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| No. | Article Type | Article Title | Article Page |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Clinical Research | Video-Assisted Thoracic Surgery Core Needle Biopsy for Pulmonary Nodules in Patients with Impaired Lung Function: Is It Feasible and Safe? | 1 - 5 |
| 2 | Clinical Research | Early Outcomes of COVID-19 Lung Transplantation Recipients in Korea: A Single-Center Study | 6 - 13 |
| 3 | Commentary | Commentary: Referral for Lung Transplantation Should Be Carefully Decided for Patients with COVID-19 Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome | 14 - 15 |
| 4 | Clinical Research | Early Pleurodesis for Postoperative Air Leak with Autologous Blood and 50% Glucose Solution | 16 - 22 |
| 5 | Commentary | Commentary: Early Bedside Pleurodesis for Postoperative Air Leak: Proper Indications and Agents? | 23 - 24 |
| 6 | Clinical Research | Long-term Surgical Outcomes in Oligometastatic Non-small Cell Lung Cancer: A Single-Center Study | 25 - 32 |
| 7 | Commentary | Commentary: Expanding the Surgical Indications in Lung Cancer | 33 - 34 |
| 8 | Clinical Research | Surgical Experience with Descending Necrotizing Mediastinitis: A Retrospective Analysis at a Single Center | 35 - 41 |
| 9 | Clinical Research | Surgical Outcomes of Cardiac Myxoma Resection Through Right Mini-Thoracotomy | 42 - 48 |
| 10 | Case Report | Surgical Management of a Large Right Coronary Artery to Left Ventricle Fistula in a Neonate: A Case Report | 49 - 52 |
| 11 | Case Report | Silicone Granuloma Mimicking a Lymphatic Metastasis in a Lung Cancer Patient: A Case Report | 53 - 55 |
| 12 | Case Report | Chordae Tendineae Approximation Technique for Severe Tricuspid Regurgitation with Severe Leaflet Tethering Using a Totally Endoscopic Beating-Heart Strategy: A Case Report | 56 - 58 |
| 13 | Historical Note | Historical Perspectives of the Korean Society for Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery: Pill Whoon Hong (1921–2004), A Pioneer in Cardiothoracic Surgery in Korea | 59 - 63 |
| 14 | Brief Communication | Late Fracture and Longitudinal Disruption of a Thoracic Endovascular Aortic Stent Graft | 64 - 65 |
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J Chest Surg 2023; 56(1): 14-15
Published online January 5, 2023 https://doi.org/10.5090/jcs.22.159
Copyright © Journal of Chest Surgery.
Jin Gu Lee, M.D. 
Department of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea
Correspondence to:Jin Gu Lee
Tel 82-2-2228-2140, Fax 82-2-393-6012, E-mail csjglee@yuhs.ac, ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2767-6505
This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0) which permits unrestricted non-commercial use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
Linked Article: J Chest Surg. 2023;56(1):6-13 https://doi.org/10.5090/jcs.22.055
See Article page 6.
Lung transplantation is the only option for end-stage lung disease. However, the long-term outcomes are not favorable compared to other types of solid organ transplantation, with an expected survival of 6 to 7 years after lung transplantation. The donor shortage is also always a problem. Accordingly, candidates for lung transplantation should be carefully selected.
Common disease entities in lung transplantation candidates are idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, cystic fibrosis, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, which lead to irreversible end-stage lung disease. Acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) involves potentially reversible lung damage, as many patients with ARDS can recover. Patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19)-related ARDS also should be considered as having potentially reversible damage at the time of diagnosis. The mortality rate of COVID-19-associated ARDS was 45% in the early pandemic [1].
Data and experience regarding lung transplantation in patients with ARDS are limited compared to lung transplantation for other diseases [2,3]. Lung transplantation can rescue patients with irreversibly damaged lungs from ARDS. However, the possibility of recovery from ARDS is a reason to wait before referral for lung transplantation. Case reports have stated that the inflammatory response in COVID-19 ARDS might last longer than the inflammatory response in other types of ARDS. Accordingly, referrals for lung transplantation in patients with COVID-19 ARDS should be more deliberate. Although limited data exist, experts in the field recommend waiting at least 4–6 weeks after the onset of respiratory failure due to COVID- 19 prior to considering lung transplantation [4].
The authors’ experience described here is similar to that reported from centers in Europe and North America [5]. However, the decision for referral to transplantation was quite fast. Five of 10 patients (50%) underwent lung transplantation within 50 days on extracorporeal membrane oxygenation. Given the average of 16.8 days on the waiting list, it was decided to list these 5 patients within 6 weeks. Other teams have reported lung transplantation in COVID patients many months after the original insult [6,7]. This raises a question: how did the authors know at the time of lung transplant listing that the lung injury was totally irreversible? Did these 5 patients not have the chance to recover from ARDS?
Lung transplantation is the only therapeutic option for chronic progressive end-stage lung disease. Many patients who need lung transplantation die on the waitlist because of the donor shortage. Lung transplantation could be considered for patients with COVID-19 ARDS, but sufficient time should be allowed before the referral to account for the possibility of lung recovery.
All the work was done by Jin Gu Lee.
No potential conflict of interest relevant to this article was reported.
This research did not receive any specific grant from funding agencies in the public, commercial, or not-for-profit sectors.
J Chest Surg 2023; 56(1): 14-15
Published online January 5, 2023 https://doi.org/10.5090/jcs.22.159
Copyright © Journal of Chest Surgery.
Jin Gu Lee, M.D.
Department of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea
Correspondence to:Jin Gu Lee
Tel 82-2-2228-2140, Fax 82-2-393-6012, E-mail csjglee@yuhs.ac, ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2767-6505
This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0) which permits unrestricted non-commercial use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
Linked Article: J Chest Surg. 2023;56(1):6-13 https://doi.org/10.5090/jcs.22.055
See Article page 6.
Lung transplantation is the only option for end-stage lung disease. However, the long-term outcomes are not favorable compared to other types of solid organ transplantation, with an expected survival of 6 to 7 years after lung transplantation. The donor shortage is also always a problem. Accordingly, candidates for lung transplantation should be carefully selected.
Common disease entities in lung transplantation candidates are idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, cystic fibrosis, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, which lead to irreversible end-stage lung disease. Acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) involves potentially reversible lung damage, as many patients with ARDS can recover. Patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19)-related ARDS also should be considered as having potentially reversible damage at the time of diagnosis. The mortality rate of COVID-19-associated ARDS was 45% in the early pandemic [1].
Data and experience regarding lung transplantation in patients with ARDS are limited compared to lung transplantation for other diseases [2,3]. Lung transplantation can rescue patients with irreversibly damaged lungs from ARDS. However, the possibility of recovery from ARDS is a reason to wait before referral for lung transplantation. Case reports have stated that the inflammatory response in COVID-19 ARDS might last longer than the inflammatory response in other types of ARDS. Accordingly, referrals for lung transplantation in patients with COVID-19 ARDS should be more deliberate. Although limited data exist, experts in the field recommend waiting at least 4–6 weeks after the onset of respiratory failure due to COVID- 19 prior to considering lung transplantation [4].
The authors’ experience described here is similar to that reported from centers in Europe and North America [5]. However, the decision for referral to transplantation was quite fast. Five of 10 patients (50%) underwent lung transplantation within 50 days on extracorporeal membrane oxygenation. Given the average of 16.8 days on the waiting list, it was decided to list these 5 patients within 6 weeks. Other teams have reported lung transplantation in COVID patients many months after the original insult [6,7]. This raises a question: how did the authors know at the time of lung transplant listing that the lung injury was totally irreversible? Did these 5 patients not have the chance to recover from ARDS?
Lung transplantation is the only therapeutic option for chronic progressive end-stage lung disease. Many patients who need lung transplantation die on the waitlist because of the donor shortage. Lung transplantation could be considered for patients with COVID-19 ARDS, but sufficient time should be allowed before the referral to account for the possibility of lung recovery.
All the work was done by Jin Gu Lee.
No potential conflict of interest relevant to this article was reported.
This research did not receive any specific grant from funding agencies in the public, commercial, or not-for-profit sectors.
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