• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.32 no.10
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• pp.897-902
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• 1999

Use of the left internal thoracic artery(ITA) to bypass the left anterior descending(LAD) coronary artery has become the standard of care based on its superior graft patency, reduced cardiac events, and enhanced survival. But rarely we encountered with injury to the artery during harvesting which leads to loss of the merits of surgery. We reconstructed inadequate ITAa with other arterial conduits so proximal stump to be a blood source if possible. Maternal and method: Between January 1996 and March 1999, 12 patients received bypass with the reconstructed left internal thoracic artery grafts to left anterior descending artery because of an injury(n=8), short or small(n=4). Right or left ITA was used to LAD as a free graft(n=2). And the other 10 left ITAs were extended with radial artery(n=6), right ITA(n=3), saphenous vein(n=1). Composite "T" graft was made with other arterial conduits in these extended graft(n=5). Result: There was only one morbidity of minor would problem, and no mortality. The patency of extended graft to LAD was complete in 5 patients who received angiography during the period of 2wks to 2 years postoperative, but one of side branch of "T" graft occluded. All of these patients were well. Conclusion: Reconstructive extension with the use of other arterial conduit for the injured proximal ITA is warranted in any patients with acceptable results. acceptable results.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.28 no.3
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• pp.253-257
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• 1995

Forty-eight patients with significant left main coronary artery obstruction underwent coronary artery bypass graft between September,1989 and September,1993. They consisted of 29 males and 19 females with the mean age of 58 [range 33 - 78 . Seventeen patients[35% had stenosis in left main coronary artery only and twenty-nine[61% had associated lesions in other coronary artery systems as well.Two[4% had isolated left coronary ostial lesion. The operative mortality was 4.17% [2/48 which is comparable to the mortality of overall coronary artery bypass surgery cases during the same period[p >0.05 . Perioperative myocardial infarction was occurred in two patients[4.17% . And the infarction rates between the two groups also showed no difference[p >0.05 . The forty-six survivors showed significant improvement in exercise tolerance as well as symptomatology. We conclude that surgery for left main coronary artery disease can be done with no increased risk through careful anesthesia,surgery, and aggressive postoperative care in the critical period.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.44 no.2
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• pp.89-98
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• 2011

Background: Although considerable efforts have been made to improve the graft patency in coronary artery bypass surgery, the role of biomechanical factors remains underrecognized. The aim of this study is to investigate the influences of geometric configurations of the bypass graft on hemodynamic characteristics in relation to anastomosis. Materials and Methods: The Numerical analysis focuses on understanding the flow patterns for different values of inlet and distal diameters and graft angles. The Blood flow field is treated as a two-dimensional incompressible laminar flow. A finite volume method is adopted for discretization of the governing equations. The Carreau model is employed as a constitutive equation for blood. In an attempt to obtain the optimal aorto-coronary bypass conditions, the blood flow characteristics are analyzed using in vitro models of the end-to-side anastomotic angles of $45^{\circ}$, $60^{\circ}$ and $90^{\circ}$. To find the optimal graft configurations, the mass flow rates at the outlets of the four models are compared quantitatively. Results: This study finds that Model 3, whose bypass diameter is the same as the inlet diameter of the stenosed coronary artery, delivers the largest amount of blood and the least pressure drop along the arteries. Conclusion: Biomechanical factors are speculated to contribute to the graft patency in coronary artery bypass grafting.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.28 no.4
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• pp.401-403
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• 1995

Recently we experienced coronary artery bypass graft in two patients over 70years of age. Among them, one case was 74 old year male and the other case was 73 old year male. The coronary artery diseases of them were angiographically diagnosed to triple vessel diseases. We only used great saphenous vein as graft vessel in two patients. The postoperative courses were good except mediastinal bleeding in 1 case. They were discharged with good results. They were still healthy 40 months in one and 30 months in the other after coronary artery bypass grafting.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.40 no.11
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• pp.773-776
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• 2007

A 47-year-old male with hypertension, diabetes mellitus and heavy smoking, but no anginal symptoms, presented with claudication of the lower extremities. Extremity angiography with coronary angiography revealed peripheral arterial lesions including a left subclavian artery occlusion with coronary artery disease. The patient underwent an initial off-pump coronary artery bypass with an ascending aorto-axillary bypass. The right internal mammary artery was anastomosed to the left anterior descending coronary artery. The greater saphenous vein graft was connected from the ascending aorto-axillary bypass graft to the diagonal branch. At postoperative day 18, femorofemoral and bilateral femoropopliteal bypasses were performed. We report a case of the combined repair of coronary artery disease and a left subclavian artery occlusion.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.21 no.2
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• pp.373-378
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• 1988

Since the introduction of percutaneous; transluminal coronary angioplasty[PTCA] by Grunt-zig in 1977, this is widely used in some patients with coronary artery disease and is an effective alternative to surgery for many patients. Indications for emergency coronary artery bypass graft[CABG] after PTCA are prolonged chest pain, worsening of coronary artery obstruction, "current of injury" by electrocardiogram, cardiogenic shock, and in a lesser incidence, ventricular fibrillation, coronary artery dissection[without obstruction], heart block, and intractable cardiac arrest. Recently, we have experienced one case of emergency CABG following unsuccessful PTCA. The patient was 54 year-old male and admitted with complaint of angina pectoris. The routine electrocardiogram revealed within normal limit. The treadmill test revealed severe chest pain after 2 min. exercise. Coronary cineangiogram revealed 95% segmental stenosis of the proximal right coronary artery. Our cardiologist was planned PTCA. During PTCA, severe chest pain and ischemic pattern on electrocardiogram were developed. But they were not relieved even by morphine and nitroglycerin till 90 min. So we performed emergency single coronary artery bypass graft from aorta to proximal right coronary artery with great saphenous vein. The patient had an excellent postoperative recovery and was free from anginal attack. He has shown striking improvement in general status[NYHA functional class 1] during 6 months after operation.operation.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.37 no.10
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• pp.865-867
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• 2004

Development of intraoperative aortic dissection during coronary artery bypass surgery is extremely rare with catastrophic outcomes resulting in high rates of morbidity and mortality. The prognosis is highly dependant upon prompt diagnosis and emergent treatment. We report our experience on a 72 year old female patient who successfully received ascending aortic graft replacement for acute intraoperative aortic dissection during coronary artery bypass procedure.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.30 no.12
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• pp.1190-1196
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• 1997

Between July 1994 and August 1995, 78 patients underwent coronary artery bypass graft at Seoul National University Hospital. Coronary angiogram was performed one year after coronary artery bypass graft in 49 patients(62.8%) for evaluation of the graft patency and analysis of the risk factors for graft occlusion. The patency rates of both the internal mammary artery and the radial artery grafts were 100% , although three internal mammary artery grafts(5.0%) were narrowed(string sign). And that of the saphenous vein grafts were 85.2%. Multivariate analysis for the preoperative, operative, and postoperative factors was done between the widely patent and the narrowed internal mammary artery graft groups, and between the patent and the occluded saphenous vein graft groups by the general linear models procedure. Patient's age($\geq$60 years), postoperative intraaortic balloon pump insertion, bleeding, and acute renal failure were found to be the significant risk factors for internal mammary artery graft narrowing, and coronary artery size(< 1.5 mm) was the significant risk factor for the saphenous vein graft occlusion (p<0.05) . This study confirms that the arterial graft is superior to the vein graft at one-year patency rate, and suggests the risk factors for graft occlusion during the first postoperative year. Knowledge of this study may provide a basis for estimating the risk factors for graft occlusion, and thereby modifying surgical strategy and postoperative surveillance.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.36 no.12
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• pp.995-998
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• 2003

During coronary artery bypass surgery, there are several discrete maneuvers that facilitates localization of the invisible left anterior descending coronary artery. In some cases with intramyocardial left anterior descending artery, long-term patency of a bypassed graft may depend on anastomosing the internal mammary artery graft to the more proximal and superficial site of the intramyocardial left anterior descending artery. We describe an easy technique to locate the proximal superficial left anterior descending artery with a distal coronary arteriotomy and retrograde insertion of a coronary probe.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.37 no.7
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• pp.570-577
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• 2004

CT angiography is now available to evaluate the early graft patency after coronary bypass surgery. We investigated whether patency or occlusion of the bypass grafts can be visualized by CT angiography and what factors effect the visuality. Material and Method: Fifty patients underwent scanning with a 4-slice computed tomographic scanner (Somatom Volume ZoomTM; Siemens, Germany) before being discharged after coronary artery bypass grafting. To evaluate graft patency and relationship between the quality of graft image and the characteristics of the diseased coronary vessels, 50 internal thoracic artery grafts, 18 radial artery grafts, and 56 vein grafts were included in this study. Result: All vein grafts (24 grafts; 32 anastomoses) to left coronary artery system were well visualized, but 3 grafts (4.7%) of 30 vein grafts (35 anastomoses) to right coronary artery system were not visualized. The latter was also occluded in invasive coronary angiographic study. Thirty-nine (78%) internal thoracic artery grafts were well visualized, 8 (16%) faintly visualized, and 3 (6%) not visualized, but all the internal artery grafts were well patent in invasive coronary angiographic study. Conclusion: Unvisualized vein grafts in CT angiography means occlusion of the grafts, but unvisualized arterial grafts in CT angiography may not mean occlusion of the graft but result from competitive flow between the graft and coronary artery. To confirm patency of the unvisualized arterial grafts, invasive coronary angiography is needed.