Da Won Park

Most smokers who use electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes) to stop smoking simultaneously use conventional cigarettes (dual users). We aimed to compare the prevalence of cardiovascular risk factors among dual users, cigarette-only smokers, and never smokers in Korean men. We used data acquired from Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (2013-2017) pertaining to 7,505 male participants aged 19 years or older. About 85% of e-cigarette users were dual users. Dual users had greater

In mammals, the increased secretion of arginine-vasopressin (AVP) (antidiuretic hormone) and oxytocin (natriuretic hormone) is a key physiological response to hyperosmotic stress. In this study, we examined whether chronic hyperosmotic stress weakens GABA(A) receptor-mediated synaptic inhibition in rat hypothalamic magnocellular neurosecretory cells (MNCs) secreting these hormones. Gramicidin-perforated recordings of MNCs in acute hypothalamic slices prepared from control rats and ones subjected

OBJECTIVE: To determine the prevalence of systemic damage in Korean patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and to elucidate associations between possible risk factors and the presence of damage. METHODS: The Systemic Lupus International Collaborating Clinics/American College of Rheumatology Damage Index (SDI) was used to quantify systemic damage in 588 patients who were enrolled consecutively at the Hospital for Rheumatic Diseases, Seoul, South Korea. The frequencies and means of each

Thymic stromal lymphopoietin (TSLP) plays an important role in the differentiation and proliferation of Th2 cells, resulting in eosinophilic inflammation and numerous allergic diseases. Baicalein (1), a major component of Scutellaria baicalensis, was found to be the first small molecule to block TSLP signaling pathways. It inhibited effectively eosinophil infiltration in house dust mite-induced and ovalbumin-challenged mouse models. Structure-activity relationship studies identified compound 11a

Objectives/Hypothesis Obesity is an increasing health concern worldwide. It has been associated with perioperative complications that could affect patient outcomes. Our aim was to compare surgical outcomes in obese and nonobese patients after transoral robotic thyroid (TORT) surgery. Study Design Retrospective cohort study. Methods A total of 304 consecutive patients who underwent TORT between January 2012 to December 2017 were included in the study. Patients were divided into two groups accordi

BACKGROUND: We evaluated the outcomes of patients with papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) who underwent transoral robotic thyroidectomy (TORT). METHODS: We retrospectively analyzed the perioperative outcomes of 200 patients (170 women and 30 men) with PTC who underwent TORT at a single center between March 2016 and February 2018. RESULTS: There were 182 and 13 cases of lobectomy and total thyroidectomy, respectively, with corresponding mean operative times of 200.6 ± 31.2 and 265.7 ± 63.0 minutes

BACKGROUND: Transoral vestibular approach endoscopic thyroidectomy has gained popularity worldwide because it avoids a cutaneous incision. Some surgeons have expressed reservations about operating with only 2 instruments in the endoscopic technique, and some therefore utilize an axillary incision as an adjunct to facilitate dissection. The Intuitive da Vinci single port robotic system offers the potential to overcome this limitation without an axillary incision. METHODS: In this study, the Intui

Purpose: An oxaliplatin-based regimen is the most common adjuvant chemotherapy for patients with stage II/III colorectal cancer, but many patients experience dose reduction or early termination of chemotherapy due to side effects. We conducted this study to verify the range of reduction with oncologic safety. Methods: Patients with stage II/III colorectal cancer who received adjuvant FOLFOX chemotherapy were enrolled in this study. The total amount of oxaliplatin administered per patient was cal

Purpose:The incidence of thyroid cancer has risen acutely over the last two decades around the world.This trend was the most pronounced in South Korea, which has attracted attention from various medical and non-medical experts in the healthcare field.However, a comprehensive statistical analysis of thyroid cancer trends is still lacking.This paper aims to bridge this gap by providing a detailed statistical review of thyroid cancer epidemiology in South Korea from 1999 to 2020.Methods: Data was c

Transoral approach for thyroidectomy recently gains a lot of attention among the thyroid surgeons, with definite merits over previously developed remote-access approaches. The approach not only resulted in the ideal cosmetic outcome but less postoperative pain with smaller dissection plane in comparison with other approaches. We have successfully introduced the robotic surgical system and its related techniques to this transoral surgical approach for thyroidectomy, which enables the surgeon to h

This study suggests that TORP holds promise for the treatment of patients with PHPT with the advantages of the robotic procedure, including dynamic visualization and meticulous dissection.