• Journal of Chest Surgery
• /
• v.28 no.2
• /
• pp.183-187
• /
• 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 Yeungnam Medical Science
• /
• v.29 no.1
• /
• pp.61-64
• /
• 2012

The left aortic arch with an aberrant right subclavian artery, or arteria lusoria, is the most common aortic arch anomaly, occurring in 0.5-2.5% of individuals. In such cases, the angular course of the arteria lusoria to the ascending aorta imposes difficulty in passing a guide wire to the ascending aorta during right transradial catheterization. Here, the case of a 53-year-old woman with intermittent chest tightness and coughing is reported. Aberrant right subclavian artery (arteria lusoria) was diagnosed via aortogram during right transradial coronary angiography. Compression of the esophagus and trachea by the aberrant right subclavian artery was demonstrated by chest computed tomography (CT).

• Journal of Chest Surgery
• /
• v.27 no.6
• /
• pp.455-459
• /
• 1994

We experienced 20 cases of acquired aortic diseases during last 1 year [Sep. 1992-Aug. 1993] with newly developed surgical strategies. There were 13 cases[65%] of aortic dissections, 5 cases[25%] of aortic aneurysms and 2 cases of Takayasu arteritis with mean age of 56 + 16 years[range:5-78].In ten cases of patients requiring ascending aortic replacement, femoral artery and femoral vein &/or RA auricle were used as cannulation site. With deep hypothermic circulatory arrest and retrograde cerebral perfusion of cold oxygenated blood via SVC, we can replace the ascending aorta and part of arch if necessary. The mean duration of circulatory arrest was 30 minutes[17-45 min]. In 5 cases of patients who requiring descending and thoracoabdominal aorta replacement, we used simple aortic crossclamping under normothermia with no heparin. The mean duration of aortic crossclamping was 37 minutes[25-50 min].The results of operation were as follow:Operative mortality[2 cases, 10%], delayed cerebral infarct[1], low extremity weakness[1] and intraoperative myocardial infarct[1]. There are no delayed complication or mortality as yet.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
• /
• v.49 no.5
• /
• pp.401-404
• /
• 2016

The formation of aortic thrombi is an extremely rare complication of acute pancreatitis. Here we report a case of acute pancreatitis complicated by a paraesophageal pseudocyst, necrotizing mediastinitis, and the formation of multiple thrombi in the ascending aorta. The patient was successfully treated by surgical therapy, which included extensive debridement of the mediastinum and removal of the aortic thrombi under cardiopulmonary bypass. Although esophageal resection was not carried out concomitantly, the lesions were resolved and the patient remained free of complications over 2 years of follow-up care.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
• /
• v.54 no.6
• /
• pp.554-557
• /
• 2021

Surgeons are increasingly using the right mini-thoracotomy approach to perform aortic valve surgery. This approach has shown better results in terms of blood loss and length of hospital stay than the sternotomy approach. For selected patients requiring aortic root and ascending aorta surgery, a right mini-thoracotomy approach may prove beneficial. In our technique, we placed a 5-cm horizontal skin incision in the right second intercostal space. Femoro-femoral cardiopulmonary bypass was established. A valved aortic conduit was used for aortic root replacement. The patient's postoperative course was uneventful, with a short hospital stay. This technique offers a minimally invasive approach to aortic root and ascending aorta surgery with easy adaptability and reduced costs.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
• /
• v.42 no.1
• /
• pp.79-86
• /
• 2009

Background: Background: Computed tomography (CT) is the main tool for detecting abnormalities of the thoracic aorta, but conventional CT only shows the cross-sectional images. These CT images have some limitations fo accuratly measuring the thoracic aortic diameters at various levels. Multidetector computed tomography (MDCT) overcomes these limitations. We measured the thoracic aortic diameter perpendicular to the loop-shaped thoracic aortic course and this was studied in relation to age, gender, height, weight, the body surface area, the body mass index and the presence of hypertension. Material and Method: Thirty hundred thirty one patients (males: 141 patients and females: 190 patients) who had no abnormalities of the thoracic aorta were investigated using MDCT aortography. They were divided into three age categories: 20~39 years old, 40~59 years old and over age 60. The image was reformed with multiplanar reconstruction and the diameter of the aorta was measured perpendicular to the aortic course at 5 anatomic segments. Level A was the mid-ascending aorta, level B was the distal ascending aorta, level C was the aortic arch, level D was the aortic isthmus and level E was the mid-descending aorta. Result: The mean age was 49.5 years old for males and 54.9 years old for females (p<0.05). The mean diameter of the thoracic aorta at level A was 31.1 mm, that at level B was 30.2 mm, that at level C was 26.5 mm, that at level D was 24.0 mm and that at level E was 22.6 mm. The diameters at all the levels were gradually increased with age. Hypertensive patients had larger diameters than did the non-hypertensive population. There was a positive correlation between the ascending aortic diameter (levels A&B) and height and the body surface area, but there were no statistical differences at the aortic arch (level C) and the descending aorta (levels D&E). There were no statistical differences of the weight and body mass index at all levels. Conclusion: The diameters of the thoracic aortas were directly correlated with gender, age and hypertension. Height and the body surface area were only correlated with the ascending aorta. Weight and the body mass index have no statistical difference at all levels. We measured the age related thoracic aortic diameters and the upper normal limits and we provide this data as reference values for the thoracic aortic diameter in the Korean population.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
• /
• v.11 no.1
• /
• pp.102-107
• /
• 1978

This is a report of a chylous cyst in the mediastinum found in a 61 year old Korean female patient who suffered from mild swallowing difficulty and right chest discomfort. These symptoms had developed 5 years previously when chest P-A view showed thumb-tip sized mass shadow in right mediastinum, just right to ascending aorta. Esophagogram revealed an indentation of midesophagus. Follow up checks showed growing mass shadow which suggested aneurysm of ascending aorta. On admission chest X-ray revealed a well circumscribed infant head sized mass density along the right heart border and middle mediastinal border, and extended near to the middle clavicular line in right chest cavity. Aortogram revealed no relationship between the mass and aorta. Right thoracotomy was performed under impression of mediastinal tumor. There was a large cyst containing 700 cc of milky fluid. There was no connection to the thoracic duct nor adjacent organs. The fluid was analyzed chemically and identified the fluid as chyle. The origin of the isolated chylous cyst was uncertain postoperative course was uneventful.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
• /
• v.20 no.2
• /
• pp.404-410
• /
• 1987

An 18-day-old male neonate with hypoplastic left heart syndrome underwent surgical intervention by modification of the Norwood procedure on September 23, 1986. Hypoplastic left heart syndrome is a serious congenital cardiac anomaly that has a fatal outlook if left untreated. Included in this anomaly are [1] aortic valve atresia, and hypoplasia of the ascending aorta and aortic arch, [1] mitral valve atresia or hypoplasia, and [3] diminutive or absent left ventricle. Patent ductus arteriosus is essential for any survival, and there is usually a patent foramen ovale. Coarctation of the aorta is frequently associated with the lesion.z With a limited period of cardiopulmonary bypass, deep hypothermia, and circulatory arrest, the ductus arteriosus was excised. The main pulmonary artery was divided immediately below its branches, and the distal stump of the divided pulmonary artery was closed with a pericardial patch. The aortic arch was incised, and a 1 5mm tubular Dacron prosthesis was inserted between the main pulmonary artery and the aortic arch. A 4mm shunt of polytetrafluoroethylene graft was established between the new ascending aorta and the right pulmonary artery to provide controlled pulmonary blood flow. Following rewarming, the heart started to beat regularly, but the patient could not be weaned from cardiopulmonary bypass. At autopsy, the patient was found to have hypoplasia of the aortic tract complex with mitral atresia and aortic atresia. A secundum atrial septal defect was noted. Right atrial and ventricular hypertrophy was present, and the left ventricle was entirely absent. Although unsuccessful in this case report, continuing experience with hypoplastic left heart syndrome will lead to an improvement in result.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
• /
• v.24 no.1
• /
• pp.36-40
• /
• 1991

Between November, 1981 and July, 1989, 4 patients, 3 male and 1 female patients ranging in age from 36 to 45 years, were operated on for aortic insufficiency associated with uncomplicated annuloaortic ectasia. All patients were in New York Heart Association class III. Two patients had clinical stigmata of the Marfan syndrome. The surgical treatment consisted of. supracoronary replacement of ascending aorta with vascular graft and replacement of the aortic valve in our first case. and composite graft replacement of the ascending aorta and aortic valve with reimplantation of the coronary arteries in subsequent 3 cases. Our first patient developed aneurysm of proximal aorta and pseudoaneurysm of distal aortic anastomosis 5 years postoperatively. One patient among the three patients with Ben-tall operation, died of ventricular fibrillation and myocardial failure during immediate postoperative period. Remaining 2 patients were in NYHA class I with follow-up of 16 months and 20 months respectively.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
• /
• v.35 no.3
• /
• pp.188-198
• /
• 2002

Background: Reoperations on the aortic root or the ascending aorta are being performed with increasing frequency and remain a challenging problem. This study was performed to analyze the results of reoperations on the ascending aorta and aortic root. Material and Method: Between May 1995 and April 2001, 30 patients had reoperations on the ascending aorta and aortic root and were reviewed retrospectively. The mean interval between the previous repair and the actual reoperation was 56 months(range 3 to 142 months). Seven patients(23.3%) had two or more previous operations. The indications for reoperations were true aneurysm in 7 patients(23.3%), prosthetic valve endocarditis in 6(20%), false aneurysm in 5(16.7%), paravalvular leak associated with Behcet's disease in 4(13.3%), malfunction of prosthetic aortic valve in 4(13.3%), aortic dissection in 3(10%), and annuloaortic ectasia in 1(3.3%). The principal reoperations performed were aortic root replacement in 17 patients(56.7%), replacement of the ascending aorta in 8(26.7%), aortic and mitral valve replacement with reconstruction of fibrous trigone in 2(6.6%), patch aortoplasty in 2(6.6%), and aortic valve replacement after Bentall operation in 1 (3.3%). The cardiopulmonary bypass was started before sternotomy in 7 patients and the hypothermic circulatory arrest was used in 16(53.3%). The mean time of circulatory arrest, total bypass, and aortic crossclamp were 20$\pm$ 12 minutes, 228$\pm$56 minutes, and 143$\pm$62 minutes, respectively Result: There were three early deaths(10%). The postoperative complications were reoperation for bleeding in 7 patients(23.3%), cardiac complications in 5(16.7%), transient acute renal failure in 2(6.6%), transient focal seizure in 2(6.6%), and the others in 5. The mean follow-up was 22.8 $\pm$20.5 months. There were two late deaths(7.4%). The actuarial survival was 92.6$\pm$5.0% at 6 years. One patient required reoperation for complication of reoperation on the ascending aorta and aortic root(3.7%). The 1- and 6-year actuarial freedom from reoperation was 100% and 83.3$\pm$15.2%, respectively. One patient with Behcet's disease are waiting for reoperation due to false aneurysm, which developed after aortic root replacement with homograft. There were no thromboembolisms or anticoagulant related complications. Conclusions: This study suggests that reoperations on the ascending aorta and aortic root can be performed with acceptable early mortality and morbidity, and adequate surgical strategies according to the pathologi conditions are critical to the prevention of the reoperation.