• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.32 no.3
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• pp.262-269
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• 1999

Background: To review the middle and long term results of aortic valve replacement(AVR) for 11 years, we surveyed and followed up the patients who underwent AVR. Material and Method: Between Feb. 1986 and May 1997, 134 patients underwent AVR. The patients consisted of 71 men and 63 women whose mean age was 38.9 years, ranging from 17 to 70. Result: The concomitant operations were 62 mitral valve replacement(MVR), 14 MVR + tricuspid valve annuloplasty, 10 Cabrol operation, 16 aortic annulus widening, and so forth. We used 119 mechanical(75 St. Jude Medical, 38 CarboMedics, 6 Sorin) and 15 tissue (Carpentier-Edwards) valves. Early postoperative complications occurred in 35 cases; 9 congestive heart failure, 6 low cardiac output, 5 postoperative bleeding, 5 pleural effusion, and so forth. There were 13 early postoperative deaths(9.7%) due to low cardiac output(5), CHF (2), disseminated intravascular coagulopathy(2), and so forth. The cumulative total follow-up period was 452.7 patient-years with a mean of 3.4${\pm}$3.1 years/patient. There were 9 cases of valve-related complications; anticoagulant-related bleeding(4), prosthetic valve endocarditis(2), thromboembolism(2) and prosthetic valve failure(1) occured at rate of 0.9, 0.4, 0.4, 0.2%/ pt-yr, respectively. Late valve-related death occurred in 3 cases(2.0%/pt-yr) associated with anticoagulant-related bleeding(2) and prosthetic valve endocarditis(1). Conclusion: Actuarial survival rate by Kaplan-Meier method was 91.0${\pm}$4.3 % at 11 years.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.41 no.6
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• pp.755-758
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• 2008

We report here on a case of performing a redo-operation for a 65-years-old male patient who had prosthetic endocarditis after reconstruction of the fibrous skeleton due to infective endocarditis 8 years earlier. An aortic annular abscess with a 1cm sized subvalvular abscess and mobile mitral valve vegetation with destruction of the fibrous skeleton was shown on the preoperative echocardiography. An emergency operation was performed due to heart failure. Reconstruction of both the aortic and mitral annuli and the fibrous skeleton was done by using two separate bovine pericardial patches and then mechanical valves were implanted. The postoperative echocardiography shows no paravalvular leakage. The patient has been followed up with no symptoms.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.29 no.4
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• pp.444-448
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• 1996

Hemolytic anemia due to tiny prosthetic paravalvular leakage is one of a complication of prosthetic valve replacement. Mild Hemolysls usually occurs after aortic valve replacement with mechanical valve but rarely occurs in mitral valve position especially in case of tissue valve. Cardiac valves fabricated from biologic material are associated with a reduced incidence of hemolytic anemia. Hemolysis was reported in patients with an lonescu-Shiley bovine pericardial xenograft prosthesis in the aortic position but not in the mitral site. A 41-year-old female patient was admitted due to sudden development dark colored urine. About 10 years ago the patient was underwent MVR (Mitral Valve Re lacement) with fTmm lonescu-Shiley valve due to MR (Mitral regurgitation). Echocardiographic examination showed mild degree of mitral regurgitation with valvular thickening. However, there was no definitive evidence of paravalvular leakage. The peripheral blood smear showed nomochromic normocytic anemia, but the hematologic and urinary examination revealed severe hemolytic evidence. Mitral valve replacement with St. Jude Medical valve (27mm) was done and intraoperatively, a tiny paravalvular leakage was found which was regarded as the point of hemolysis. The hemolytic evidence completely disappeared. We are reporting a case of severe hemolytic anemia due to tiny prosthetic paravalvular leakage with a review of the literature.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.29 no.9
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• pp.959-963
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• 1996

St. Jude Medical bileaflet valve was implanted in 42 patients from September, 1988, to July, 199)(mitral valve replacement in 25, aortic valve replacement in 11, multiple valve replacement in 6). Concomitant procedures were performed in 5 patients(11.9%). The early mortality was 4.8%(2 patients) and the late mortality was 9.5%(4 patients). The valve-related causes of late mortality were prosthetic valve endocarditis(threi), unknown(one). There was no instance of structural failure. Follow up was 100% complete, with 179.8 patient-years and a mean follow up of 54 months(from 1.5 to 84 months). The overall actuarial survival rates was 90$\pm$4.7% at 5 years. At 5 years, the acturarial freedom from valve failure was 90$\pm$4.7%, 89.7$\pm$4.5% from thromboembolism and 92.3 $\pm$4.2% from bacterial endocarditis, respectively.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.34 no.7
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• pp.561-565
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• 2001

Patients who have complex endocarditis with involvement of both the aortic and mitral valves and intervalvular fibrous skeleton are among the most difficult to treat and still have the highest surgical mortality and morbidity rates. We report one case of aortic and mitral valve replacement with reconstruction of the fibrous skeleton performed in a 55-year-old female patient who had an aortic annular abscess and both the aortic and mitral prosthetic valve endocarditis with destruction of the fibrous skeleton. Previously, she had undergone redo double valve replacement\`, Transesophageal echocardiogram showed the paravalvular defect at the noncoronary aortic sinus and abnormal sinus tract along the fibrous skeleton. Emergent operation was performed due to positive blood cultures of staphylococcus epidermidis and persistent sepsis despite appropriate antibiotic therapy. After aortotomy extended to the roof of left atrium, both prosthetic valves and destroyed fibrous skeleton were completely resected and the aortic annular abscess was debrided and closed with a bovine pericardial patch. Reconstructions of both aortic and mitral annuli and the fibrous skeleton were done by using two separate bovine pericardial patches in triangular shape and mechanical valves were implanted. Postoperatively, adequate antibiotic therapies were continued and the patient was discharged at the postoperative 72 days without evidence of recurrence of endocarditis. Transthoracic echocardiogram of the postoperative 8 months shows no paravalvular leakage or recurrence of endocarditis and the patient has been followed up with no symptom.

• Journal of Biomedical Engineering Research
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• v.23 no.4
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• pp.309-315
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• 2002

Since the discovery, in the 1980s, of erosion-pit-induced fractures in implanted mechanical heart valves. cavitation on the surface of mechanical heart valves has been widely studied as a possible cause of pitting. Several factors, including peak dp/dt of the ventricular pressure. maximum closing velocity of the leaflet, and squeeze flow. have been studied as indices of the cavitation threshold. In the present study. cavitation erosion on the surface of a mechanical valve was examined by focusing on squeeze flow and the water hammer phenomenon during the closing period of the valve. In this study, we measures pressure wave forms near a valve and closing velocities of a disk, which were placed in a holder with and without compliance. In case of all holders, pressure drop of below vapor pressure expect at near the surface disk. It was also found that the closing velocity of the disk increased and that cavitation erosion was enhanced too. These results suggest that disk closing velocity during the closing phase has signifiant effects on pitting erosion.

• Journal of Power System Engineering
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• v.14 no.5
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• pp.41-47
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• 2010

티타늄과 티타늄 합금은 재료적 특이성 때문에 심장 혈관 임플란트에서 일반적으로 사용되어 왔다. 일찍이 적용된 예로는 인공심장판막, 심박조율기의 보호케이스, 혈액 순환 장치 등이 있다. 하지만 물질유도혈전증(Material-induced thrombosis)은 혈전폐색에 의해 기인한 기능 손실로 심장혈관 임플란트 장치의 주된 합병증으로 존재하고 있으며, 심장혈관 임플란트의 혈전유전자는 심장혈관장치의 발달에 주된 난관 중 하나로 남아있다. 그리고 텍스처 혈액 접합 물질(Textured blood-contacting material)은 1960년대 초반 이후부터 혈액순환 보조 장치의 임상실험에 사용되고 있다. 접합 물질에 내장된 텍스처 섬유조직 표면은 형성, 성장, 안정적 부착, 생물학적 내벽(neointimal layer) 등 유도 혈액(entrapping blood) 성분에 의해 형성된다. 공동(cavity) 형상의 용해 가능한 미립자를 사용하는 SCPL법(Solvent casting/particulate leaching method)은 티타늄 기질 이전에 형성된 폴리우레탄 위에 텍스처(texture)를 생성하기 위해 사용되었다. 또한 콜라겐의 부동화(不動化)에 의한 공동(cavity)은 혈액 접합면에 잔존하기 위한 내피세포를 고정할 수 있는 효과가 있다. cpTi로 층화된 PU 기소공성(microporous)은 구조적 특성과 혈전증 감소를 위한 생물학적 내벽 사용의 잠재성을 평가하기 위한 세포 공동체 실험을 통해서 평가되었다.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.41 no.4
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• pp.484-488
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• 2008

During long-term anticoagulation treatment with using heparin in a pregnant patient with a mechanical mitral prosthesis, we observed several anticoagulation-related complications, including repeated prosthetic valve thrombosis. This was found to be caused by heparin resistance due to an anti-thrombin III deficiency. Thrombolytic therapy using urokinase or tissue plasminogen activator (tPA) was successful and safe for her as well as her baby.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.36 no.9
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• pp.651-658
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• 2003

Since the first implanted in September 1997, the use of On-X prosthetic heart valve has been increasing around in the world. This study was designed to assess the feasibility, safety, and the postoperative hemodynamics with this new valve in clinical setting. Material and Method: The current study was carried out on 52 patients undergoing aortic valve replacement with this prosthesis between April 1999 to August 2002 at Chonnam National University Hospital to evaluate the surgical results. 52％ of the patients were male and the average age at implant was 50$\pm$13 years. The study followed the guidelines of the AATS/STS. Preoperatively, 32(61.5％) patients were in NYHA functional class III or IV and 2 patients had previous aortic valve surgery. Concomitant cardiac surgery was performed in 71.1％. The implanted valve sizes were 19 mm in 13 patients, 21 mm in 26, 23 mm in 10 and 25 mm in 3, respectively. Mean follow-up was 16.6$\pm$10.5 months (1∼39 months). Echocardiographic assessment was performed pre- and immediate postoperatively, as well as 3, 6, 12 months after surgery, evaluating pressure loss and regression of left ventricular hypertrophy. Result: Mean cardiopulmonary bypass time was 191$\pm$94.7 minutes with an aortic cross-clamp time of 142$\pm$51.7 minutes. There was no early and late mortality, Freedom from adverse events at 1 year in the study were as follows: thromboembolism, 95.6$\pm$6％; bleeding events, 90.2$\pm$4％; paravalvular leakage 92.3$\pm$4％; and overall valve-related morbidity at 1 year was 76.6$\pm$3％. There were no cases of valve thrombosis, prosthetic valve endocarditis and structural or non-structural failure. Left ventricular function at 12 months after surgery (EF=62.7$\pm$9.8％) revealed a statistically significant improvement compared to preoperative investigation (EF=55.8$\pm$15.9％, p=0.006). Left ventricular mass index was 247.3$\pm$122.3 g/$m^2$ on preoperative echocardiographic study, but regressed to 155.5$\pm$58.2 g/$m^2$ at postoperative 1 year (p=0.002). Over the follow-up period a further decrease of peak transvalvular gradients was observed in all patients: 62.5$\pm$38.0 mmHg on preoperative assessment, 18.2$\pm$6.8 mmHg at immediate postoperative period (p < 0.0001), 7.6$\pm$5.09 mmHg (p<0.0001) at 6 month, 18.0$\pm$10.8 mmHg (p<0.0001) at 1 year. Conclusion: The On-X prosthetic heart valve performs satisfactorily in the first 1 year period. Clinical outcome by examining NYHA functional classification revealed especially good results. Effective regression of left ventricular hypertrophy and statistically significant decrease of transvalvular gradient were observed over the first year, but longer-term follow-up of this patient group is needed to establish the expected rates for late valve-related events as well as the long-term clinical efficacy of this valve.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.32 no.1
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• pp.70-74
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• 1999

Thrombosis in valve or left atrium after mechanical mitral valve replacement causes prosthetic valve dysfunction or thromboembolism. Early and adequate therapy is very important but clinically not easy. Thrombolysis can avoid reoperation-related risks and act as an optimal therapy for prosthetic valve thrombosis. This report describes three patients who were treated by using low molecular weight heparin (LMWH) and wafarin. Two patients, including one pregnant woman, had prosthetic valve thrombosis and immobility of valve leaflets, and one patient with recent cerebral infarction due to thromboembolism had thrombus in left atrium. Fraxiparine 0.3 cc (7,500 ICU AXa) was administrated subcutaneously twice or triple daily. At discharge, thrombosis in valve and left atrium were completely or near totally lysed and valve leaflets were normally mobile. During the period of thrombolysis and follow up, there were no complications in all patients.