Professor KANG Chang Hyun
Professor Chang Hyun Kang (Department of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, SNU Hospital) reported a successful case of treating a Jeune syndrome (asphyxiating thoracic dysplasia) patient using thoracic cage enlargement. Children with Jeune syndrome have rib cages that are significantly smaller and narrower than usual which keep their lungs from developing fully or expanding when they inhale. As a result, 8 out of 10 children with Jeune syndrome die early. Professor Kang applied the distraction osteogenesis technique to achieve gradual remodeling of the thoracic cage. An external distraction device was used to increase bone volume and thoracic cavity size. For seven weeks, the patient’s thoracic cage lengthened at a rate of 1mm per day. Over 11 months of follow-up, the patient was able to be weaned from the home ventilator and estimated total lung volume increased by 21%.
- The new medical treatment was published in the March 2015 volume of Journal of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery.
- Professors KANG Chang Hyun: chkang@snu.ac.kr
- SNU Department of Medicine: http://en.medicine.snu.ac.kr/
Summary by LEE Hee Un, SNU English Editor, gurume0221@snu.ac.kr
Proofread by Melora Brett Briana Johnson, morningcalm2@gmail.com