Introduction to the Clinic

Cardiovascular Thoracic Surgery provides the best and most up-to-date treatment for various thoracic diseases (lungs, esophagus, pleura) and cardiovascular diseases.

Information on related special clinics

Hyperhidrosis Clinic

Glands are evenly distributed under the skin of the entire body and play an important role in metabolism and body temperature control. They are especially abundant in the hands, feet, and armpits. If excessive sweating occurs in the sweat glands to the extent that it causes discomfort in daily life, it can be diagnosed as hyperhidrosis.

It is a disease caused by excessive activity of sweat glands controlled by the sympathetic nerves, a type of autonomic nervous system. It occurs in 1 out of 100-200 adults. Secondary hyperhidrosis occurs when there is a neurological disease in the central or peripheral nerves or when it is combined with systemic diseases such as diabetes, congestive heart disease, hyperthyroidism, acromegaly, and pheochromocytosis. Treatment of the underlying disease should be given priority in these cases.

Primary or primary hyperhidrosis mostly appears locally in the hands and armpits without a clear cause, and when mentally stressed, excessive sweating occurs, causing difficulties in performing tasks that require concentration and in interpersonal relationships, resulting in social life disorders and secondary mental atrophy. For the treatment of hyperhidrosis, it is important to treat the systemic disease causing the hyperhidrosis, and sedatives and tranquilizers help to some extent with hyperhidrosis caused by mental stress.

For localized hyperhidrosis, there are methods such as local drug application, botulinum toxin injection, and iontophoresis (a type of physical therapy). However, these treatments have limitations and side effects, so their treatment effects are not satisfactory. Surgical treatment is a method to block part of the sympathetic nerve bundle in the chest and is very effective in treating hyperhidrosis. Recently, sympathetic nerve blocking is performed using a 2mm thoracoscope. The surgery is performed by making two small incisions of about 2~4mm in the chest or armpit and inserting a 2mm thoracoscope and surgical instruments through these incisions. Both sides are performed simultaneously, the surgery time is short, postoperative pain is minimal, and discharge is possible on the same day or the next day.

Pectus excavatum (pectus excavatum) clinic

Pectus excavatum is the most common congenital deformity of the chest, also called sunken chest or pectus excavatum. It occurs in about 1 out of 300~400 newborns. It refers to a condition in which the chest is sunken due to an abnormality in the development of the anterior chest cartilage and sternum, and in most cases, it gradually progresses. Symptoms of pectus excavatum include psychological problems. When children become aware of their deformed bodies during their school years, they become mentally wounded, avoid physical exposure, and can cause problems in interpersonal relationships.

Physical symptoms are usually absent, but respiratory symptoms such as frequent upper respiratory infections, bronchitis, and asthma may appear. As you grow, you may experience pain in the deformed rib area or pain when exercising. In severe cases, it can even cause heart or lung dysfunction. If you have cosmetic or mental problems, difficulty breathing, difficulty exercising, or chest pain, surgery is performed. We also perform treatment and surgery for other chest wall deformities.

Varicose Vein Clinic

It is a type of vascular disease in which the thin veins under the skin of the legs swell like balloons and grow to various sizes and protrude. It is the most common venous disease that occurs in the lower extremities, and it is reported that 15-20% of the adult population in the West develop it. The general public often mistakenly believes that it is a protruding tendon. This disease occurs more often in women, the elderly, and people who work standing up. There are various factors that can cause varicose veins in the lower extremities, such as genetic factors, endocrine hormones, obesity, people who stand or sit for long periods of time, pregnancy, or old age.

Leg vein abnormalities can be divided into varicose veins, reticular veins, and spider veins depending on their thickness. Treatment is selected based on the type of varicose veins.

Current treatments for varicose veins include sclerotherapy and surgical therapy, and the two methods are sometimes used together. Sclerotherapy is a method of injecting sclerosing agents into the affected veins with a thin syringe. The sclerosing agent damages the inner walls of the varicose veins, flattens the veins, and eliminates lesions that protrude from the skin.

Treatment is performed at 1-2 week intervals at the outpatient clinic of the Department of Cardiovascular and Thoracic Surgery, and the treatment period varies depending on the severity and number of varicose veins. After sclerotherapy, high-elasticity stockings are worn, and the veins injected with the sclerosing agent disappear within 4-6 weeks. Patients can continue their daily lives and walk immediately after treatment, but they should refrain from strenuous exercise or lifting heavy objects for 48 hours after treatment. After sclerotherapy, the sclerosing agent injection site may be itchy and turn red, but this will disappear within a few hours. In 10-30% of patients, the skin may turn brown, but this is also known to improve within several months.

If the size of the varicose veins is too large, the effect of sclerotherapy is reduced, so in such cases, the varicose veins can be removed surgically. Surgical treatment includes a method of removing the entire varicose vein. Traditionally, a method of making several small incisions in the area where the varicose veins are located was used to remove the varicose veins. Currently, Ilsan Baek Hospital is using the TRIVEX SYSTEM, a state-of-the-art surgical instrument, to perform surgical treatment. Compared to existing methods, it has the advantage of a shorter surgery time and smaller incisions.

Heart surgery

1. Coronary artery bypass grafting

Currently, coronary artery bypass grafting is mainly performed for ischemic heart disease, which accounts for the largest proportion of adult cardiovascular diseases requiring surgery, and in order to reduce patient pain, the latest endoscopic techniques are introduced to perform saphenous vein and radial artery harvesting, and efforts are made to minimize postoperative surgical wounds and reduce complications.

2. Heart valve surgery

In the surgery of various valve diseases, we actively apply valve replacement surgery as well as valve repair surgery, which is a recent global trend.

3. Aortic surgery

In order to perform a quick surgery for aortic dissection, which is the most critical situation in the field of adult cardiac surgery, we have measures in place to perform emergency surgery at any time, 24 hours a day, and we are actively performing various aortic surgeries, including aortic aneurysms. In particular, we have pioneered axillary artery cannulation to minimize brain damage, which is the most serious complication after aortic surgery, and have achieved excellent results recognized domestically and internationally.

4. Congenital heart defects

We are diagnosing and treating various congenital heart diseases in collaboration with pediatric cardiologists and neonatal intensive care specialists. In terms of surgery, we perform various surgeries from simple heart defects to cyanotic complex heart defects based on our many years of surgical experience at Seoul National University Hospital and Bucheon Sejong Hospital, and we also actively perform surgeries for adult congenital heart defects.

Vascular surgery

We diagnose and treat diseases that occur in the aorta that comes out of the heart and various peripheral arteries that branch off from it. - Target diseases: aortic aneurysm, aortic dissection, arteriosclerotic occlusive disease, Berger's disease