A P Yim

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..Advances in video camera technology and instrumentation have allowed more therapeutic manoeuvres to be carried out. We conclude that VATS is a safe and effective way of managing selected patients with pleural effusions...

..We reviewed and analyzed our data on video-assisted thoracic surgery (VATS) thymectomy and present the clinical outcomes according to the Myasthenia Gravis Foundation of America classification...

..This review presents an appraisal of current lung cancer staging modalities, and presents an overview of recent developments in molecular staging...

..Video-assisted thoracic surgery lobectomy was successfully performed for this condition. Limitations of embolization as a treatment modality for this condition are discussed...

..A thoracic surgeon's perspective on the use of thoracoscopy and video-assisted thoracic surgery with a focus on surgical techniques in the current management of this condition is presented...

..Thymectomy is an established therapy in the management of myasthenia gravis (MG) used in conjunction with medical treatment. The optimal surgical approach to thymectomy, however, has remained controversial...

..We have found that turning the camera 180 degrees restores the normal spatial relationship. This simple maneuver allows the operator to use the existing camera and instrument ports to his or her best ergonomic advantage...

..Few surgeons worldwide currently perform video-assisted thoracoscopic (VAT) lobectomy. We conducted a questionnaire survey of this selected group of surgeons to gain insight into their current practice...

..We determined the feasibility, safety, and short-term efficacy of bronchoscopic placement of a one-way endobronchial valve in selected bronchopulmonary segments as an alternative to surgical lung volume reduction...

..The authors review the development of this technique, the basic operative strategies and the current surgical indications. Technical pitfalls and future developments are also discussed...

..There are few, detailed descriptions of this technique in the literature. This article reviews the current status of VATS major resection with emphasis on its controversies, techniques, and results...

..A previous operation is generally considered to be a relative contraindication to the minimal access approach. We reviewed our combined experience from three centers with video-assisted thoracic surgery on reoperated chests...

..The technique is still continually evolving, and refinement of instrumentation promises to further reduce surgical trauma in selected procedures...

..We investigated the cytokine responses following VATS and conventional lobectomy for clinical stage I lung cancer...

..The video-assisted thoracic surgery (VATS) approach for thoracodorsal sympathectomy has been well accepted. We report the use of ultra-fine thoracoscopic equipment for this procedure, based on the experience from two centers in Asia...

..Technology will continue to change. Carefully conducted clinical trials should precede the general acceptance of any new technology, no matter how attractive it may appear initially...

..This is the first clinical report on the feasibility study of two new devices (monopolar Floating Ball and bipolar Sealing Forceps; TissueLink Medical Inc, Dover NH) that incorporated the novel technology of saline enhanced thermal sealing...

..We report a case of video-assisted thoracic surgery lobectomy in a 32-year-old woman with an intrapulmonary sequestration in the left lower lobe...

..The long-term results of VAT are being awaited in order to define its true merits in thoracic surgery...

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..This report reviews the use of an upper T mini-sternotomy approach to aortic valve surgery...

..We conclude that VATS major lung resection is technically feasible in selected patients and associated with favorable intermediate-term results...

..We report here our experience with staged MIDCAB and PTCA in the management of a selected group of patients. METHODS and..

..In this study, we compared the results of VATS major lung resection performed by surgical trainees with those performed by experienced thoracic surgeons with specialist interest in VATS...

..We reviewed our experience with adopting MIDCAB in the management of patients with three-vessel coronary artery disease over an 8 month period...

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..Further investigation is necessary to improve the effect...

..CONCLUSION: The use of cardiopulmonary bypass alone without global myocardial ischemia secondary to aortic crossclamping and cardioplegic cardiac arrest can trigger intense inflammatory responses...

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..Research along these lines is expected to help in the development of ideal therapeutic strategies to minimize the inflammatory response and subsequent myocardial injury associated with cardiac surgery...

..CONCLUSIONS: Video-assisted thoracic surgery pulmonary resection for cancer in patients with poor lung function can achieve acceptable functional and oncologic outcome...

..The mechanism is related to preservation of the membrane hyperpolarization and reversal of the potassium-induced membrane depolarization of the smooth muscle cell...

..1+/-0.3 vs. 3.0+/-0.2 mV, P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Storage with Celsior and ST solutions reduces the EDHF-mediated endothelial function (hyperpolarization and associated relaxation) in porcine small resistance coronary arteries...

..This project therefore examined the effect of the copper chelator penicillamine on saphenous vein graft thickening in a pig model...

..This impairment may affect the lung function during the reperfusion period after lung transplantation...

..Supplementation of nicorandil in hyperkalemic cardioplegia may provide a protective effect on EDHF-related endothelial function...

..This report reviews the use of intraoperative angiography in the critical appraisal of "off-pump" coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery...

..55.8 +/- 7.6%, p > 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: In the coronary arteries, procaine has a depolarizing effect but it enhances EDHF-mediated relaxation. Addition of procaine in cardioplegia did not change the EDHF-mediated endothelial function...

..CONCLUSIONS: Both NO and EDHF play an important role in regulation of porcine pulmonary arterial and venous tones. The more significant role of NO and EDHF is revealed in pulmonary arteries than in veins...

..It was suggested, therefore, that co-administration of nitric oxide with aspirin may compensate for these limitations. A drug class that fulfills this pharmacologic criterion is nitric oxide-donating aspirin (NCX 4016)...

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..Alternatives to suture snaring should be considered whenever an atherosclerotic artery is to be grafted without cardiopulmonary bypass...

..We present our experience with the care of patients undergoing LVVR...

..The benefits of surgical management must be balanced against the potential risks to health-care workers...

..The administration of this endothelin 1(A) receptor antagonist might therefore be therapeutically effective in preventing late vein graft failure in patients undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting...

..Whether differences in immunological and biochemical mediators contribute towards improved long-term survival following video-assisted thoracoscopic major lung resection for cancer remains to be confirmed...

..Importantly, phenotypic changes were maintained at 3 months. Induction of SMC apoptosis by transient p53 overexpression positively influenced vein graft remodeling...

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..This report is unique in documenting the natural history of progression of this condition. Bullectomy was performed using the video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery approach...

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..This method allows immediate appraisal of the graft, hence enabling the surgeon to revise any graft or anastomosis abnormality immediately and to verify optimal results of beating heart operations...

..This technique utilizes video-assistance but does not require dedicated endoscopic surgical instruments. With this method complete mobilization of the entire length of the artery can be easily achieved...

..Their benefits have not been conclusively proven but could be more significant when CPB and ischemic times are longer, such as during heart transplantation (HTx) or heart-lung transplantation (HLTx)...

..In conclusion, our study demonstrates that the production of TXB(2) is increased in lung tumor tissues and that such an increase can result in lipid peroxidation which may be met by an elevation in Bcl-2 expression...

..We investigate the effect of continuing ventilation during cardiopulmonary bypass on inflammatory reactions and cardiopulmonary function...

..The relation between cigarette smoking and iNOS in human lung cancer is unknown...

..However, the in vivo as well as the longer term impact of this intervention remain unknown...

..This is a randomized phase II study designed to compare the toxicity profile of a non-platinum-based with a platinum-based regimen in the treatment of advanced non-small cell lung cancer...

..We studied the role of antagonists for both ET(A) and ET(B) receptors in vasoconstriction mediated by endothelin-1 and other vasoconstrictors in the human internal mammary artery (IMA)...

..This study was designed to evaluate the efficacy and tolerability of sequential administration of irinotecan and cisplatin and then docetaxel in patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC)...

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..CONCLUSIONS: Electroacupuncture may reduce narcotic analgesic usage in the early postoperative period. A prospective randomized controlled trial using different electroacupuncture frequency is warranted to verify this benefit...

..Important examples of diagnostic and therapeutic indications are then discussed, with special emphasis on the potential complications specific to MITS, and their prevention and management...

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..Perioperative plasma calcium levels were normal in patients who had hyperamylasemia. Our results indicate that hyperamylasemia after bypass surgery is not related to the use of cardiopulmonary bypass or the mode of surgical access...

..We hypothesized that the upregulation of FHL2 is proportional to the degree of myocardial injury and investigated the myocardial expression of FHL2 together with these cytokine messenger RNAs (mRNAs) during clinical CPB...

..Recent developments in robotic surgery for the management of mediastinal tumours are promising, however, long-term results are pending...

..To evaluate the efficacy of a continuous thoracic paravertebral infusion of bupivacaine for pain management in patients with unilateral multiple fractured ribs (MFR)...

..Accumulating evidence to date indicates that a balance between pro- and antiinflammatory responses is crucial in limiting the extent of such systemic inflammatory injury following surgical myocardial revascularization...

..We present here an account of how some Chinese surgeons struggled to establish a new specialty in a country that makes up more than one fifth of the world population...

..The preliminary data remain encouraging and suggest that a larger study with long-term follow-up care is warranted...

..1 mV, [p = 0.3] vs control). CONCLUSIONS: HTK is superior to UW solution in protecting EDHF-mediated endothelial function in porcine small coronary arteries. The present findings supports the use of HTK solution in heart preservation...

..One such approach is the use of nonpenetrating titanium clips. We evaluated the quality of anastomoses achieved using this technique in a porcine model of saphenous vein-carotid artery grafting using scanning electron microscopy...

..In addition, physicians should be alert to the possibility of an interaction with herbal medicine when anticoagulation control becomes difficult and no other causes are apparent...

..We used a ministernotomy approach for aortic valve replacement in a patient with osteogenesis imperfecta, with clear benefits and a satisfactory outcome...

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..This approach produces results comparable to the other conventional surgical techniques for excision. This article describes the operative procedure and summarizes the advantages of this approach...

..Its clinical relevance needs to be further defined...

..CONCLUSIONS: Positive tumor and plasma p16M indicate advanced staging in NSCLC. Patients with plasma and preresection pleural lavage p16M have shorter survival. Further research in this direction is warranted...

..Intraoperative modifications aiming at limiting lung injury are discussed. The potential benefits of maintaining ventilation and pulmonary artery perfusion during CPB warrant further investigation...

..We report the first randomized trial to assess the use of pre-emptive local anesthesia in video-assisted thoracic surgery (VATS)...

..The alteration is more profound with EC than UW solution and in veins than in arteries. The findings urge further studies on lung preservation solutions...

..The clinical relevance of better preserved cellular immunity in the early postoperative period warrants confirmation from large randomized trials...

..Thomas at 4 degrees C but not at 37 degrees C; and (2) as an additive, nicorandil may fully restore EDHF-mediated endothelial function after prolonged H-R...

..Clinicians should be aware of the immunosuppressive effects associated with cardiopulmonary bypass, and the consequent potential for tuberculosis reactivation...

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..Within a short period of time, video assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) has revolutionised the practice of thoracic surgery. Most of the existing literature, however, is concentrated on the technical aspects...

..We recommend that this technique receive further investigation...

..We report our early experience with partial left ventriculectomy done by a group of cardiac surgeons in the Asia-Pacific region...

..Addition of EET(11,12) into cardioplegic solution may partially restore EDHF-mediated function reduced by exposure to hyperkalemia...

..Although the vasorelaxing effect is not the primary advantage of this drug when it is used for angiogenesis, such effect may be advantageous in patients who also need a coronary artery bypass operation...