. Inflammatory or infected abdominal aortic aneurysms, which show a slightly different clinical course, are rarely encountered in clinical settings. Therefore, we aimed to investigate the clinical course of these variants of abdominal aortic aneurysms. @*Methods@#This retrospective study included 32 patients with atypical inflammatory or infected abdominal aortic aneurysms who underwent emergent graft replacement between November 1997 and December 2017. Patients were followed up at the outpatient clinic for a mean period of 4.9±6.9 years. We analyzed the patients’ clinical course and compared it with that of patients with atherosclerotic abdominal aortic aneurysms. @*Results@#There was 1 surgical mortality (3.0%) in a case complicated by aneurysmal free rupture. In 2 cases of infected abdominal aortic aneurysms, anastomotic complications developed immediately postoperatively. During the follow-up period, 10 patients (30%) developed graft complications, and 9 of them underwent reoperations; of these, 2 patients (22.2%) died of postoperative complications after the second operation, whereas 2 patients survived despite graft occlusion. @*Conclusion@#Patients with inflammatory abdominal aneurysms frequently develop postoperative graft complications requiring secondary surgical treatment, so they require close mandatory postoperative follow-up.

Prognostic Significance of Cigarette Smoking in Association with Histologic Subtypes of Resected Lung Adenocarcinoma

BACKGROUND@#Smokers with lung adenocarcinoma have a worse prognosis than those who have never smoked; the reasons for this are unclear. We aimed to elucidate the impact of smoking on patients’ prognosis and the association between smoking and clinicopathologic factors, particularly histologic subtypes.@*METHODS@#We reviewed the records of 233 patients with pathologic stage T1-4N0-2M0 lung adenocarcinomas who underwent surgery between January 2004 and July 2015. The histologic subtypes of tumors were reassessed according to the 2015 World Health Organization classification.@*RESULTS@#In total, 114 patients had a history of smoking. The overall survival probabilities differed between never-smokers and ever-smokers (80.8% and 65.1%, respectively; p=0.003). In multivariate analyses, the predominant histologic subtype was an independent poor prognostic factor. Smoking history and tumor size >3 cm were independent predictors of solid or micropapillary (SOL/MIP)-predominance in the logistic regression analysis. Smoking quantity (pack-years) in patients with SOL/MIP-predominant tumors was greater than in those with lepidic-predominant tumors (p=0.000). However, there was no significant difference in smoking quantity between patients with SOL/MIP-predominant tumors and those whose tumors had non-predominant SOL/MIP components (p=0.150).@*CONCLUSION@#Smoking was found to be closely associated with SOL/MIP-predominance in lung adenocarcinoma. Greater smoking quantity was related to the presence of a SOL/MIP component.

Prognostic Significance of Cigarette Smoking in Association with Histologic Subtypes of Resected Lung Adenocarcinoma / 대한흉부외과학회지

BACKGROUND: Smokers with lung adenocarcinoma have a worse prognosis than those who have never smoked; the reasons for this are unclear. We aimed to elucidate the impact of smoking on patients’ prognosis and the association between smoking and clinicopathologic factors, particularly histologic subtypes. METHODS: We reviewed the records of 233 patients with pathologic stage T1-4N0-2M0 lung adenocarcinomas who underwent surgery between January 2004 and July 2015. The histologic subtypes of tumors were reassessed according to the 2015 World Health Organization classification. RESULTS: In total, 114 patients had a history of smoking. The overall survival probabilities differed between never-smokers and ever-smokers (80.8% and 65.1%, respectively; p=0.003). In multivariate analyses, the predominant histologic subtype was an independent poor prognostic factor. Smoking history and tumor size >3 cm were independent predictors of solid or micropapillary (SOL/MIP)-predominance in the logistic regression analysis. Smoking quantity (pack-years) in patients with SOL/MIP-predominant tumors was greater than in those with lepidic-predominant tumors (p=0.000). However, there was no significant difference in smoking quantity between patients with SOL/MIP-predominant tumors and those whose tumors had non-predominant SOL/MIP components (p=0.150). CONCLUSION: Smoking was found to be closely associated with SOL/MIP-predominance in lung adenocarcinoma. Greater smoking quantity was related to the presence of a SOL/MIP component.

Risk Factors of On-Pump Conversion during Off-Pump Coronary Artery Bypass Graft

BACKGROUND: Off-pump coronary artery bypass grafting (OPCABG) procedures can avoid the complications of an on-pump bypass. However, some cases unexpectedly require conversion to cardiopulmonary bypass during OPCABG. The risk factors associated with a sudden need for cardiopulmonary bypass were analyzed. METHODS: This retrospective study included 283 subjects scheduled for OPCABG from 2001 to 2010. These were divided into an OPCABG group and an on-pump conversion group. Preoperative, operative, and postoperative variables were compared between the 2 groups. RESULTS: Of the 283 patients scheduled for OPCABG, 47 (16%) were switched to on-pump coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG). The mortality of the both the OPCABG and on-pump conversion groups was not significantly different. The major risk factors for conversion to on-pump CABG were congestive heart failure (CHF) (odds ratio [OR], 3.5; p=0.029), ejection fraction (EF) <35% (OR, 4.4; p=0.012), and preoperative beta-blocker (BB) administration (OR, 0.3; p=0.007). The use of intraoperative (p=0.007) and postoperative (p=0.021) inotropics was significantly higher in the conversion group. The amount of postoperative drainage (p<0.001) and transfusion (p<0.001) also was significantly higher in the conversion group. There were no significant differences in stroke or cardiovascular complications between the groups over the course of short-term and long-term follow-up. CONCLUSION: Patients who undergo OPCABG and have CHF or a lower EF (<35%) are more likely to undergo on-pump conversion, while preoperative BB administration could help prevent conversions from OPCABG to on-pump CABG.

Brachial Plexus Injury Caused by Indwelling Axillary Venous Pacing Leads

A 64-year-old male patient underwent cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) device implantation via the axillary venous approach. Two weeks later, the patient started complaining of "electric shock-like" pain in the left axillary area. During physical examination, typical pain in the left axillary area was reproduced whenever his left shoulder was passively abducted more than 60 degrees. Fluoroscopic examination showed that the left ventricle (LV) and right atrium (RA) leads were positioned at an acute angle directing towards the left brachial plexus whenever the patient's shoulder was passively abducted. Brachial plexus irritation by the angulated CRT leads was strongly suspected. To relieve the acute angulation, we had to adjust the entry site of the LV and RA leads from the distal to the proximal axillary vein using the cut-down method. After successful lead repositioning, the neuropathic pain improved rapidly. Although transvenous pacing lead-induced nerve injury is not a frequent complication, this possibility should be kept in mind by the operators.

Obturator Bypass Surgery in a Patient with an Infected Femoral Artery Rupture after Performed ECMO: A case report / 대한흉부외과학회지

Infection of both native and prosthetic vessels in the groin is a very serious disease because of recurrent arterial rupture and sepsis, which can cause death. The successful treatment of groin infection, including infection of the femoral artery, requires extensive excision of the infected tissues and restoration of the circulation where the infected area is isolated. Here we describe a case of obturator bypass in a patient with infected femoral artery rupture that occurred after extracorporeal membrane oxygenation for myocarditis and severe heart failure.

Clinical Study of Composite Valve Graft Replacement of the Aortic Root / 대한흉부외과학회지

BACKGROUND: A composite valve graft replacement has been used for a variety of aortic root diseases. The aim of this study was to evaluate the mid-term results of this technique. MATERIAL AND METHOD: We conducted a retrospective analysis of aortic root composite valve graft replacements in 39 patients and these procedures were done at our institution between 1992 and 2009. The mean age of the patients was 49.2+/-16.4 years. The mean follow-up was 64.2+/-53.4 months (maximum: 176 months). RESULT: There were 4 hospital deaths (8.6%) due to emergency aortic dissection and 4 late deaths owing to several causes. The causes of late death were 2 ruptures of a remnant aneurysm, 1 subdural hemorrhage and 1 paravalvular leakage. The calculated survival rate was 93.5%, 85.0% and 85.0% at 1, 5 and 10 years, respectively. There were 3 cerebrovascular accidents during the follow up period. The rate of freedom from cerebrovascular accidents was 97.0%, 92.0% and 80.0% at 1, 5 and 10 years, respectively. All of these brain accidents were hemorrhage-related complications. CONCLUSION: A composite valve graft replacement of the aortic root was associated with favorable results. So, this technique seems to be a good method to treat various aortic root diseases.

Clinical Experience of the Surgical Treatment of Cardiac Tumor / 대한흉부외과학회지

BACKGROUND: Primary cardiac tumors are extremely rare. The most common type are benign myxomas, and these are almost completely curable with early surgery. Malignant tumors, however, such as sarcomas, are difficult to remove surgically, and their prognosis is known to be poor. In this study, data on patients who had undergone surgical treatment of cardiac tumor in the authors' hospital were collected and analyzed. MATERIAL AND METHOD: The subjects included 28 patients who had undergone surgical treatment of cardiac tumor from August 1993 to December 2008. Their medical records were reviewed and retrospectively analyzed. RESULT: The patients were aged from 20 to 76 years (mean age: 54.2+/-15.6), and 11 were male (39%) and 17 female (61%). Fifteen of them (54%) underwent emergency surgery to improve heart failure symptoms. The most common preoperative symptom was dyspnea (15 cases, 54%). Preoperative echocardiography was performed on all the patients. The average size of the tumor as measured during the operation was 7.0+/-6.9 cm (the average length of the long axis was 2~40 cm), and the sites of tumor attachment were the interatrial septum (18 cases, 64%), the left atrium (9 cases, 32%), the mitral valve annulus (2 cases, 7%), and the left ventricle (2 cases, 7%). The operation was performed with an incision through both atria in all the patients, and a complete excision was made in 25 cases (89%). According to the biopsy results, there were 4 cases of sarcoma (14%), 1 case of lipoma (4%), and 23 cases of myxoma (82%). The three cases in which the tumors were not completely excised were sarcomas. No operative deaths occurred after the operations. Outpatient follow-up was possible for 24 cases (86%), with a mean follow-up period of 46.8+/-42.7 months. Late death occurred in 3 of the 24 patients; each of these patients had sarcomas. Of these patients, the first had undergone two repeat surgeries, the second had metastatic sites removed, and the last had only chemotherapy. The average recurrence time was 12.7+/-10.8 months, and the average metastasis time was 20.5+/-16.8 months. CONCLUSION: Most cardiac tumors are benign myxomas. In principle, they should be surgically treated because they can create risks such as embolism, and can be radically treated when surgically removed. In most cases, however, malignant sarcomas are already considerably advanced with severe infiltration into the neighboring tissues at the time of diagnosis. The surgical removal of malignant sarcomas is known to be difficult because of the advanced stage and degree of infiltration. We suggest that excision of the removable portion of the tumor sites to alleviate symptoms such as heart failure can improve quality of life.

Repair of Ruptured Papillary Muscle of the Tricuspid Valve as a Cause of Tricuspid Insufficiency Following Blunt Chest Trauma / 대한흉부외과학회지

A 47-year-old man presented with complaints of chest pain and dyspnea caused by deceleration injury due to an automobile accident. Systolic cardiac murmur was audible at the right sternal border. An electrocardiogram showed sinus tachycardia. Transthoracic echocardiography revealed a flailing anterior leaflet of the tricuspid valve, papillary muscle rupture, and severe valve insufficiency. Rupture of papillary muscle of the anterior leaflet and chordae tendineae of the posterior leaflet were confirmed by right atrial incision under routine cardiopulmonary bypass. Artificial chordae tendineaes were implanted between the anterior and posterior leaflet and papillary muscles in the right ventricles. De-Vega annuloplasty was also added. This is a very rare case in which a surgery was done for tricuspid valve regurgitation caused by post-traumatic papillary muscle rupture.

The Clinical Outcome of Pulmonary Thromboendarterectomy for the Treatment of Chronic Pulmonary Thromboembolism / 대한흉부외과학회지

BACKGROUND: Diagnosing chronic pulmonary embolism at an early stage is difficult because of the patient's non-specific symptoms. This condition is not prevalent in Korea, and in fact, there have been only a few case reports on this in the Korean medical literature. We analyzed the surgical outcome of performing pulmonary thromboendarterectomy in patients with chronic pulmonary embolism. MATERIAL AND METHOD: The study subjects included those patients who underwent surgery for chronic pulmonary embolism from 1996 to 2008. For making the diagnosis, echocardiography, chest CT and a pulmonary perfusion scan were performed on the patients who complained of chronic dyspnea. RESULT: Pulmonary endarterectomy was performed as follows: by incision via a mid-sternal approach (7 patients); by incision via a left posterolateral approach (1 patient); using the deep hypothermic circulatory arrest technique (4 patients); under ventricular fibrillation (3 patients); and under cardioplegic arrest (1 patient). The postoperative systolic pulmonary artery blood pressure significantly decreased from a preoperative value of 78.9+/-14.5 mmHg to 45.6+/-17.6 mmHg postoperatively (p=0.000). The degree of tricuspid regurgitation was less than grade II after surgery. Two patients died early on, including one patient who had persistent pulmonary hypertension without improvement and right heart failure. CONCLUSION: Patients who have chronic pulmonary embolism are known to have a poor prognosis. However, we think that early surgical treatment along with making the proper diagnosis before the aggravation of right heart failure can help improve the quality of a patient's life.

Robot-assisted Thymectomy with the 'da Vinci' Surgical System in a Patient with Myasthenia Gravis: A case report / 대한흉부외과학회지

In the treatment of myasthenia gravis, thymectomy is generally accepted as the standard of therapy. For thymectomy, there have been various conventional open approaches including sternal splitting, but recently minimally invasive approaches have been increasingly applied. A 28-year-old man presenting with weakness of both hands and fatigability was diagnosed as having myasthenia gravis with thymic hyperplasia. He underwent a robot-assisted thymectomy with the 'da Vinci' surgical system. Through the right thoracic cavity, two thirds of the thymic gland was dissected, and the remainder was resected through the left; these procedures took, respectively, 1 hour and 30 minutes. The patient was discharged on the 8th postoperative day without complications. The minimally invasive approach with the 'da Vinci' surgical system is emerging as a popular choice and various advantages have been reported. Here we report the first successful case of robot-assisted thymectomy.

Surgical Experience of Pericardial Mesothelioma: 2 Cases / 대한흉부외과학회지

Cardiac mesotheliomas are rare. It is difficult to diagnose them at an early stage because the symptoms are nonspecific. Here we report two cases that had been initially diagnosed as constrictive pericarditis but later were definitively diagnosed, after pericardiectomy, as mesothelioma. The two patients complained of dyspnea that lasted 4 months and 10 years. Chest CT showed mild pericardial effusion and thickened pericardium, which was found enveloping the heart without any lumps. Median sternotomy showed that the overall pericardium was thickened by more than 10 mm. Pericardiectomy (phrenic nerve to phrenic nerve) was performed and post-operative histology confirmed malignant mesothelioma. In one patient the disease recurred near the pericardium post-operatively at 7 months and the patient died at 11 months. The other patient received chemotherapy and was still alive at post-operative month 16. Pericardial mesothelioma is an extremely rare disease exhibiting clinical signs similar to those of constrictive pericarditis, and should be diagnosed at an early stage of onset.

The Effect of Preoperative Clopidogrel on the Postoperative Bleeding after OPCAB / 대한흉부외과학회지

BACKGROUND: Clopidogrel is widely used just before coronary artery bypass surgery, yet its pharmacological effect can cause postoperative bleeding-related complications. The purpose of this study was to find the effect of preoperative clopidogrel exposure on the blood transfusion requirement and on the rate of reexploration for bleeding control and the rate of readmission caused by bleeding in patients who undergo off-pump coronary artery bypass surgery (OPCAB). MATERIAL AND METHOD: This study included 103 patients who had been on clopidogrel preoperatively and they underwent OPCAB by one surgeon from January, 2005 to November, 2007. We divided the patients into two groups. Group 1 consisted of 45 patients who stopped cloidogrel 5 days before surgery and group 2 consisted of 58 patients who were taking clopidogrel within 5 days before surgery. Two groups were compared in terms of the bleeding related reoperation rate and the readmission rate, the amount of postoperative bleeding and the required amount of transfusion. RESULT: There were no significant differences between the two groups concerning the demographic, echocardiographic and hematologic features. There were no significant differences in the postoperative bleeding amount, but the amount of required transfusion was greater in group 2 (p=0.018). While group 1 showed a 0% reoperation rate for hemostasis and a 0% readmission rate as related to postoperative bleeding, group 2 showed a 6.9% reoperation rate and a 5.2% readmission rate, but there were no statistically significant differences between the two groups. CONCLUSION: Continuous use of clopidogrel did not cause postoperative major bleeding, but it can increase the amount of bleeding and the amount of required transfusion postoperatively. We think that discontinuation of clopidogrel for a while before elective OPCAB can help the patient's postoperative recovery.

da Vinci Robot-Assisted Esophagectomy for Esophageal Cancer: A Case of Esophago-gastrostomy through the Retrosternal Route : A case report / 대한흉부외과학회지

Operations using the da Vinci robot have performed in for many surgeries, but the adoption of robotics to general thoracic surgery has been slow. The patient (age 74, male) visited our hospital complaining of hiccups and dysphagia. The CT scan and endoscopic biopsy revealed esophageal cancer (squamous cell carcinoma). We performed transthoracic esophagectomy using a da Vinci robot and this was followed by gastric tube mobilization via laparoscopy. Cervical esophago-gastric anastomosis was done using the hand-sewn method. The gastric tube was brought into the neck through the retrosternal route. The patient was discharged without any complications. We report here on a case of successful da Vinci robotic esophgagectomy.

The Long-term Results of a Modified Maze Procedure with Using Cryoablation / 대한흉부외과학회지

BACKGROUND: Atrial fibrillation is associated with several complications such as cerebro-vascular accidents and peripheral arterial embolism. Most of the patients who have this arrhythmia chronically feel their heart beating and so they are frightened; therefore, the quality of a patient's life is decreased. The purpose of this article is to determine the long term results of a modified Maze procedure and the factors that influence the success of the procedure. MATERIAL AND METHOD: This study enrolled 88 patients who underwent the modified Maze with using cryoablation between June, 2001 and February, 2007. The 88 consecutive patients were divided into two groups according to how the pulmonary veins were isolated, that is, with or without cryoablation. There were 58 patients who were isolated by cutting and sewing in the right pulmonary veins and by cyroablation in the left pulmonary veins in group 1 (group 1, n=58), and 30 patients who underwent isolation by cryoablation in the right & left pulmonary veins were placed in group 2 (group 2, n=30). The ECG was checked at discharge to determine the sinus conversion rate and we followed up the patients to determine whether or not the patients maintained sinus rhythm. We also checked the ECG at the last visit to determine the patients' heart rhythm. RESULT: The mean follow up time was 44.3+/-19.2 months. At discharge, 72.4% of the patients in group 1 were in proper sinus rhythm and 66.7% of the patients in group 2 were in proper sinus rhythm. At the last follow up, 81% of the patients in group 1 were in normal sinus rhythm and 60% of the patients in group 2 were in normal sinus rhythm. When we analyzed the data via the Kaplan-Meier method, 86.5% of the patients were free from atrial fibrillation (% free from AF) at 1 year, 80% of the patients were free from atrial fibrillation at 5 year in group 1 and 70% of the patients were free from atrial fibrillation at 1 year and 51% of the patients in group 2 were free from atrial fibrillation at 5 year. CONCLUSION: The modified Maze technique using cryoablation was a simple and effective procedure. But the success rate of the Maze technique using cryoblation is lower than that of the standard Maze III. The method using cryoablation shorten the operation time, but we must conduct more studies to get a better result of the modified Maze technique with using cryoablation.

Surgical Experience of the Remnant Thoracoabdominal Aortic Replacement after Aortic Surgery / 대한흉부외과학회지

BACKGROUND: Aortic diseases tend to involve the entire aorta. Hence, there is the constant possibility of the need for a secondary operation at the remnant aorta. This study analyzed our cases of secondary aortic surgery in order to determine its characteristics and problems. MATERIAL AND METHOD: Between April 2003 and June 2007, 12 patients (6 male and 6 female) underwent thoracoabdominal aortic replacement as a secondary aortic operation. Their clinical courses were analyzed. Four of the patients underwent lower thoracobadominal aortic replacement under the normothermic femorofemoral bypass, and the others underwent an entire thoracobdominal aortic replacement under deep hypothermic circulatory arrest. RESULT: There was no death or paraplegia. As local complications, there were 3 cases of wound infection and 2 cases of an immediate reoperation caused by bleeding and one case of delayed wound revision for a contaminated perigraft hematoma. As a systemic complication, there was one case of renal insufficiency, which required hemodialysis and one case of respiratory insufficiency that needed prolonged ventilator care. The mean admission period was 30+/-21 days. All the patients were followed up for 626+/-542 days without reoperation or other problems. CONCLUSION: Using properly selected patients and a careful approach, thoracoabdominal aortic replacement can be performed safely as a secondary aortic surgery.

Comparison of the Mid-term Changes at the Remnant Distal Aorta after Aortic Arch Replacement or Ascending Aortic Replacement for Treating Type A Aortic Dissection / 대한흉부외과학회지

BACKGROUND: Replacing the ascending aorta is a standard surgical option for treating acute type A aortic dissection. But replacing the aortic arch has recently been reported as an acceptable procedure for this disease. We compared the effects of aortic arch replacement for treating acute type A aortic dissection with the effects of ascending aortic replacement. MATERIAL AND METHOD: From 2002 to 2006, 25 patients underwent surgical treatment for acute type A aortic dissection. 12 patients underwent ascending aortic replacement and 13 patients underwent aortic arch replacement. Among the aortic arch group, an additional distal stent-graft was inserted during the operation in 5 patients. 19 patients (11 arch replaced patients and 8 ascending aortic replaced patients) were followed up at the out patient clinic for an average of 756+/-373 days. All the patients underwent CT scanning and we analyzed their distal aortic segments. RESULT: 4 patients who underwent ascending aortic replacement died, so the overall mortality rate was 16%. Among the 11 long term followed-up arch replacement patients, 2 patients (18.1%) developed distal aortic dilatation and one of them underwent thoracoabdominal aortic replacement later on. However, among the 8 the ascending aortic replaced patients, 5 patients (62.5%) developed distal aortic dilatation. CONCLUSION: Aortic arch replacement is one of the safe options for treating acute type A aortic dissection. Aortic arch replacement for treating acute type A aortic dissection could contribute to a reduced distal aortic dilatation rate and fewer secondary aortic procedures.

Surgical Treatment of Anastomotic Pseudoaneurysm after the Aortic Replacement / 대한흉부외과학회지

An anastomotic pseudoaneurysm after the aortic replacement surgery is a rare complication which could be lethal when it ruptures. So it should be corrected whenever it is found after the aortic surgery. The authors performed three surgical corrections in 2 cases. The first case is type B chronic aortic dissection with abdominal aortic aneurysm. After an abdominal aortic replacement, the patient developed an anastomotic pseudoaneurysm. We treated him with a thoracoabdominal aortic replacement. The second case is ruputred throacoabdominal aortic aneurysm. After a thoracoabdominal aortic replacement, the patient developed an anastomotic pseudoaneurysm in the proximal anastomosis. We treated her with aortic arch replacement. But She developed another pseudoaneurysm in the aortic root anastomotic site. So we performed secondary operation to reinforce the anastomosis. They all recovered from the operations without any complication and are being followed up.