Annals of thoracic and cardiovascular surgery : official journal of the Association of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgeons of Asia
-
Ann Thorac Cardiovasc Surg · Oct 2006
Randomized Controlled TrialThe efficacy of epidural analgesia after video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery: a randomized control study.
Video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) is known to reduce the severity of pain after surgery. However, it has not yet been established whether epidural anesthesia/analgesia (EA) is necessary after VATS. We therefore conducted a randomized control study to examine whether or not EA is necessary for pain control after VATS. ⋯ While EA causes nausea/vomiting in some patients, it is effective for pain control until 1 POD after VATS, especially for pain on movements.
-
Ann Thorac Cardiovasc Surg · Oct 2006
Case ReportsSpontaneous pneumomediastinum in 3rd trimester of pregnancy.
A 25-year-old primiparous woman in her third trimester (36. week) of pregnancy presented with spontaneous pneumomediastinum and cervical subcutaneous emphysema. The patient's symptoms were completely resolved after 2 weeks of supportive management. A Caesarean section was performed in 40. week under general anaesthesia resulting in the birth of a healthy infant. Spontaneous pneumomediastinum is very rare and generally dangerous for a pregnant woman and infant.
-
A 46-year-old male had a cardiac stab injury resulting in cardiac tamponade as a result of a suicide attempt using a bodkin, a sharply pointed instrument for making holes. The patient was transferred to our hospital about 12 hours after the injury. Pericardiotomy at the emergency operation revealed the penetration of the right ventricle and the hole was repaired following removal of the bodkin. Postoperative course was uneventful.
-
Ann Thorac Cardiovasc Surg · Aug 2006
Review Case ReportsSurgically removed thoracolithiasis: report of two cases.
Thoracolithiasis is a rare condition with only 12 cases of surgically removed nodules reported in the literature. We report 2 additional cases. Case 1: A 19-year-old male admitted with an abnormal shadow on a chest X-ray. ⋯ Exploratory thoracoscopy incidentally revealed some pearly material, 0.4 cm in diameter, in the thoracic cavity. They were extirpated during left upper lobectomy for lung cancer; all of them demonstrated concentric hyalinized fibrous tissue. Thoracic surgeons should consider this condition in the differential diagnosis of a peripheral pulmonary nodule.
-
Ann Thorac Cardiovasc Surg · Aug 2006
Case ReportsObstructive subglottic granuloma after removal of a minitracheostomy tube.
We report herein a patient with subglottic granuloma after removal of a minitracheostomy tube (Minitrach II, SIMS Portex Inc., Hythe, Kent, UK). The patient underwent pulmonary resection for lung cancer followed by insertion of the minitracheostomy tube for prevention of sputum retention. The tube was removed 4 days after insertion. ⋯ The granuloma was removed by coring out using a conventional tracheal tube, followed by local injection of methylprednisolone acetate. The patient is now asymptomatic without regrowth of the granulation tissue 12 weeks after the treatment. With complication in mind, attention should be paid to patients suffering dyspnea or stridor after removal of a minitracheostomy tube.