• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.53 no.6
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• pp.325-331
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• 2020

Background: We evaluated the association between tricuspid annular dilatation and the development of moderate or severe tricuspid regurgitation (TR). Additionally, we determined the optimal tricuspid annular dilatation threshold to use as an indicator for tricuspid annuloplasty in patients with less-than-moderate functional TR (FTR). Methods: Between August 2007 and December 2014, 227 patients with less-than-moderate TR underwent mitral valve surgery without a tricuspid valve (TV) procedure. The TV annular diameter was measured via transthoracic echocardiography. The TV annular index (TVAI) was calculated as the TV annular diameter divided by the body surface area. The mean duration of echocardiographic follow-up was 42.0 months (interquartile range, 9.3-66.6 months). Results: Eight patients (3.5%) developed moderate or severe TR. The rate of freedom from development of moderate or severe TR at 5 years was 96.2%. TV annular diameter, left atrial diameter, preoperative atrial fibrillation, and TVAI were found to be associated with the development of moderate or severe TR in the univariate analysis. A cut-off TVAI value of 19.8 mm/㎡ was found to predict the development of moderate or severe TR, and a significant difference was observed in the development of TR of this severity based on this cut-off (p<0.001). Conclusion: The progression of TR was not infrequent in patients with untreated lessthan-moderate FTR. An aggressive treatment approach can be helpful to prevent the progression of FTR for patients with risk factors, especially TVAI greater than 19.8 mm/㎡.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.52 no.1
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• pp.9-15
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• 2019

Background: Although aortic valve repair can reduce prosthesis-related complications, rheumatic aortic regurgitation (AR) caused by leaflet restriction is a significant risk factor for recurrent AR. In this study, we evaluated the long-term results of the leaflet extension technique for rheumatic AR. Methods: Between 1995 and 2016, 33 patients underwent aortic valve repair using the leaflet extension technique with autologous pericardium for rheumatic pure AR. Twenty patients had severe AR and 9 had combined moderate or greater mitral regurgitation. Their mean age was $32.2{\pm}13.9$ years. The mean follow-up duration was $18.3{\pm}5.8$ years. Results: There were no cases of operative mortality, but postoperative complications occurred in 5 patients. Overall survival at 10 and 20 years was 93.5% and 87.1%, respectively. There were no thromboembolic cerebrovascular events, but 4 late deaths occurred, as well as a bleeding event in 1 patient who was taking warfarin. Twelve patients underwent aortic valve reoperation. The mean interval to reoperation was $13.1{\pm}6.1$ years. Freedom from reoperation at 10 and 20 years was 96.7% and 66.6%, respectively. Conclusion: The long-term results of the leaflet extension technique showed acceptable durability and a low incidence of thromboembolic events and bleeding. The leaflet extension technique may be a good option for young patients with rheumatic AR.

• Journal of Cardiovascular Imaging
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• v.31 no.1
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• pp.18-23
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• 2023

BACKGROUND: Three-dimensional (3D) transesophageal echocardiogram (TEE) is the gold standard for the diagnosis of degenerative mitral regurgitation (dMR) and preoperative planning for transcatheter mitral valve repair (TMVr). TEE is an invasive modality requiring anesthesia and esophageal intubation. The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 pandemic has limited the number of elective invasive procedures. Multi-detector computed tomographic angiography (MDCT) provides high-resolution images and 3D reconstructions to assess complex mitral anatomy. We hypothesized that MDCT would reveal similar information to TEE relevant to TMVr, thus deferring the need for a preoperative TEE in certain situations like during a pandemic. METHODS: We retrospectively analyzed data on patients who underwent or were evaluated for TMVr for dMR with preoperative MDCT and TEE between 2017 and 2019. Two TEE and 2 MDCT readers, blinded to patient outcome, analyzed: leaflet pathology (flail, degenerative, mixed), leaflet location, mitral valve area (MVA), flail width/gap, anterior-posterior (AP) and commissural diameters, posterior leaflet length, leaflet thickness, presence of mitral valve cleft and degree of mitral annular calcification (MAC). RESULTS: A total of 22 (out of 87) patients had preoperative MDCT. MDCT correctly identified the leaflet pathology in 77% (17/22), flail leaflet in 91% (10/11), MAC degree in 91% (10/11) and the dysfunctional leaflet location in 95% (21/22) of patients. There were no differences in the measurements for MVA, flail width, commissural or AP diameter, posterior leaflet length, and leaflet thickness. MDCT overestimated the measurements of flail gap. CONCLUSIONS: For preoperative TMVr planning, MDCT provided similar measurements to TEE in our study.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.24 no.11
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• pp.1149-1153
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• 1991

A modified procedure for the operative management of the corrected transposition of the great arteries with ventricular septal defect and pulmonary stenosis or atresia was performed in 4 patients. (age ; 18 months-9 years). The operation consists of a venous switch procedure (Senning), intraventricular baffling directing the blood flow from the morphologic left ventricle into the aorta via ventricular septal defect through the right ventriculotomy, and insertion of valved conduit between the morphologic right ventricle and the pulmonary artery. All the four patients had large non-restrictive ventriular septal defects and no evidence of significant mitral valve regurgitation. Both ventricles were well-developed. Three cases had pulmonary atresia, and the remainder had severe subpulmonic stenosis. Postperatively, all patients showed no findings of systemic or pulmonary venous obstruction withnormal sinus rhythm. One patient died of sepsis due to infection by Methicillin-resistant S. aureus on the thirteenth postoperative day. Follow-up is done on the survivors, and all of them are dong well with regular sinus rhythm, with their functional class I or II at 2 to 8 months after the operation.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.52 no.6
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• pp.425-427
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• 2019

Coronary artery fistula is an abnormal communication between the coronary artery and the cardiac chambers. In particular, an abnormal connection between the conus branch of the right coronary artery and the proximal left anterior descending coronary artery is defined as Vieussens' arterial ring. Coronary artery fistulas are usually asymptomatic, but some can cause complications such as infective endocarditis. Here, we report a case of Vieussens' arterial ring causing infective endocarditis with severe mitral regurgitation.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.38 no.2 s.247
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• pp.132-138
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• 2005

Background: Mitral valve repair (MVP) is the optimal procedure for mitral regurgitation (MR), however, failure and subsequent reoperations are the limitations. The current study assessed the procedure in relation to the primary valve related causes of recurrent MR. Material and Method: MR was treated in 493 patients undergoing MVP from January of 1994 to January of 2002. The causes of MR were degenerative $(n=252,\;51.5\%),$ rheumatic $(n=156,\; 31.6\%),$ and others $(n=85,\; 16.9\%).$ Surgery comprised 446 ring annuloplasties $(90.5\%),$ 227 new chordae formations $(46\%),$ 125 quadriangular resections $(25.3\%),$ 28 chordae transfers $(5.7\%),$ and 8 Alfieri's stitches $(1.6\%).$ The mean follow up was $29.04\pm22.81$ months. Result: There were 5 early $(1.01\%)$, and 5 late deaths $(1.01\%).$ The reoperation rate was $1.42\%$. There were 45 $(9.1\%)$ recurrent MR (grade III or IV). Of these, 24 were procedure related including incomplete repair (n=14), discordant new chordae length (n=8) and others (n=2). In 21 patients, the cause was valve related including rheumatic disease progression (n=10), recurrent chordae elongation or prolapse (n=5) and others (n=6). Severe MR was higher after incomplete repair (p < 0.001), and valve related failure strongly correlated with rheumatic progression (p < 0.05). Conclusion: Since completeness of operation is the prime risk factor that determine the repair durability, intra-operative assessment of the initial repair with trans-esophageal echocardiography is essential.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.40 no.12
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• pp.855-858
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• 2007

A left ventricular rupture might be one of the most disastrous complications after a mitral valve replacement. An acute atrioventricular groove rupture (type I) was detected in a 54-year-old female diagnosed with a mitral stenosis combined with severe tricuspid regurgitation. She had a prior medical history of an open mitral commissurotomy in Japan at 30 years ago. The surgical findings suggested that the previous procedure was not a simple commissurotomy but a commissurotomy combined with a posteromedial annuloplasty procedure. After a successful mitral valve replacement and a measured (De Vega type) tricuspid annuloplasty, the weaning from a cardiopulmonary bypass was uneventful. However, copious intraoperative bleeding from the posterior wall was detected and the cardiopulmonary bypass was restarted. Exposure of the posterior wall of the left ventricle showed bleeding from the atrioventricular groove 3 cm lateral to the left atrial auricle. Under the impression of a Type I left ventricular rupture, epicardial repair (primary repair of the Teflon felt pledgetted suture, continuous sealing suture using auto-pericardial patch and application of fibrin-sealant) was attempted. Successful local control was made and the patient recovered uneventfully. The patient was discharged at 14 postoperative days without complications. We report this successful epicardial repair of an acute type I left ventricular rupture after mitral valve replacement.

• Journal of Yeungnam Medical Science
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• v.31 no.2
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• pp.113-116
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• 2014

A 52-year-old man was referred to our hospital due to fever and myalgia that occurred 2 weeks earlier. He showed a complete atrioventricular block on his electrocardiogram, and his vital signs were unstable. On his transthoracic echocardiograph, the 1.5 cm vegetation in the aortic valve with severe aortic regurgitation suggested infective endocarditis. His transesophageal enchocardiograph showed abscess in his mitral-aortic intervalvular fibrosa and vegetation was suspected on his anterior mitral valve leaflet. The patient underwent an emergent operation for valve replacement with temporary epicardial pacing. Intraoperatively, the septal leaflet of his tricuspid valve was injured during the debridement of the abscess pocket that was extended to the membranous septum. The aortic, mitral, and tricuspid mechanical valves were replaced with annular reconstruction without complications. After 14 days of intravenous antibiotics, we successfully changed the epicardial pacemaker into a transvenous DDD-type permanent pacemaker by placing a left ventricular lead via the coronary sinus and an atrial lead in the right atrium appendage. The patient was discharged in a tolerable state and was examined uneventfully in our hospital's outpatient clinic for 8 months.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.36 no.11
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• pp.812-819
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• 2003

Background: Left ventricular dysfunction is one of the important prognostic factors of early mortality and long-term survival after valve operation. We studied the intermediate term results of mitral valve reconstruction in patients with moderate to severe left ventricular dysfunction. Material and Method: Forty four patients who underwent mitral valve reconstruction with a left ventricular ejection fraction (EF) of <45% or less (20∼45%) from April 1995 through July 2001 were reviewed retrospectively. Ages ranged from 10 to 67 years (46∼14 years) and 32 patients were in NYHA class III-IV. The mitral valve diseases were regurgitation (MR) in 28 patients, stenosis(MS) in 10, and mixed lesion in 5. The etiologies of mitral valve disease were rheumatic in 20 patients, degenerative in 14, ischemic in 5, annular dilatation in 2, congenital in 2, and endocarditis in 1. Operatively, all patients had annuloplasty and/or various valvuloplasty techniques, and a total of 52 procedures were concomitantly performed. Total cardiopulmonary bypass and aortic crossclamp time were 160$\pm$57 minutes and 112$\pm$45 minutes respectively. Result: Two operative deaths occurred as a result of left ventricular failure (4.5%). After the mean follow-up of 39 months (range, 10∼83 months), there was no late death. Transthoracic echocardiography revealed no or grade I of MR in 29 patients (72.5%) and no or mild MS in 35 patients (87.5%). The actuarial survival at 5 years was 100%. Four patients required mitral valve replacement due to progressive mitral valvular disease. The actuarial freedom from valve-related reoperation at 5 years was 84$\pm$9%. Conclusion: This study suggests that mitral valve reconstruction in patients with moderate to severe left ventricular dysfunction offers good early and intermediate survival and acceptable freedom from valve-related reoperation, and it is the strategy for effective management for these patients.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.38 no.10 s.255
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• pp.710-713
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• 2005

Acute abdominal Aortic occlusion is rare but it is a vascular emergency with high mortality and morbidity. There­fore, delay in diagnosis can have severe impact on the prognosis. A 60-year-old women complained of paresthesia, paralysis, and severe pain in bilateral lower extremities on 13th day after open heart surgery for mitral stenosis, atrial fibrillation, coronary arterial stenosis, tricuspid regurgitation, and atrial septal defect. Her skin was mottled and cool from the umbilicus to the feet, and there were no palpable pulses in the lower exteremities. We diagnosed an acute abdominal aortic occlusion using the Multi-Detector Row Spiral Computed Tomography and successfully treated the problem with emergent thrombo-embolectomy and Aortobifemoral bypass.