• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.28 no.4
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• pp.360-364
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• 1995

Between January 1984 and January 1994, 13 patients developed mediastinitis after cardiac operations. There were 7 women and 6 men with a mean age of 24.2 years[range 0.7 - 61 . Initial operation included 7 valve replacements and 6 congenital cardiac repairs. The duration between initial operation and diagnosis was 13.5 days[range 4-57 . Organisms cultured from debridement material included S.aurus[n=9 , S.epidermidis[n=3 and Enterobacter[n=1 . Fever was the most frequent complaint and purulent drainage was noticed in 9 patients[69% . Seven patients were treated with radical debridement followed by closed irrigation. In other 6 patients, the wounds were managed by debridement, open granulation and delayed wound closure. Two hospital deaths [15.4% following open granulation method, resulted from sepsis. The 11 survivors were followed-up for 1-120 months, averaging 42 months and had healed wounds. One late death occurred due to massive hemorrhage.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.37 no.2
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• pp.188-192
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• 2004

Treatment of huge chronic tuberculous empyema with cardiopulmonary dysfunction. Drainage of empyemal space by closed thoracostomy in chronic tuberculous empyema is generally contraindicated because of the possibility of empyema necessitatis and ascending infection. But in case that serious cardiopulmonary dysfunction is present, drainage of empyema and decompression is necessary. We experienced a case in which chronic tuberculous empyema was big enough to cause mediastinal shifting and cardiopulmonary failure. Immediate drainage of pleural cavity with tube thoracostomy was performed. Afterward, pleuropneumonectomy was done following cyclic irrigation for one month. The patient had successful postoperative course without any evidence of complication or relapse of infection.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.37 no.10
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• pp.861-864
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• 2004

Coronary sinus injuries related to the use of retrograde cardioplegia are rare and have potentially lethal complications. This report describes a case of coronary sinus laceration during retrograde cardioplegia in an old patient with mitral valve regurgitation, endocarditis, and left ventricular hypertrophy, and tells the details of the method of intracardiac repair.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.37 no.10
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• pp.868-871
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• 2004

A 42 year old male was operated with aortic root abscess and pseudoaneurysm. Aortic valve vegetations which measured $8\times5$ cm and root abscess were removed and debrided. We reconstructed root and noncoronary sinus with autopericardium. Antibiotics were administered for 4 weeks. In general, Aortic root abscess recurs frequently and mortality is high. It is usually requires early surgical eradication with antibiotics medication.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.28 no.2
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• pp.183-187
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• 1995

This is a report of successful management of a patient with complicated native valvular endocarditis. Initially stable patient showed sudden collapse at the end of 4th week of antibiotics coverage. Echocardiography revealed that previous vegetation at the Aorto-mitral Fibrous Skeleton[AMFS developed into a false aneurysm, perforated to left atrium and caused fistulous communication between left ventricle and left atrium. Extensive debridement was performed including part of the ascending aorta, aortic cusps, the AMFS, anterior mitral cusp and roof of the left atrium. Reconstruction of the AMFS with tailored single piece of autologous pericardium enabled the implantation of mechanical valves at the aortic and the mitral position. Ascending aorta and roof of the left atrium were repaired with autologous pulmonary artery patch graft and another autologous pericardial patch. The patient was discharged on postoperative 16th day and followed - up till now without any residuae or sequelae.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.25 no.11
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• pp.1354-1357
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• 1992

From May 1984 through December 1991, twelve patients underwent valve replacement for infective endocarditis at National Medical Center. There were 7 male and 5 female, ranged in age 16 to 61[mean 34.1] years. Four had native valve endocarditis, six had prosthetic valve endocarditis and two were associated with congenital heart disease. The indication of surgery was medically intractable congestive heart failure in all patients. 5 patients revealed systemic embolization and 4 patients had uncontrollable sepsis. The causative organism was Streptococcus in 4 patients, Staphylococcus in 1 patient and Pseudomonas in 2 patients. Hospital mortality was 33.3%[4/12]. The main cause of death was low cardiac output due to perioperative myocardial damage and cerebral vascular accident. There were 2 late mortality because of recurrent endocarditis. This review showed much higher mortality in prosthetic valve endocarditis[66.7%] than native valve endocarditis[33.3%].

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.28 no.2
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• pp.143-149
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• 1995

From January, 1983, to August, 1993, 23 cases of pericardiectomy for chronic constrictive pericarditis were carried out. The 15 male and 8 female patients ranged in age from 7 to 68 years[mean 39.1 years . All patients underwent pericardiectomy through a median sternotomy. Postoperative complications were low cardiac output[2 patients , wound infection[2 patients , pneumonia[2 patients , and unilateral phrenic nerve palsy[2 patients . One patient died of low cardiac output 1 day after pericardiectomy due to the associated transposition of great artery and hypoplastic right lung. Clinical and pathological findings showed that the cause of constrictive pericarditis was tuberculous in 8 cases[34.8% , idiopathic in 12 cases[52.2% and pyogenic in 3 cases[13.0% . Central venous pressure fell below 10cmH2O by immediate in 6 cases, fell below 10cmH2O by 24hrs in 5 cases and continued above 10cmH2O after 24hrs in 12 cases. Preoperative NYHA functional class of patients showed class I-1, classII-4, class III-14, and class IV-3. Postoperativly NYHA functional class was improved to class I-15, classII-6, class III-1.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.25 no.12
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• pp.1492-1496
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• 1992

Takayasu`s arteritis is a nonspecific inflammatory vascular disease of unknown origin. It most often cuases stenosis of the aorta or its branch arteries with ischemic changes in the organs supplied, but the vessels inside these organs are not directly involved. From 1983 to 1991, we performed operation on 6 patients with Takayasu`s arteritis. There were 6 female patients ranging in age from 17 years to 36 years. Symptoms included headache, dizzness, visual disturbance, and motor weakness or pain of arm. In 5 cases, bypass graft arised from ascening aorta[ventral aorta] were done, and in one, stenotic segments of left subclavian and vertebral arteries were resected an graft interposition done. Follow-up has been 62.4$\pm$34.8 months[ranging from 11 to 113 months], results of each patient were exellent, except one postoperative death.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.12 no.3
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• pp.170-173
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• 1979

Since John Davy reported the first well-documented case of occlusive disease involving the branches of the aortic arch in 1839, many similar cases have been reported in literature, especially from oriental countries. The prognosis and symptoms depend on the degree and extent of the occlusive lesions and also on the importance of the arteries affected. The course may progress slowly or rapidly with remissions and exacerbation, and death may result from acute CVA, cardiac failure or pulmonary edema, and renal failure. No medical therapy has been able to alter conclusively the course of the disease, so various surgical procedures have been applied to relieve the obstruction and to prolong the life. We present the case of an 18 year-old female with multiple stenosis of the aorta, and performed the long bypass graft from descending aorta to common lilac artery, and the result was excellent.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.19 no.4
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• pp.688-694
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• 1986

Takayasu`s disease is an arteritis of unknown etiology involving larger elastic arteries such as aorta and its branches, pulmonary arteries and rarely coronary arteries. Especially, aortic root involvement with the valvular leaflets has been reported in several cases of Takayasu`s arteritis. Recently we have experienced one case of Takayasu`s arteritis involving left subclavian artery, descending aorta, left renal artery and multiple valvular leaflets. The patient was 33 year-old female and admitted with complaints of cough, dyspnea and general weakness. Aortogram revealed extensive type of arteritis showing dilatation of ascending aorta, segmental narrowing of thoracic aorta and Riolan`s anastomosis. Double valve replacement [mitral and aortic valve] and tricuspid valve annuloplasty were performed. The patient made an excellent postoperative recovery and has shown striking improvement in cardiac status, NYHA functional class II eight months after operation.