• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.37 no.8
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• pp.644-651
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• 2004

Background: Refractory atrial arrhythmias in patients late after the Fontan operation result in significant morbidity and mortality. We reviewed our experience with arrhythmia surgery in patients who had Fontan operation. Material and Method: Between July 1986 and December 2003, 275 early survivors after Fontan operation were reviewed. Fourteen patients underwent. arrhythmia surgery at reoperation after Fontan operation, and mean age at reoperation was 16.8$\pm$7.1 (range: 4.5 ∼ 30.6) years. Mechanisms of arrhythmia included atrial flutter in 8 patients, and atrial fibrillation in 2. Arrhythmia surgery has evolved from isthmus cryoablation in 12 patients to right-sided maze in 2 patients. Thirty-two patients. underwent prophylactic isthmus cryoablation concomitantly at initial Fontan operation. Result: Postoperative arrhythmias occurred in 68 patients (24.7%) among 275. There was no early and late mortality after the arrhythmia surgery. After redo Fontan operation, all patients maintained normal sinus rhythm. Atrial flutter recurred in 3 patients who had sinus conversion with medication and 7 required permanent pacemakers with a mean follow-up of 26.5$\pm$29.1 (range: 2 ∼ 73) months. All patients have improved to NYHA class I or II. After prophylactic cryoablation at initial Fontan operation, 29 patients (90.6%) had sinus rhythm, 1 patient had junctional tachycardia, 1 patient had sinus nodal dysfunction, and 1 patient had AV block with a mean follow-up of 51.3$\pm$19.8 (range: 4∼80) months. Conclusion: Redo Fontan operation, and concomitant arrhythmia surgery reduced atrial arrhythmias and improved NYHA functional classification.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.31 no.11
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• pp.1056-1062
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• 1998

Background: We prospectively investigated types, incidences, and risk factors for arrhythmias after open heart surgery in adults. Materials and methods: From June 1994 to May 1995, we performed 302 cases of adult cardiac surgery at our department. This study group consisted of 150 men and 152 women, with a mean age of 43.9±28.0(range 16 to 75)years. We included all the patients irrespective of their operative types or disease entities. Results: The overall incidence of arrhythmias after open heart surgery in adults was 58.3%. The incidence of postoperative arrhythmias for redo-valvular heart surgery was 77.8%, and those for simple valvular procedure, coronary artery bypass surgery, aortic surgery, and congenital heart disease were 70.8%, 45.3%, 40.0%, and 29.5%, respectively. Eight out of twelve risk factors showed statistical significance for the development of postoperative arrhythmias. They were preoperative history of arrhythmias, antiarrhythmic drug medication, previous cardiac surgery, larger left ventricular end-diastolic, end-systolic dimension, left atrial dimension on preoperative echocardiogram, longer cardiopulmonary bypass time and aortic cross clamping time. Univariated analyses for age and types of cardioplegic solution did not show statistical significance. Conclusions: Prospective study on postoperative arrhythmias occurrence, treatment and prevention of is warrauted to draw more clear conclusion.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.40 no.12
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• pp.811-816
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• 2007

Background: We analyzed our experience of arrhythmia surgery in patients with congenital heart disease. Material and Method: A retrospective review was performed on 43 consecutive patients with congenital heart disease, who underwent arrhythmia surgery between June 1998 and June 2006. Result: The median age at surgery was 52 years ($4{\sim}75$ years). The most frequent cardiac anomaly was an atrial septal defect (23/43, 53.5%). The types of arrhythmias were atrial flutter-fibrillation, intermittent non-sustainable ventricular tachycardia and others in 37, 2 and 4, respectively. Arrhythmia surgery consisted of a bi-atrial maze operation in 18 patients (modified cox maze III procedure in 5 patients, and a right side maze plus pulmonary vein cryo-isolation in 13), right side maze operation in 18 patients, cavo-tricuspid isthmus cryoablation for benign atrial flutter in 4 patients, right ventricular endocardial cryoablation in 2 patients and extranodal cryoablation for atrioventricular node re-entry tachycardia in 1 patient. The median follow-up was 23.8 months ($1{\sim}95.2$ months). There was no early mortality, and one late non-cardiac related death. The overall rates of restored sinus rhythm before discharge and $3{\sim}6$ months after surgery were 79% and 81%, respectively (bi-atrial maze group: 72% and 83%, right-side maze group: 77%, 77%). Conclusion: Arrhythmias associated with congenital heart disease can be safely treated surgically with an excellent intermediate-term outcome.

• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
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• v.46 no.7
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• pp.661-667
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• 2003

Purpose : This study was performed to find the chief clinical problems associated with the ages of adult patients of tetralogy of Fallot(TOF) who had undergone total correction. Methods : Of the 30 patients who were registered at the Grown-Up Congenital Heart Disease (GUCH) Clinic of Samsung Medical Center for TOF, a retrospective investigation was carried out on 28 patients who underwent total correction. Results : Mean age at retrospective study was 30.8(range : 16-53) years old. Age at total correction was 15.8(range : 2-49) years old. Problems after corrective surgery were assessed. They were arrhythmia, pulmonary valve regurgitation, left pulmonary artery stenosis, residual ventricular septal defect, mitral valve regurgitation, tricuspid valve regurgitation, right ventricle outflow tract obstruction, aortic valve regurgitation, infective endocarditis and protein losing enteropathy. After repair of TOF, such arrhythmias as atrial arrhythmia and AV conduction disturbances were observed in some patients. Cardiomegaly was found significantly in the subjects with arrhythmia(P<0.05), and arrhythmia was less observed in patients who underwent surgery at a young age. Eight patients required a reoperation; the main indications were residual ventricular septal defect, right ventricle outflow tract obstruction and peripheral pulmonary artery stenosis. Conclusion : The majority of the patients seemed to live normal lives after Tetralogy of Fallot repair. However, as residual anatomic and functional abnormalities exist postoperatively, continued careful follow-up is needed to detect and correct structural and functional abnormalities.

• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
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• v.53 no.4
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• pp.532-537
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• 2010

Purpose : Early postoperative arrhythmias are a major cause of mortality and morbidity after open heart surgery in the pediatric population. We evaluated the incidence and risk factors of early postoperative arrhythmias after surgery of congenital heart disease. Methods : From January 2002 to December 2008, we retrospectively reviewed the medical records of the 561 patients who underwent cardiac surgery in Kyungpook National University Hospital. We analyzed patients' age and weight, occurrence and type of arrhythmia, cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) time, aortic cross clamp (ACC) time, and postoperative electrolyte levels. Results : Arrhythmias occurred in 42 of 578 (7.3%) cases of the pediatric cardiac surgery. The most common types of arrhythmia were junctional ectopic tachycardia (JET) and accelerated idioventricular rhythm (AIVR), which occurred in 17 and 13 cases, respectively. The arterial switch operation (ASO) of transposition of the great arteries (TGA) had the highest incidence of arrhythmia (36.4%). Most cases of cardiac arrhythmia showed good response to management. Patients with early postoperative arrhythmias had significantly lower body weight, younger age, and prolonged CPB and ACC times ($P$<0.05) than patients without arrhythmia. Although the mean duration of ventilator care and intensive care unit stay were significantly longer ($P$<0.05), the mortality rate was not significantly different among the 2 groups. Conclusion : Early postoperative arrhythmias are a major complication after pediatric cardiac surgery; however, aggressive and immediate management can reduce mortality and morbidity.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.35 no.1
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• pp.48-51
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• 2002

The conversion of failing Fontan circuit to total cavopulmonary connection(TCPC) is recommended as a therapeutic option in patients with late Fontan complications such as atrial arrhythmia, atrial enlargement, pulmonary venous obstruction, and ventricular dysfunction. Combined TCPC with extracardiac conduit and cryoablation of arrhythmia circuit is preferred for treatment of failing Fontan coulection with atrial lachyarrhythrnia. We report a case of conversion of atriopulmonary connection to extracardiac conduit Fontan and cryoablation of atrial arrhythmia circuit in a patient with tricuspid atresia, who also had ectopic atrial tachycardia, right atrial thrombi, pulmonary venous obstruction, and ventricular dysfunction. This patient and the parents were Jehovah's Witnesses; therefore, the patient underwent the procedure without blood transfusion.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.30 no.11
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• pp.1077-1082
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• 1997

To assess the early results, risk factors and optimal timing for coronary artery bypass graft surgery(CABG) after an acute myocardial infarction(AMI), we reviewed our 19 patients who underwent CABG within 30 days after AMI, between June 1994 and October 1996. This study excluded 1 patient whose diagnosis was AMI with ventricular septal rupture. 14 of the patients were male and 5 were female. Their ages ranged from 41 to 77 years(mean age, 60.6$\pm$ 10.4 years), and the amount of time between AMI and CABG ranged from 8 hours to 24 days(mean time, 10.6$\pm$6.4 days). There were 11 anteroseptal infarctions and 8 inferior wall infarctions. 11 patients had trsnsmural infarctions and 8 had subendocardial infarctions. Indications of operations were p imary revascularization and postinfarction angina. Three patients required preoperative intra-aortic balloon pump(IABP) support, and 4 additional patients required IABP to be separated from cardiopulmonary bypass. An average of 3.6 $\pm$ 0.6 vessels per patient were bypassed. The early mortality rate for these 19 patients was 5.3% and late mortality rate was 5.5%, 1-year and 2-year actuarial survival rates were 89.5% Univariate analysis of mortality showed that an ejection fraction less than 30% and intraopretative IABP supports were associated with risk factors(p value=0.018 and 0.015 respectively). Age, sex, time to CABG, emergency operations, types and locations of infarctions were not significant. Although our studies have weak p.oints in that there was only a small number of patients and the lack of long-term results, we could conclude that early myocardial revascularization is relatively safe after AMI for those individuals with an ejection fraction greater than 30%.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.33 no.11
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• pp.869-875
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• 2000

배경: 뇌혈관계 합병증은 관상동백우회술 후 발생하는 사망률 중 10% 이상을 차지하는 치명적인 질환이다. 최근들어 고령 환자, 고혈압, 당뇨병 등이 병발하고 고 위험군에 대한 수술이 증가하면서 뇌혈관계 합병증은 오히려 증가하고 있다. 본 연구는 관상동맥우회술을 받은 환자의 의무기록을 조사하여 관상동맥우회술 후 발생되는 뇌혈관계 질환의 위험 인자를 밝히고자 한다. 대상 및 방법: 1991년 3월부터 1999년 7월 사이에 관상동맥우회술을 받은 185명을 조사하여, 뇌혈관계 합병증의 위험 인자들을 통계적으로 검증하였다. 결과: 뇌혈관계 합병증의 유병율은 7.57%(14명)였으며 이중 5예는 사망하였다. 동 기간 중 전체 사망은 11예이므로 사망자의 45.5%가 뇌혈관계 합병증으로 사망한 것이다. 통계적의의가 있는 뇌혈관계 합병증 위험 인자로는 수술 후 부정맥(p=0.0064), 기왕의 뇌혈관계 병력(p=0.0090), 체외순환시간(p=0.0181), 대동맥의 동맥경화(p=0.03575) 및 당뇨병(p=0.0452) 등이었다. 경동맥협착이 동반되어 경동맥 혈관내막 절제술(carotid endarterectomy)을 동시에 시술한 경우는 2예였으나, 뇌혈관계 합병증은 발생하지 않았다. 75세 이상의 고령환자는 3명이었으며 모두 뇌혈관계 합병증은 발생하지 않았다. 결론: 관상동맥우회술 후 발생하는 뇌혈관계 질환과 통계적으로 유의한 위험요인은 수술 후 부정맥, 뇌혈관이상의 기왕력, 체외순환시간, 대동맥궁의 동맥경화, 당뇨 등이었다.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.35 no.8
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• pp.594-598
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• 2002

Amiodarone is an iodinated benzofuran derivative that has been proved effective in the control of supraventricular and ventricular arrhythmias refractory to other antiarrhythmic drugs. In patients treated with amiodarone, subsequent surgical intervention is a common clinical scenario, but unfortunately we do not have definite data about complications due to amiodarone after cardiac surgery. Some reports have shown that amiodarone treatment can be associated with a state of $\alpha$-adrenergic and $\beta$-adrenergic receptor blockade, which requires more pacing and epinephrine infusion for perioperative hemodynamic support. And some reports have also identified a severe form of ARDS in patients on amiodarone therapy which was associated with siginificant morbidity and mortality. We exprienced a patient who expired after mitral valve replacement due to amiodarone-induced ARDS; therefore, we report this case with a brief literature.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.38 no.3 s.248
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• pp.214-220
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• 2005

Extended transseptal approach can provide an excellent view of the mitral valve but the safety of this approach is controversial because this incision requires transaction of the sinus node artery, which in most cases and can result postoperative arrhythmia. The purpose of this study was to evaluate perioperative and longterm conduction disturbances and the cardiac rhythms of patients who underwent an extended transseptal approach for mitral valve surgery. Material and Method: Postoperative cardiac rhythms were analyzed in the 164 consecutive patients who received mitral valve replacements with a extended transseptal approach between March 1992 and July 2003. Result: Of the 84 patients in normal sinus rhythm, 34 ($39\%$) had developed transient junctional rhythm and atrial fibrillation after operation, lasting less than 72 hours in most of cases. No intractable arrhythmias occurred. Most of these arrhythmia were not detected at the time of discharge and only 8 patients ($9\%$) had atrial fibrillation at discharge. Postoperative PR intervals increased for 1 week, then decreased within 2 weeks postoperatively, and returned to normal range by 6 months postoperatively. During the postoperative period, 4 of the 78 patients with preoperative atrial fibrillation developed normal sinus thythm. Conclusion: The post-operative arrhythmias were temporary and showed no significant complications after extended transseptal approach for the mitral valve surgery.