• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.30 no.2
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• pp.152-157
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• 1997

From August 1986 until June 1995, single aortic valve replacement was performed in 65 patients at the Chonnam National University Hospital. worthy-eight were male and 17 were female patients, ranging from 19 to 68 years of age(median : 43 years). The causes of the valve lesions were rheumatic in 29 patients (44.6%), bicuspid aortic valve in 6 patients (6.2%), endocarditis in 6 patients(6.2%), unknown in others. Concomitant surgical procedures were performed in 10 patients : repair of congenital defect in 5, pericardiectomy in 1, coronary artery bypass grafting in 1, noncoronary sinus plication in 1, Valsalva sinus aneurysmectomy in 1, subaortic membrane resection in 1 Used valves were 51. Jude-Medical valve in 42, Duromedics valve in 22, Bjork-Shiley valve in 2, Carpentier-Edward valve in 1. There were 3 hospital deaths (4.6%), and 2 late deaths (3.2%). Follow-up was 95.2% complete. The 10-year acturlal survival rate was 85.3%. Postoperative complications were low cardiac utput in 8, arrythmia in 5, valve related hemolysis in 1, cerebral infarction in 1, and gastrointestinal bleeding in 2. Reoperation was performed in 4 for surgical bleeding, in 3 for paravalvular leak. The mean improvement in New York Heart Association functional class is from 2.79 $\pm$ 0.66 preoperatively to 1.25 $\pm$ 0.49 postoperatively(p < 0.001) The change of cardiothoracic ratio from preoperative to postoperative is 0.57 $\pm$ 0.06 to 0.54 $\pm$ 0.05 (p < 0.05). The left ventricular ejection fraction change is not significant perioperatively. There are no mechanical failures. This early and intermediate-term follow-up suggests that in adults in whom valve repair is not possible, the mechanical valve is a reliable and durable prosthesis with good hemodynamic function and a low rate of thromboembolic event.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.30 no.2
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• pp.172-178
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• 1997

We present a etrospective analysis of arterial embolectomies performed at the Inje University Seoul Paik Hospital. During the period of March 1987 Feburary 1996 twenty-six patients underwent embolectomies, eighteen patients were male and eight patients were female, mean age of patients was 56.8 years. Rest pain was the chief complaint in 24 patients, the remaining two patients complained of long term history of claudication after recovery of acute symtoms. But only 10 patients had sensBrylmotor symtoms. Heart was the most common source of embolization and frequent predisposing factor of embolism was ischemic heart disease in 8 cases and valvular heart disease in 11 cases. The sites of embolization were upper extremities artery in 6 cases, saddle embolism in 2 cases, lower extremities artery in 18 cases and the most common site of embolism was femoral artery in 1 1 cases. Preoperative angiography was taken in the diagnosis and planning of the embolectomy in 1) patients while in the other patient p eoperative angiography was not taken. Only two cases were operated within the golden period of 6 hours and other cases were operated in more than 6 hours after embolization. In all patients, the Fogarty embolectomy catheter was used without bypass surgery via bachial ateriotomy in the embolism of upper extremities artery, bilateral groin approaches in the saddle embolism and transfemoral approach in the embolism of lower extremities artery. However 3 patients were re-operated via transpopliteal approach in the distal poplitiotibial embolism. Eighteen patients received perioperative anticoagulation therapy by heparin or fraxiparine and wafarin was used in 17 patients at the time of discharge and the indication of anticogulation was patients of valvular heat disease andfor atrial fibrillation, peripheral artery atherosclerosis and recurrent embolism. Postoperative results of the embolectomy were as follows: fouteen pateints had excellent results, five cases had symtom improvement after re-operation, B. K. amputation in 1 case who had severe atherosclerosis of lower extremities, recurrent embolism in 1 case and death in 2 cases the cause of death were acute renal failure and cerebral artery embolism, respectively. The complications of the embolectomy were reperfusion syndrome, pseudoaneurysm and intimal dissection in one case each. Conclusively the problems of embolism is delayed diagnosis and increasing number of old aged patient who had suffered from ischemic heart diease. Preoperative angiography was not always needed for embol ectomy. Selective anticoagulation therapy can decrease incidence of re-embolism. In the distal poplitiotibial embolism, embolectomy of tibial artery was difficult.

• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
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• v.49 no.10
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• pp.1093-1099
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• 2006

Purpose : Homocysteine is a strong and independent risk factor for cardiovascular disease. The deleterious effects of homocysteine included endothelial dysfunction, arterial intimal-medial thickening, wall stiffness and procoagulant activity. However, the precise mechanism responsible for homocysteine release in children with coronary artery disease is still unknown. The purpose of this study was to investigate serum homocysteine and tumor necrosis $factor(TNF)-{\alpha}$ levels and identify whether these levels had any association with the development of coronary artery lesions in Kawasaki disease(KD). Methods : Serum homocysteine and $TNF-{\alpha}$ levels were measured in 24 KD patients(group 1, eight patients with normal coronary artery; group 2, 16 patients with coronary artery lesions) and 21 controls(group 3, 10 afebrile controls; group 4, 11 febrile controls). Blood samples were drawn from each study group before and after intravenous immunoglobulin(IVIG) therapy and in the convalescent stage. Results : The homocysteine levels before IVIG therapy were significantly higher in group 1 than in group 3, and in group 2 than in group 3 and 4. The $TNF-{\alpha}$ levels before IVIG therapy were significantly higher in group 2 than group 3 and 4. Serum homocysteine and $TNF-{\alpha}$ levels were highest in group 2 before IVIG therapy. In the acute KD patients, serum homocysteine levels correlated significantly with $TNF-{\alpha}$ levels. Conclusion : The increased serum homocysteine levels in the acute stage increase the susceptibility to coronary arterial lesions in KD. $TNF-{\alpha}$ may also play an important role in the formation of coronary arterial lesions in KD.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.40 no.5 s.274
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• pp.351-355
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• 2007

Background: Postinfarction ventricular septal rupture is associated with mortality as high as $85\sim90%$, if it is treated medically. This report documents our experience with postinfarction ventricular septal rupture that was treated surgically, Material and Method: We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of 11 patients who were operated on due to postinfarction ventricular septal rupture between August 1996 and August 2006. There were 4 men and 7 women, with a mean age of $70{\pm}11$ years (age range: $50\sim84$ years). The location of the rupture was anterior in 7 cases and posterior in 4 cases. The interval between the onset of acute myocardial infarction and the occurrence of the ventricular septal rupture was $2.0{\pm}1.3$ days (range: $1\sim5$ days). Operation was performed at an average of $2.4{\pm}2.7$ days (range: $0\sim8$ days) after the diagnosis of septal rupture. Preoperative intraaortic balloon pump therapy was performed in 10 patients. Result: The infarct exclusion technique was used in all cases. Coronary artery bypass grafting was done in 8 cases, with the mean number of distal anastomosis being $1.0{\pm}0.8$. There was one operative death. In 2 patients, reoperation was performed due to a residual septal defect. The postoperative morbidities were transient atrial fibrillation (n=7), paroxysmal supraventricular tachycardia (n=1), low cardiac output syndrome (n=3), bleeding reoperation (n=2), delayed sternal closure (n=2), acute renal failure (n=2), pneumonia (n=1), intraaortic balloon pump-related thromboembolism (n=1), and transient delirium (n=2). Nine patients have been followed up for a mean of $38{\pm}40$ months except for one follow-up loss. There have been 3 late deaths. At the latest follow-up, all 6 survivors were in a good functional class. Conclusion: We demonstrated satisfactory operative and midterm results with our strategy of preoperative intraaortic balloon pump therapy, early repair of septal rupture by infarct exclusion and combined coronary revascularization.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.41 no.3
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• pp.320-328
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• 2008

Background: Numerous surgical devices for mitral repair have been used in the past with good results. In this study we describe a simple annuloplasty technique with using a new device ($Mitracon^{(R)}$). The aim of this study was to assess its efficacy and surgical results with using $Mitracon^{(R)}$. Material and Method: From May 2003 to October 2005, 46 patients (21 women and 25 men (mean age of $51.4{\pm}17.8$ years) with mitral regurgitation from various causes were treated with either the $Mitracon^{(R)}$ (the $Mitracon^{(R)}$ group) or the Capentier Edward rigid ring (the CE group). The median follow-up duration was 18.9 months. Result: The mean grade of mitral regurgitation before and immediately after surgery in the $Mitracon^{(R)}$ group and the CE group decreased from $3.2{\pm}0.8$ to $0.6{\pm}0.7$ and $3.4{\pm}0.7$ to $0.3{\pm}0.5$, respectively. There were no significant changes in the ejection fraction either between the two groups or before and immediately after surgery. No deaths were seen in either group. Early postoperative echocardiography of all 46 patients showed only trivial mitral regurgitation or none at all. Echocardiography at a median of 18.9 months also showed no progression in mitral regurgitation. The mean grade of mitral regurgitation in the $Mitracon^{(R)}$ group at this time point decreased from $3.2{\pm}0.8$ to $0.8{\pm}0.7$ (p<0.05). The CE group also showed a similar degree of decrease from $3.4{\pm}0.7$ to $0.3{\pm}0.6$ (p<0.05). The mitral valve area in the $Mitracon^{(R)}$ group at 1 year follow-up was $3.3{\pm}0.9cm^2$. The mitral valve area in the CE group was $2.7{\pm}0.6cm^2$. The mean mitral pressure gradient in the $Mitracon^{(R)}$ group at 1 year follow-up was $3.1{\pm}1.3$ mmHg. The mean pressure gradient in the CE group was $4.5{\pm}2.1$ mmHg, although any statistical significant difference for this between the groups was not reached. Conclusion: The present study showed the described technique to be safe and effective in the intermediate term. Because long term results are unavailable, a more extensive prospective randomized multicenter trial may be warranted to determine whether this procedure should be generally applied for repair of mitral valve disease.