• Journal of Chest Surgery
• /
• v.51 no.6
• /
• pp.399-402
• /
• 2018

A 61-year-old woman who presented with claudication and dyspnea on exertion was found to have severe calcified narrowing of the descending aorta and severe insufficiency of the aortic valve. These findings were compatible with Takayasu arteritis. To treat these hemodynamic abnormalities, extra-aortic bypass surgery combined with replacement of the aortic valve and ascending aorta-to-hemiarch replacement was performed through a separated upper hemi-sternotomy and limited median laparotomy. We present our successful surgical experience with this case.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
• /
• v.41 no.5
• /
• pp.647-650
• /
• 2008

Aortic disease usually recurs after aortic surgery in the form a new aneurysm distal to the previous operation site, and finding a penetrating atherosclerotic ulcer proximal to the previous operation site has rarely been reported. We report here on a case of successful patch repair of a ruptured penetrating ulcer in the distal aortic arch, and this developed late after replacement of the descending thoracic aorta.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
• /
• v.22 no.1
• /
• pp.59-66
• /
• 1989

Coarctation of aorta, a well known congenital cardiovascular defect, can be recognized in the most instances by simple finding of physical examination. This condition shortens life if untreated, but it can be corrected surgically to render the patient functionally normal. It seems relatively rare in Asian. During Six-Year period from January, 1982 through June, 1988, twenty four consecutive operations for the coarctation of the aorta were performed at Yonsei Medical Center. The patients included 14 males and 10 females in the range, 2 months and 34 years old. Associated Cardiac anomalies were patient ductus arteriosus, ventricular septal defect, mitral valve regurgitation, aortic stenosis, double outlet right ventricle, corrected transposition of great vessel, etc. The preoperative main symptoms were frequent URI and dyspnea. Congestive heart failure was the most common symptom at the group younger than 2 year olds. Operative techniques for the coarctation of the aorta were prosthetic patch aortoplasty in 18 patients, resection & vascular graft interposition in 4, resection and end to-end anastomosis in 2. There was no operative death. Four patients had persistent or paradoxical hypertension, and one had postoperative paraplegia.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
• /
• v.30 no.2
• /
• pp.213-218
• /
• 1997

Pseudoaneurysm of the thoracic aorta is potentially fatal. However, reports of such cases are rare even in large series. We report four cases of thoracic aortic pseudoaneurysm who underwent surgical repair, The causes were considered as infection in two cases (VSD repair, descending thoracic aortic aneurysm resection) and blunt chest trauma by traffic accident in two patients. The pseudoaneurysms developed on ascending aorta suspected as sites of arterial and cardiolplegic needle insertion in one patient. The others were located at descending thoracic aorta immediatly below the left subclavian artery. One patient died of sepsis associated with bile peritonitis and others were followed up from 10 to 18 months with specific morbidity. This study suggest that the incidence of pseudoaneurysm of the thoracic aorta followed by open heart or aorctic surgery can be repaired succesfuly and careful inspection of associated injury is very important in cases of traumatic thoracic pseudoaneurysm.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
• /
• v.50 no.1
• /
• pp.1-7
• /
• 2017

Complex lesions of the thoracic aorta are traditionally treated in 2 surgical steps with the elephant trunk technique. A relatively new approach is the frozen elephant trunk (FET) technique, which potentially allows combined lesions of the thoracic aorta to be treated in a 1-stage procedure combining endovascular treatment with conventional surgery using a hybrid prosthesis. These are very complex and time-consuming operations, and good results can be obtained only if appropriate strategies for myocardial, cerebral, and visceral protection are adopted. However, the FET technique is associated with a non-negligible incidence of spinal cord injury, due to the extensive coverage of the descending aorta with the excessive sacrifice of intercostal arteries. The indications for the FET technique include chronic thoracic aortic dissection, acute or chronic type B dissection when endovascular treatment is contraindicated, chronic aneurysm of the thoracic aorta, and chronic aneurysm of the distal arch. The F ET technique is also indicated in acute type A aortic dissection, especially when the tear is localized in the aortic arch; in cases of distal malperfusion; and in young patients. In light of the great interest in the FET technique, the Vascular Domain of the European Association for cardio-thoracic Surgery published a position paper reporting the current knowledge and the state of the art of the FET technique. Herein, we describe the surgical techniques involved in the FET technique and we report our experience with the F ET technique for the treatment of complex aortic disease of the thoracic aorta.

• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
• /
• v.18 no.1
• /
• pp.69-74
• /
• 2004

We have examined the relaxative response to the water extract of Rheum undulatum L. (ERU) and water extract of alcohol steamed Rheum undulatum L. (SRU) with isolated thoracic aorta from sprague dawley (SD) rat. Rat thoracic aorta was investigated in vessel segments suspended for isometric tension recording by polygraph. Responses to ERU and SRU were investigated in vessels precontracted with 5-hydroxytryptamine(5-HT). We found that the thoracic aorta segments responded to ERU and SRU with a dose-dependent vasorelaxation : The thoracic aorta segments responded to ERU and SRU with a dose-dependent vasodilation. The amounts of emodin were 0.063%, 0.076% and 0.145% in ERU and SRU, respectable. The 5-HT induced contraction at 10-4M were inhibited by 85.2±4.76% and 84.0±2.91% after addition of the 0.1mg/mL water extract of ERU and SRU. The 5-HT induced contraction at 10/sup -3/M were inhibited by 100% after 10/sup -3/M emodin. In conclusion, vasodilation effect of the water extract of Rheum undulatum L. in rat thoracic aorta was not decreased according to the processing of alcohol steamed Rheum undulatum L.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
• /
• v.26 no.12
• /
• pp.926-933
• /
• 1993

We experienced 20 patients with Takayasu`s disease who required 22 surgical procedures for critical arterial stenoses, aneurym of descending thoracic aorta, and aortic regurgitation from 1986 to 1993.Five patients had type I arteritis, seven patients had type II , seven patients had type III, and one patients had type IV.15 patients were female and 5 patients were male.Patients` ages ranged from 17 to 47 years and mean age was 29.1 years. The surgical procedures were as follows;autotransplantations of kidney[3], aortic valve replacements[2], ascending aorta-bilateral internal carotid artery bypasses[2], unilateral renal artery bypasses[2], bilateral renal artery bypasses[3], replacement of descending thoracic aorta[1], ascending aorta-abdominal aorta bypass[1], ascending aorta-right internal carotid artery bypass[1], ascending aorta-right internal carotid artery and left subclavian artery bypass[1], left common carotid artery-left-subclavian artery bypass[1], pulmonary artery angioplasty[1], left femoro-bilateral axillary bypass[1] and others[2]. There was no hospital death.Mean duration of follow-up was 42.7 months[ranged from 3 to 96 months].There was one late death and late mortality rate is 5.9%.Two patients was underwent second vascular procedures, one after 5 years and the other after 5 months.The other patients have done well after surgery.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
• /
• v.27 no.4
• /
• pp.318-324
• /
• 1994

Cross-clamping of the descending thoracic aorta results in proximal hypertension,increase in left ventricular afterload,and impairment of distal organ perfusion. Bypass of the descending thoracic aorta is frequently advocated as an adjunct for repair of traumatic tears and degenerative aneurysms. Many methods of bypass have been proposed to provide distal perfusion and reduce left ventricular afterload during cross-clamping of the thoracic aorta. At Seoul National University Hospital, 7 patients were treated for the thoracic or thoracoabdominal aortic aneurysm using left atrium-femoral artery bypass with Bio-medicus centrifugal pump between October,1989, and January,1993. There were atherosclerotic thoracic aneurysm in 3 cases, thoracoabdominal aortic aneurysm due to chronic aortic dissection in 3 cases,aortic rupture due to trauma in 1 case. Total of 7 patients were operated by graft replacement with reimplantation of important branches. None of these cases developed severe complications and hospital death. We believe that the Bio-Medicus centrifugal pump is a simple and safe means of perfusing the lower body, kidneys, and spinal cord without necessitating heparinization.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
• /
• v.43 no.2
• /
• pp.194-198
• /
• 2010

Intramural hematoma of the aorta (IMH) is the precursor or a variant of a classic aortic dissection where hemorrhage occurs within the aorta wall in the absence of an initial intimal tear. IMH has a high rate of mortality and morbidity. The optimal therapy for IMH is uncertain, yet the involvement of the ascending aorta is usually considered as an indication for surgery due to the associated risk of rupture or cardiac tamponade. We report here on a case of a 71-year-old man who presented with syncope. Because of misdiagnosis, he underwent computed tomography (CT) after 5 hrs from arriving to the ER. Computed tomography of the aorta revealed intramural hematoma of the ascending aorta with cardiac tamponade. He also had vascular complications such as acute renal failure and visceral ischemia. We performed emergency graft replacement of the total arch and ascending aorta. He was discharged without complication on postoperative day 14.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
• /
• v.54 no.5
• /
• pp.425-428
• /
• 2021

Aortobronchial fistula (ABF) induced by an infected pseudoaneurysm of the thoracic aorta is a life-threatening condition. As surgical treatment is associated with significant mortality and morbidity, thoracic endovascular aneurysm repair (TEVAR) may be an alternative for the treatment of ABF. However, the long-term durability of this intervention is largely unknown and the recurrence of ABF is a potential complication. We experienced a case of recurrent ABF after stent grafting as an early procedure for an infected pseudoaneurysm of the thoracic aorta. Remnant ABF, bronchial and/or aortic wall erosion, vasa vasorum connected with ABF, and recurrent local inflammation of the thin aortic wall around ABF might cause recurrent hemoptysis. As a result, we suggest that TEVAR should be considered as a bridge therapy for the initial treatment of ABF resulting from an infected pseudoaneurysm, and that several options, such as second-stage surgery, should be considered to prevent the recurrence of ABF.