• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.42 no.4
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• pp.528-531
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• 2009

Transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) is widely used to evaluate the heart function and the result of surgery during a cardiac operation. The incidence of complications associated with TEE is low, yet critical complications such as lower pharyngeal injury and esophageal perforation may happen. We report hereon a case of 77-year old male patient who suffered from injury to the pyriform sinus and concurrent deep neck infection after off pump coronary artery bypass surgery and intraoperative TEE.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.30 no.12
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• pp.1205-1213
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• 1997

This study reviewed useful aspects of the intraoperative transesophageal echocardiography among the patients in whom heart surgery were undertaken between January 1996 and July 1996 at St.Pauls hospital, Medical College of Catholic University, Seoul, Korea. During that period, 61 patients were operated on because of valvular heart disease(25 patients), coronary artery disease(22 patients), congenital heart disease(13 patients), and combined coronary artery disease and valvular heart disease(1 patient). Two patients(1 redo-VSD and 1 valvular heart diease) needed repeated aortic cross clamping and complementary procedures because of incomplete initial procedures. There was no incidence of air embolism. We could observe significant relationship of cardiac output monitoring methods either by thermodilution technique and transesophageal echocardiography by linear regression analysis(p<0.001). We tested myocardial response(percentage of systolic wall thickness, PSWT) with low dose dobutamine challenge to predict post-CABG myocardial perfusion. And the test showed statistically significant resp.onse(sensitivity 76%, specificity 94.7%, positive predictive value 95%, negative predictive value 75%). These results suggest that cardiac surgeon could draw more benefits by intraoperative transesophageal echocardiography.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.40 no.9
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• pp.637-640
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• 2007

Papillary fibroelastoma is a rare benign cardiac tumor with an elevated risk for embolization and most papillary fibroelastomas do not cause symptoms. In this report, we describe a case of previous undiagnosed masses of the aortic valve that were incidentally found on intraoperative transesophageal echocardiography during coronary artery bypass surgery. Upon surgery, masses were found on the left and right aortic cusps and the pathological findings were consistent with a papillary fibroelastoma.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.36 no.11
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• pp.834-838
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• 2003

Background: Deairing from the heart after open heart surgery(cardiopulmonary bypass) is a very important procedure. Artificial arteriovenous fistula was used to remove air, and the efficiency was evaluated by transesophageal echocardiography. Material and Method: Just before termination of cardiopulmonary bypass, a standard pressure transducer line is connected between the stopcocks of the connections in the arterial and venous circuits, creating a small controlled arteriovenous fistula between the arterial and venous cannulas. The degree of intracardiac air and air removal time were evaluated either by transesophageal echocardiography or direct vision of pressure transducer line. Result: By simple procedure, cardiopulmonary time was shortened and air clearing can be confirmed using echocardiography in a few minutes. Conclusion: Creation of arteriovenous fistula using small connecting line between aortic and venous cannula is a very simple and effective method of deairing and preventing of air embolism after open heart surgery.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.34 no.9
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• pp.724-728
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• 2001

We report a case of an 8 years and 11 month-old male patient who had developed severe tricuspid insufficiency(TI) after correction of anomalous origin of the left coronary artery from the pulmonary artery(ALCAPA). Transthoracic echocardiogram and coronary angiography confirmed ALCAPA, ischemic mitral regurgitation and trivial TI. He underwent direct reimplantation of the left coronary artery to the aortic root by using additional cannulation at the main pulmonary artery for arterial inflow and cardioplegia delivery to the left coronary artery. After the correction of ALCAPA, transesophageal echocardiogram(TEE) revealed good antegrade flow at the aortic implantation site of the left coronary artery and severe TI(Gr III-IV/IV). Cardiopulmonary bypass was reestablished and tricuspid valve was repaired with Kay-type annuloplasty, artificial chordae formation and chordal shortening plasty. The postrepair TEE revealed trivial to mild TI.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.34 no.5
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• pp.414-417
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• 2001

흉부 대동맥의 비 외상성 자연 파열은 매우 드물지만, 발생시 응급수술이 요하는 위중한 질환이다. 본원에서는 전산화 단층 촬영과 경식도 초음파로 진단하고 부분 대동맥궁 치환술로 성공적으로 치료된 후 흉부 대동맥의 비 외상성 지연 파열 1례를 체험하였기에 문헌고찰과 더불어 보고하는 바이다.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.25 no.3
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• pp.335-340
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• 1992

Truamatic aortic rupture is usually fatal if left untreated. Prompt diagnosis is the cornerstone of suscessful management. But the usual screening tests are non specific and the accuracy of computerized tomography is low, Aortography which is a time consuming procedure may result in false-positive interpretations and significant morbidity. Recently transesophageal echocardiography provides a rapid, effective and relatively safe means of evaluating the distal aortic arch and also affords the opportunity to evaluate the heart during the same study, which may be of benefit in cases of suspected cardiac injury. The experience with the traumatic aortic ruptured patient and a critical review of the literature suggests that transesophageal echocardiography is a useful technique for the diagnosis of ruptured aorta following blunt chest trauma.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.36 no.8
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• pp.606-609
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• 2003

A 70-year-old man with aphasia due to ischemic cerebral events by thromboemboli was admitted. The cause of thromboemboli was investigated, and transesophageal echocardiography and chest MRI revealed an encapsulated cystic mass in the right atrium, not circulating. It was a homogeneous cystic mass suggesting a tumor (Myxoma) rather than thrombus. Right atrial mass was resected together with partial atrial septum under the normgthermic cardiopulmonary bypass. Histologically it was an atrial septal aneurysm, closed on itself, filled with blood. We re-port this rarely seen case with a review of the literatures.

• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
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• v.52 no.2
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• pp.194-198
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• 2009

Purpose : Active perioperative intervention and improvement on surgical technique has decreased the mortality rate of total anomalous pulmonary venous connection (TAPVC); however, when complicated with pulmonary venous obstruction, operative mortality is still high. The purpose of this study was to investigate the clinical course of TAPVC. Methods : Twenty-seven patients who were diagnosed with TAPVC (without other complex heart anomalies) by echocardiogram at Kyungpook National University Hospital from January 1994 to February 2008 were included. Results : Mean age at diagnosis was $28.1{\pm}33.4$ days (1-126 days). Sites of drainage were supracardiac type (15), cardiac (6), infracardiac (5), and mixed (1). Seven patients had pulmonary venous obstruction: 5 with supracardiac type, 1 with cardiac, and 1 with infracardiac. Intraoperative trans-esophageal echocardiograms were performed in 14 patients (58.3%). The operative mortality was 16.7% (4 of 24) and overall hospital mortality (including deaths without operation) was 22.2% (6 of 27). There were 5 postoperative pulmonary venous obstructions. The sites of obstruction were anastomotic in 3 of 5 (60%) patients, and ostial pulmonary vein in the other 2 (40%) patients. Three patients who presented with anastomotic pulmonary venous obstruction underwent reoperation, but all the patients were found to have pulmonary venous anastomotic obstruction. The other 2 patients with ostial pulmonary vein obstruction who had no significant symptoms were diagnosed by routine echocardiographic examination during follow-up. Conclusion : In TAPVC patients, early diagnosis and aggressive surgical management will improve prognosis, and we must pay attention to early and late pulmonary vein restenosis through intraoperative trans-esophageal echocardiogram and peri- and post-operative echocardiographic follow-up examinations.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Precision Engineering
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• v.26 no.8
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• pp.62-71
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• 2009

In mobile robotics, ultrasonic sensors became one of the most popular devices for collision avoidance and navigation primarily due to data robustness, the easy availability of low-cost systems, their compact size, simple circuits, and their ease in interfacing with computers. However, ultrasonic sonic sensors are subject to noise which results in inaccuracy of mapping and localization of the robot. This paper introduces a new approach to enhance environmental maps based on ultrasonic range data using linear interpolation and Newton interpolation. The simulation and experimental results show that the proposed method improves of the accuracy of the map through better distance estimation between the mobile robot and obstacles.