• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.5 no.1
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• pp.19-24
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• 1972

The recent development of cardiovascular surgery as well as aortoarteriogaphy has been established excellent operative result with great aid of limb-salvage. However, less consideration or less experience still exists on the regard of vascular accident and vascular disease, as well as vascular surgery in Korea. During the last 13 years, we experienced only two cases of aorto-iliac occlusion,acute and chronic, regardless of having had more than 300 cases of mitral valvotomy and gradual increasing tendency of arteriosclerosis and hypertension in Korea. Therefore it is noteworthy to report the cases in order to promote the consideration for vascular surgery. Case 1; 52 year old female who had 20 years history of mitral stenosis with uricular fibrillation and received medical treatment for recent 1 year in the medical department. 10 days before admission, acute saddle emboli developed and 15 days after the onset, embolectomy through both common femoral arteries on the groin and abdominal approach was made. The progression of emboll to the right popliteal bifurcation was found by arteriography on operating table and retrograde flushing with heparin solution by the polyethylene catheter inserted through posterior tibial artery. The operation was successful, but 9 hours after operation sudden death occurred. Considering this case, first, mitral valvotomy already before might prevent peripheral embolizatlon, secondarily, the more early detection and surgery might also prevent the progression of emboli. Thirdly, although preoperative or postoperatlve heparinization is controversial for mitraI stenosis, heparinization might prevent additional emboli to vital organs in this case Cases 2; 66 year old female who had 4 years history of left hip and calf intermittent claudication and has had rest pain, inability to walk and ischemic necrosis on the the left leg since last 3 months prior to admission to the orthopedic department under the suspicion of herniated disc. Absence of pulsation on the groin and aortography evidenced aortoillac occlusion predominantly on the left side. Thromboendarterectomy was made and the operative result was successful with absence of claudication, healing of ulcer and aortographic patency of occlusive site. This chronic occlusion is considered to result from arteriosclerosis in origin with the evidence of moderate hypertension, x-ray evidence of calcified plaque on the aortic knob and operative finding of palpable plaques.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.30 no.2
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• pp.172-178
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• 1997

We present a etrospective analysis of arterial embolectomies performed at the Inje University Seoul Paik Hospital. During the period of March 1987 Feburary 1996 twenty-six patients underwent embolectomies, eighteen patients were male and eight patients were female, mean age of patients was 56.8 years. Rest pain was the chief complaint in 24 patients, the remaining two patients complained of long term history of claudication after recovery of acute symtoms. But only 10 patients had sensBrylmotor symtoms. Heart was the most common source of embolization and frequent predisposing factor of embolism was ischemic heart disease in 8 cases and valvular heart disease in 11 cases. The sites of embolization were upper extremities artery in 6 cases, saddle embolism in 2 cases, lower extremities artery in 18 cases and the most common site of embolism was femoral artery in 1 1 cases. Preoperative angiography was taken in the diagnosis and planning of the embolectomy in 1) patients while in the other patient p eoperative angiography was not taken. Only two cases were operated within the golden period of 6 hours and other cases were operated in more than 6 hours after embolization. In all patients, the Fogarty embolectomy catheter was used without bypass surgery via bachial ateriotomy in the embolism of upper extremities artery, bilateral groin approaches in the saddle embolism and transfemoral approach in the embolism of lower extremities artery. However 3 patients were re-operated via transpopliteal approach in the distal poplitiotibial embolism. Eighteen patients received perioperative anticoagulation therapy by heparin or fraxiparine and wafarin was used in 17 patients at the time of discharge and the indication of anticogulation was patients of valvular heat disease andfor atrial fibrillation, peripheral artery atherosclerosis and recurrent embolism. Postoperative results of the embolectomy were as follows: fouteen pateints had excellent results, five cases had symtom improvement after re-operation, B. K. amputation in 1 case who had severe atherosclerosis of lower extremities, recurrent embolism in 1 case and death in 2 cases the cause of death were acute renal failure and cerebral artery embolism, respectively. The complications of the embolectomy were reperfusion syndrome, pseudoaneurysm and intimal dissection in one case each. Conclusively the problems of embolism is delayed diagnosis and increasing number of old aged patient who had suffered from ischemic heart diease. Preoperative angiography was not always needed for embol ectomy. Selective anticoagulation therapy can decrease incidence of re-embolism. In the distal poplitiotibial embolism, embolectomy of tibial artery was difficult.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.43 no.2
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• pp.127-132
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• 2010

Background: Femoropopliteal artery bypss grafting is an effective form of treatment for infrainguinal artery occlusive disease in those patients who have either intermittent claudication or resting critical ischemia. The objective of this analysis was to evaluate the long-term patency of a femoropopliteal bypass graft that is classified as an above-the-knee saphenous vein graft or an above-the-knee PTFE (polytetrafluoroethylene) graft. Material and Method:From January 1998 to February 2005, 103 above-the-knee femoro-popliteal bypasses were performed on 87 patients. There were 74 male and 13 female patients with a mean age of $65.7{\pm}9.69$ (range: 31~82). The surgical indications were intermittent claudication in 65 cases (74.7%), foot ulceration in 2 cases (2.3%), foot necrosis in 10 ases (11.5%) and toe necrosis in 10 cases (11.5%). For the bypass graft, a reversed saphenous vein was used in 31 limbs and a polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) prosthesis was used in 72 limbs (6 mm: 27 limbs, 8 mm: 45 limbs). The perioperative risk factors were diabetes mellitus in 33 cases (37.9%), hypertension in 47 cases (54.0%), a history of ischemic heart disease in 13 cases (14.9%) and smoking in 72 cases (82.8%). Result:There were three perioperative deaths (3.4%) and seven late deaths (8.3%). Major leg amputation was necessary in 12 patients (13.8%) during the entire course of the study. The primary patency rate at 5 years for the vein grafts, the 8 mm-PTFE grafts and the 6 mm-PTFE grafts were 84.7%, 77.4% and 74.2%, respectively and the overall primary patency rate was 78.7%, and there were no significant statistical differences among the graft groups. By using multivariate analysis, the number of patent tibial arteries was determined to be a significant factor that influenced the primary graft patency rate (p<0.005), but risk factors such as diabetes mellitus, ischemic heart disease, smoking and age had no statistically significant affect on the primary graft patency rates. Conclusion: The great saphenous vein is considered the most durable conduit for infrainguinal revascularization, but the overall results of this study show that saphenous vein and PTFE grafts have comparable patency rates when used above the knee in patients with claudication or critical ischemia. The use of PTFE above the knee is a reasonable alternative for a femoro-poplitael bypass and it is associated with acceptable long term patency rates.