• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.37 no.1
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• pp.27-34
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• 2004

Background: Infective endocarditis shows higher operative morbidity and mortality rates than other cardiac diseases. The vast majority of studies on infective endocarditis have been made on aortic endocarditis, with little attention having been paid to infective endocarditis on the mitral valve. This study attempts to investigate the clinical aspects and operative results of infective endocarditis on the mitral valve. Meterial and Method: The subjects of this study consist of 23 patients who underwent operations for infective endocariditis on the mitral valve from June 1995 to May 2003. Among them, 2 patients suffered from prosthetic valvular endocarditis and the other 21 from native valvular endocarditis. The subjects were evenly distributed age-wise with an average age of 44.8$\pm$15.7 (11∼66) years. Emergency operations were performed on seventeen patients (73.9%) due to large vegetation or instable hemodynamic status. In preoperative examinations, twelve patients exhibited congestive heart failure, four patients renal failure, two patients spleen and renal infarction, and two patients temporary neurological defects, while one patient had a brain abscess. Based on the NYHA functional classification, seven patients were determined to be at Grade II, 9 patients at Grade III, and 6 patients at Grade IV. Vegetations were detected in 20 patients while mitral regurgitation was dominant in 19 patients with 4 patients showing up as mitral stenosis dominant on the preoperative echocardiogram. Blood cultures for causative organisms were performed on all patients, and positive results were obtained from ten patients, with five cases of Streptococcus viridance, two cases of methicillin-sensitive Staphylococcus aureus, and one case each of Corynebacteriurn, Haemophillis, and Gernella. Operations were decided according to the AA/AHA guidelines (1988). The mean follow-up period was 27.6 $\pm$23.3 (1 ∼ 97) months. Result: Mitral valve replacements were performed on 43 patients, with mechanical valves being used on 9 patients and tissue valves on the other 4. Several kinds of mitral valve repair or mitral valvuloplasty were carried out on the remaining 10 patients. Associated procedures included six aortic valve replacements, two tricuspid annuloplasty, one modified Maze operation, and one direct closure of a ventricular septal defect. Postoperative complications included two cases of bleeding and one case each of mediastinitis, low cardiac output syndrome, and pneumonia. There were no cases of early deaths, or death within 30 days following the operation. No patient died in the hospital or experienced valve related complications. One patient, however, underwent mitral valvuloplasty 3 months after the operation. Another patient died from intra-cranial hemorrhage in the 31st month after the operation. Therefore, the valve-related death rate was 4.3%, and the valve-related complication rate 8.6% on mid-term follow-up. 1, 3-, and 5-year valve- related event free rates were 90.8%, 79.5%, and 79.5%, respectively, while 1, follow-up. 1, 3-, and 5-year valve- related event free rates were 90.8%, 79.5%, and 79.5%, respectively, while 1, 3-, and 5-year survival rates were 100%, 88.8%, and 88.8%, respectively. Conclusion: The findings suggest that a complete removal of infected tissues is essential in the operative treatment of infectious endocarditis of the mitral valve. It is also suggested that when infected tissues are completely removed, neither type of material nor method of operation has a significant effect on the operation result. The postoperative results also suggest the need for a close follow-up observation of the patients suspected of having brain damage, which is caused by preoperative blood contamination or emboli from vegetation, for a possible cerebral vascular injury such as mycotic aneurysm.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.31 no.4
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• pp.346-352
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• 1998

Rheumatic valvulitis produces at least three distinct pathologic changes, the degree varying widely among the patients: fusion of the valve leaflets at the commissures; fusion and shortening of chordae tendinae: and fibrosis of the leaflets with subsequent stiffening, contraction and calcification. The most extensive changes usually are seen in patients with recurrent attacks of rheumatic fever. We studied on outcome of the surgical treatments of rheumatic valvular diseases that have been experienced for 12 years since 1982 at Pusan National University Hospital. The diagnoses were made by rheumatic fever history, echocardiographic findings, gross operative findings and microscopic findings. Total 502 patients were performed surgery for valvular heart diseases and 440 patients of rheumatic origin have bene analysed. There were more female than male patients as 1.3:1, and the mean age was 37.8 years old. 96.3% of them affected to the mitral valve, 19.8% to aortic valve, 16.3% affected to the tricuspid valve. Most of them underwent valve replacement, and valve repair was done in 3.9% of patients. There were 36 hospital deaths(8.2%) mainly from low cardiac output syndrome, and 15 late deaths equally due to embolism and hemorrhage. Follow up was 90.1% completed(2890 patient- year). Linealized rates of late complication events are follows : thromboembolism 1.3% per patient year; anticoagulant related hemorrhage 0.8% per patient year. Overall actuarial survival including hospital mortality was 92.7＋/-2.9% in 1 year, 88.0＋/-4.5% in 5 year, 82.3＋/-7.7% in 10 year. We conclude that the rheumatic disease is still the most frequent and the most important cause of heart valve disease. So more intensive study is needed in spite of the abrupt decreasing rate of rheumatic fever in U.S.A. and other industrial country.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.38 no.5 s.250
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• pp.357-365
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• 2005

Background: Patients with mitral regurgitation (MR) in the setting of coronary artery disease have a dismal long-term prognosis whether treated medically or surgically. Moreover, the optimal management of moderate ischemic MR at the time of coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) remains the subjects of controversy. Thus, the present retrospective study was undertaken to determine whether mitral valve surgery for moderate ischemic MR at the time of CABG would be preferable to CABG alone in terms of clinical outcome. Material and Method: Between January 1997 and December 2003, 34 patients with moderate (Gr 3/4) ischemic MR underwent CABG alone (Group I, n=23) or CABG plus mitral valve surgery (Group II, n=11). Operative mortality, long-term survival and echocardiographic parameters were used to evaluate the efficacy of mitral valve surgery in patients with moderate ischemic MR. The mean follow-up durations of each group were $69.3\pm4.3$ months and $53.1\pm4.9$ months respectively. Result: There was no hospital mortality in both groups. There was one case of late mortality in Group I. The mean number of bypass graft was similar ($3.8\pm1.2\;vs\;3.7\pm1.3$ respectively). Cardiopulmonary bypass time was longer in group II (p=0.014). In group II, all of the patients received mitral annuloplasty using ring. On immediate postoperative echo-cardiogram, mitral regurgitation was reduced more in group II (p=0.002). Echocardiogram performed at last follow-up state showed no difference except the grade of MR between the two groups. Actuarial survival of both groups at 5 years was similar ($95.5\%\;vs\;100\%$, p=0.48). Conclusion: This study shows that in selected patients with moderate ischemic MR, CABG without mitral valve surgery might be sufficient. However, patients with low EF and NYHA functional class pre-operatively had tendency of significant residual MR, so mitral valve surgery should be necessary in these patients, and moreover, MR severity and left ventricle volume decreased more in mitral valve surgery group. Therefore, more large-scale studies are necessary to determine these effects on the ventricular function and long-term survival.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.33 no.9
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• pp.744-747
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• 2000

Pulmonic autograft replacement of the aortic valve(Ross procedure) has been to have potential for growth in children, no complication of antiocagulation, and enhanced durability. Therefore, Ross operation is indicated in the young, in patients with an active life style, and when anticoagulation is contraindicated. However, late autograft valve has occurrd more frequently in patients with significant size discrepancy between the pulmonay valve annulus and the aortic valve annulus. In order to resolve this problem, we performed aortic annuloplasty with Duran ring for more accurate and strong reinforcement. We report a case using the Duran ring as a method of aortic annuloplasty during Ross procedure.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.35 no.12
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• pp.890-893
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• 2002

Ebsteins anomaly is a rare congenital cardiac malformation that is the downward displacement of the septal and posterior leaflets of the tricuspid valve into the ventricular apex, aresulting in the formation of an atrialized portion of the right ventricle. In most patients, symptoms such as cyanosis and progressive heart failure occur during the adolescence or young adulthood. The associated anomalies include ventricular septal defect, transposition of the great arteries, and malformation of the mitral valve. An 8-months-old male with Ebsteins anomaly, ventricular septal defect, and duplication of the mitral valve orifice successfully underwent operation with VSD patch closure. Postoperatively, cardiac size was significantly reduced and tricuspid regurgitation was trivial in echocardiography He has been doing well without any cardiac medication during the 18 months follow up after operation.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.30 no.4
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• pp.373-377
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• 1997

Between January, 1991 and May 1995, mitral valve repair was undertaken on 32 patients under 15 years for congenital mitral regurgitation. Mean age was 24.0$\pm$26.1 months(range 3 months to 15 years), 16 patients were male and 16 patients were female associated cardiac anomalies were found in 26 patients (81%), and ventricular septal defects were noted in 18 patients(56%). In regards to pathologic findings, there were annular dilatation(n:7), leaflet prolapse(n=18), cleft leaflet(n=5) and restricted valve motion (n=2). The method of repair consisted of annuloplasty(Modif ed Devega type) in 14, repair of redundunt leaflet in 6, closure of cleft in 5, triangular resection in 2 and splitting of papillary muscle in one. There was no operative mortality and two late deaths occurred as a result of heart failure and sepsis. Tro patients required replacement of the mitral valve after 3 months and 7 months respectivehy because of recurrent mitral regurgitation. Actuarial survival was 92.5% at 46 months and actuarial freedom from reoperation was 95% at 12 months and 92.5% at 46 months. Actuarial freedom from valve repair failure was 68% at 12 months and 61.8% at 46 months. Although valve repair failure rate was high, we believe that mitral valve repair should be of rcrred to children because of low mortality and low reoperation rate.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.39 no.7 s.264
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• pp.549-552
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• 2006

In the mitral regurgitation (MR) accompanied with a serious ischemic cardiomyopathy (ICMP), coronary revascularization to viable myocardium, LV reduction and mitral reconstruction become the main surgery under the bad conditions that the cardiac transplantation is not so easy. The MR in ischemic cardiomyopathy appears as various pathologic factors, among them, the papillary muscle displacement in addition to the annular dilatation is pointed out as the important cause. Our hospital would like to report the experience of the surgery about coronary revascularization to the left main with 3-vessel coronary disease, severe ICMP patients accompanied with the MR, posterior mitral annuloplasty and papillary muscle plication through the LVtomy.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.29 no.10
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• pp.1102-1110
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• 1996

Between Oct. 1985 and July 1995, 230 patients underwent mitral valve replacement. There were 77 men and 153 women whose mean age was 35.7 years, range 9 to 62 The concomitant operations were 40 aortic valve replacements(17.4%), 25 tricuspid annuloplasties(10.4%), 8 aortic valve replacements & tricuspid annuloplasties(3.5%), 2 tricuspid valve replacements(0.9%) and others, We used 139 mechanical (76 51. Jude medical, 33 CarboMedics, 30 Sorin) and 91 tissue 386 Carpentier-Edwards, 5 lonescu-Shiley) valves. The early postoperative complications occurred in 28 cases. There were 8 low cardiac output syndrome, 5 pleural effusion, 3 significant arrhythmia, 2 cardiac rupture and others. There were 6 early hospital deaths (2.6%) due to low cardiac output syndrome(2), arrhythmia(2) and ventricul r rupture(2). The cuAmulative notal follow-up period was 764. 4 patient-years with a mean of 4).9 months. The long term follow-up information was available for 212 patients(94.6%). There were 21 cases of valve-related complications. Prosthetic valve failure(10), anti-coagulation related bleeding (5), prosthetic valve endocarditis (4), and thromboembolism (2) occurred at rates of 1.3, 0.7, 0.5, and 0.3%Ipt-yr respectively. Late death occurred In 5 cases (0.7%/pt-yr) associated with prosthetic valve endocarditis (2), heart failure (2) and anti-coagulation related bleeding (1). There was no difference in the rate of freedom from prosthetic valve failure between the mechanical and tissue valve group at 6 years (100%), but there was significant difference at 9 years between the tissue (34.4%) and mechanical valve (100%) group (p=0.032). Actuarial survival rates were 98. 8% in tissue valve. 9).7% in mechanical valve group and 96.6% in total patients at 9 years.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.40 no.5 s.274
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• pp.376-379
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• 2007

A 51-year-old male was admitted three month previously with a cardiac stab injury and he underwent direct cardiac repair He had no problem after this event. He complained of dyspnea that stalled 2 months after the original injury. Echocardiography showed severe tricuspid regurgitation and so, chordac replacement and ring annuloplasty was performed. Herein we report on a case of tricuspid valve repair for treating tricuspid insufficiency following a cardiac stab injury.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.30 no.2
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• pp.200-204
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• 1997

This is a report of a successful management of a patient with infective endocarditis involving native aortic valve, mitral valve, tricuspid valve, and Interventric lar septum. A 16 year-old patient who underwent VSD patch closure, and aortic valvuloplasty at the age of 1 1 years showed Intractable congestive heart failure during antibiotics treatment for infective endocarditis. Operative findings revealed that there were large defect along the previous patch, aortic regurgitation with multiple perforations and vegetations, mitral regurgitation with vegetation, aortic paraannular abscess, interventricular myocardial abscess, and tricuspid regurgitation with perforations and vegetations. We reconstructed the interventricular defect with Dacron patch extending to the aortic valve annulus after radical debridement of all infected or devitalized tissues, and could implant aortic valve by anchoring to the reconstructed Dacron patch. Mitral valve was replaced and tricuspid valve was repaired with patient's own pericardium. The patient was discharged after antibiotics treatment for 6 weeks and in good condition without any sequelae for 12 months.