• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.14 no.3
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• pp.291-296
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• 1981

Dissecting aortic aneurysm is a disease which is characterized by hemorrhagic intramural seperation of aortic wall and extension for varlng distances proximally, distally, or both from the site of the intimal tear. Most aortas show some type of medial degeneration most commonly described as cystic medial necrosis. DeBackey classified this disease according to involved aorta and site of intimal tear to 3 basic types, such as type I, II and III. Type III is defined that dissecting process arrises in the descending thoracic aorta just distal to origin of the left subclavian artery and extends distally for a varing distance. We expirienced a case of dissecting aneurysm, type III of DeBackey's classification which dissecting process is limited to the descending thoracic aorta in the Department of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, Kyungpook National University Hospital. This patient was 40 year old woman and she had suffered from intermittent sharp back pain for 3 years .before admission. Excision of the aneurysm and Dacron graft were placed successfully under the left atrio-femoral bypass with artificial pump. The hospital course was uneventful.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.12 no.3
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• pp.183-190
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• 1979

A 23-year-old male patient complained dyspnea on exertion and orthopnea since December 1977. On examination, he was tall and slender. There was grade IV/VI to-and-fro murmur on the left sternal border especially on Erb`s point. The liver was descended 2 fingers breadth below right costal margin. There were no signs of Marfan`s syndrome. Echocardiography demonstrated partial closure of aortic valve and dilated aortic root with enlargement of ascending aorta. Left heart cardiac catheterization revealed moderately elevated pulmonary wedge pressure and right ventricular pressure. The left ventricular end diastolic pressure was markedly elevated to 26 mmHg. On aortography, the aortic regurgitation was severe and it was belonged to angiographically Grade IV. The aortic valve was replaced with Carpentier-Edwards valve without excision and replacement of ascending aorta, under the impression of rheumatic valvular heart disease. After closure of aortotomy, blood pressure was transiently elevated and bleeding from the site of inserting air vent needle of ascending aorta was developed. The bleeding was not controlled by any means. On postmortem microscopic study, the histologic changes were strikingly limited to the ascending aorta from the region of the aortic valve ring.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.24 no.7
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• pp.685-692
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• 1991

Twelve patients underwent surgical interventions for aortic aneurysms consecutively from September 1986 to September 1990 in the Department of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, Yeungnam University Hospital. They were all men ranging in age from 25 to 68 years with the mean age of 48 years. Five patients of them had aneurysms involving ascending aorta, one aneurysm involving both ascending and descending aorta, four aneurysms involving descending thoracic aorta, and the others had aneurysms involving abdominal aorta. According to morphological classification, six cases of them were in dissection and the others in fusiform aneurysms. All the cases were pathologically true aneurysms and four of them were in acute status. According to causal classification, seven patients of them had atherosclerosis, three cystic medial necrosis, and the others had syphilis and trauma respectively. Six patients with ascending aortic aneurysm had annuloaortic ectasia with aortic regurgitation and underwent ascending aortic graft and aortic valve replacement[Bentall`s operation]. The others with descending thoracic and abdominal aortic aneurysms underwent Dacron graft replacement. Both hemorrhage necessitating reopening of the chest and wound dehiscence were observed in three patients and hoarseness in one patient. Cerebrovascular accident occurred three and a quarter years postoperatively in one patient and he died two days later. The others were followed up via OPD and have been doing well postoperatively.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.26 no.6
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• pp.457-462
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• 1993

We retrospectively studied 34 patients who underwent operations of ascending aortic aneurysm and aortic valve replacement from August 1979 to July 1992 at the Yonsei Cardiovascular Center. Eight patients underwent supracoroanry non-composite graft replacement and separate aortic valve replacement[group I]. Twenty six patients underwent valved composite graft replacement with reimplantation of coronary arteries[group II]. Two cases in group II died within 1 month after the operation. Among the 32 survivors 28 patients have been followed up for an average of 59 months ranging from 1 months to 159 months. During the follow up periods, a pseudoaneurysm around the ascending aorta and a newly developed dissecting aneurysm in remaining aorta were noted in group II. There were 6 late deaths: 2 cases in group I and 4 cases in group II. Three cases among the 6 late deaths have stigmata of Marfan`s syndrome[1 cases in group I and 2 case in group II]. There was no statistically significant difference in actuarial survival rates between group I and group II[p > 0.05]. This study suggests that non-composite supracoronary graft interposition with separate aortic valve replacement is a safe surgical technique in patients who have normal aortic annulus and normal position of coronary ostia. However in degenerative disease such as cystic medial necrosis, composite graft replacement is recommended because this procedure eliminates entire abnormal tissue.But it seems to be important that the suture technique and strict follow-up in patients with diseased aortic wall.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.25 no.8
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• pp.877-884
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• 1992

From October, 1986, to June, 1992 16 patients, 13 male and 3 female patients ranging in age 28 to 70 years, were operated on for thoracic aortic aneurysm, The etiology of these patients was atherosclerotic in 10, cystic medial necrosis in 4, and trauma in 2 cases, All patients were treated by use of CPB and circulatory arrest was applicated in one patient, Ten patients had aneurysms involving ascending aorta and six patients had descending aortic aneurysm, Among ten patients with ascending aortic aneurysm, annuloaortic ectasia with aortic regurgitation were seven and all underwent surgery with composite technique [Bentall operation], The other six patients with descending thoracic aneurysm were performed graft replacement. There was no early mortality but two late deaths occurred due to cerebral hemorrhage and renal problems at POD 3mo and 39mo respectively, We obtained satisfactory long-term results and overall survival rate at 5 year was 74.7%.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.20 no.2
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• pp.300-308
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• 1987

Clinical and pathologic data were reviewed in 20 patients who had have surgery for isolated aortic valvular heart disease between April 1978 and April, 1987. Hospital mortality was 10%, with no additional late mortality during a mean follow-up period of 24.1 months. Prosthetic valve failure developed in 3 patients and two had reoperation. Niety four percent of the survivors who were in NYHA Funtional class III or IV before operation are now in class I or II. Ninety percent of all patients are still alive at a maximum follow up of 9 years. The clinical histories, gross and histologic examination of valves estabilished the causes for isolated aortic valve disease: 3 rheumatic, 2 congenital bicuspid, 2 hypertention, 2 aortitis and each one case of floppy valve, medial cystic necrosis of aorta, bacterial endocarditis. But etiology was unknown in 8 cases. Sixteen patietns had myxoid degeneration, defined as significant disruption of the valve fibrosa and its replacement by acid mucosaccharides and cystic changes. Myxoid degeneration was also the primary pathologic abnormality in the patients with 2 hypertention, 2 rheumatic, 1 aortitis, 1 bacterial endocarditis, 1 floppy valve, 1 congenital bicuspid. The patients with myxoid degeneration of uncertain origin were 8. Histologic finding of all of them revealed nonspecific patients with myxoid degeneration of uncertain orgin were 8. Histologic finding of all of them revealed nonspecific chronic valvulitis with myxoid degeneration. This finding may indicate that the etiology w uld be infectious.

• Journal of Yeungnam Medical Science
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• v.5 no.1
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• pp.159-166
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• 1988

Dissecting aortic aneurysm is relatively rare in those under 40 years of age without high risk factors. After dessecting aortic aneurysm is occured, the coronary artery is rarely perfused by false lumen. We present a thirty two-year-old man who showed Debakey type 1 dissecting aortic aneurysm with right coronary artery perfused by false lumen of ascending aorta and with congestive heart failure due to aortic insufficiency without discernible risk factor. Medical and surgical treament(Modified Bentall's operation) were successfully performed. The pathologic report showed combined cystic medial necrosis. Now he is well tolerated and stable only with anticoagulation during follow up 18 months.