• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.30 no.11
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• pp.1139-1141
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• 1997

Recently, minimally invasive approach via limited incision becomes one of the rapidly developing strategy in cardiac surgery as it gives less surgical trauma and is more satisfactory to the patients in respect to operative scar although the surgical technique is more demanding. Here, we report two cases of aortic valve replacement via limited transsternal incision. The methodology is described with review of the relevant literature.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.31 no.10
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• pp.1009-1013
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• 1998

Bacterial endocarditis of the native aortic valve is associated with significant morbidity and mortality despite aggressive medical and surgical treatment, especially when perivalvular tissue was invaded and destructed. The pulmonary autograft is full viable and immune compatible tissue. This paper describes successful Ross operation as total root replacement in 38 years old native valve endocarditis patient with aortic root abscess.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.31 no.6
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• pp.586-590
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• 1998

Background: The regression of the left ventricular hypertrophy after prosthetic valve replacement in patients with aortic valvular stenosis is an important factor to determine the appropriateness of the replaced prosthetic valvular size. Methods: To assess the regression of myocardial hypertrophy, a retrospective analysis of Doppler echocardiographic and electrocardiographic data was undertaken before, soon after(7.5$\pm$2.1 day), and late after(10.7$\pm$1.8 months) surgery in 36 patients(22 males, 14 female, mean age 54$\pm$12.1 years, mean BSA 1.61$\pm$0.15m2) with predominant aortic valvular stenosis. The patients underwent St. Jude Medical aortic valve replacement. By the size of the valves used, the patients were divided into three groups(19, 21 and 23+). Results: The mean body surface area(1.48$\pm$0.13) in the patients with the 19 mm valve was smaller than that in the other groups(1.63$\pm$0.12)(p<0.05). No significant changes of ejection fraction were detected in all groups over time. Left ventricular muscle mass index(gm/m2) was reduced significantly in the 21 and 23+ groups over time(p<0.05), but there were no significant changes in the 19 mm valve group. The electric voltage height on EKG at the period of late after surgery was reduced significantly in all groups(p<0.05). Conclusion: Despite clinical improvement, the LVH was not reduced significantly in 19 mm valve group. Thus we suggest that more attention and additional procedures such as annular enlargement should be taken in patients who will undergo the replacement of 19 mm prosthetic valve.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.38 no.8 s.253
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• pp.545-550
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• 2005

Background: Discrete subaortic stenosis is known to recur frequently even after surgical resection. We retrospectively reviewed the preoperative and postoperative changes in pressure gradient through left ventricular outflow tract, and the recurrence rate. Material and Method: Between September 1984 and December 2004, 34 patients underwent surgical treatment. Mean age of patients was $17.1\pm15.2$ years and 19 patients $(55.9\%)$ were male, 16 patients $(47.1\%)$ had previous operations and associated diseases were aortic regurgitation (11), coarctation of aorta (3), and others. Result: Immediate postoperative peak pressure gradient was significantly lower than preoperative peak pressure gradient (21.8 mmHg vs 75.8 mmHg, p<0.04). Peak pressure gradient measured after 50.3 months of follow up was 20.2 mmHg which was also significantly lower than that of preoperative value but not significantly different from that of immediate postoperative value. There was no surgical mortality but one patient developed cerebral infarction. Mean follow up duration was $69.8\pm54.6\;months$. During this period, 5 patients $(14.7\%)$ had reoperation, 3 $(8.8\%)$ of whom were due to recurred subaortic stenosis. We found no risk factors for recurrence and survival for free from reoperation was $76.4\%$. Conclusion: Excision of subaortic membrane combined with or without myectomy in discrete subaortic stenosis showed sufficient relief of left ventricular outflow tract obstruction with low mortality and morbidity, but careful long term follow up is necessary for recurrence, since it is not predictable.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.37 no.10
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• pp.833-838
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• 2004

Background: Despite the excellent early results after the repair of congenital bicuspid aortic valve (BAV) disease, the mid-term durability of the repaired valve has still controversies. Material and Method: To evaluate the mid-term results of BAV repair, retrospective review of medical records and echocardiographic data were done. Between 1994 and 2003, twenty-two patients underwent reparative procedure for either regurgitant or stenotic congenital bicuspid aortic valve (BAV). Result: Mean age was $41\pm14$ years with male predominance (Male=17, Female=5). The pathophysiologies of the BAV were regurgitation-dominant in 20 (91%) and stenosis-dominant in 2 (9%) cases. Various repair techniques were used for raphe, prolapsed leaflet, thickened leaflet, and commissures; 1) release of raphe in 19 (86%), 2) wedge resection and primary repair in 11 (50%), pericardial patch reinforcement after plication of the leaflet in 6 (27%), and plication of the leaflet in 3 (14%), 3) slicing of thickened leaflet was used in 12 (55%) cases, 4) commissuroplasty in 8 (36%), and commissurotomy in 6 (27%) cases. There was no in-hospital mortality. During the mean follow-up of $38\pm17$ months, one patient underwent aortic valve replacement after developing acute severe regurgitation from dehiscence of the suture on postoperative 2 months. New York Heart Association functional class was improved from $1.9\pm0.6$ to $1.2\pm0.5$ (p<0.01). Left ventricular end-systolic and diastolic dimension (LVESD/LVEDD) were also improved from $45\pm9$ and $67\pm10$ to $37\pm10$ and $56\pm10,$ respectively (p<0.01). The grade of aortic regurgitation (AR) was improved from preoperative $(3.1\pm1.2)$ to post-bypass $(0.9\pm0.7).$ However, the grade at last follow-up $(1.7\pm1.1)$ was deteriorated during the follow-up period (p<0.01). Freedom from grade III and more AR at one, three, and four year were 89.7%, 89.7%, and 39.9% respectively. Conclusion: Midterm clinical result of the BAV repair was favorable. But, the durability of the repaired valve was not satisfactory.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.34 no.7
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• pp.557-558
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• 2001

We operated on a Marfan patient who had Stanford type A acute aortic dissection, aortic root aneurysm, and aortic regurgitation. The Yacoub-David aortic root remodeling procedure which preserves native aortic valve and replaces all three aortic sinuses and ascending aorta by a Dacron graft, was applied for this patient. A 24mm Hemashield graft was designed to three tongues at the aortic root end to meet the shape of the Valsalva sinuses. The patient recovered from the procedure uneventfully and there was no aortic regurgitation posto-peratively.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.30 no.11
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• pp.1125-1127
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• 1997

Subvalvular aortic stenosis developed after patch closure of perimembranous'VSD is rarely reported. A 18-month-old, 8 kg child with this complication after VSD closure 8 months ago in other hospital has been treated medically and was admitted to this hospital because of severe cardiomegaly and sign of heart failure. Cardiac catheterization revealed 55 mmHg of pressure gradient between aorta and LV cavity. We report one successful redo case of surgically relieved subvalvular aortic stenosis in a child after patch closure of perimembranous VSD.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Radiology
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• v.84 no.6
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• pp.1324-1336
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• 2023

Purpose This study aimed to compare the diagnostic performance of cardiac CT and transthoracic echocardiogram (TTE) depending on the degree of valvular calcification and bicuspid aortic valve (BAV) subtype. Materials and Methods This retrospective study included 266 consecutive patients (106 with BAV and 160 with tricuspid aortic valve) who underwent cardiac CT and TTE before aortic valve replacement. Cardiac CT was used to evaluate the morphology of the aortic valve, and a calcium scoring scan was used to quantify valve calcium. The aortic valves were classified into fused and two-sinus types. The diagnostic accuracy of cardiac CT and TTE was calculated using a reference standard for intraoperative inspection. Results CT demonstrated significantly higher sensitivity, negative predictive value, and accuracy than TTE in detecting BAV (p < 0.001, p < 0.001, and p = 0.003, respectively). The TTE sensitivity tended to decrease as valvular calcification increased. The error rate of TTE for CT was 10.9% for the twosinus type of BAV and 28.3% for the fused type (p = 0.044). Conclusion Cardiac CT had a higher diagnostic performance in detecting BAV than TTE and may help diagnose BAV, particularly in patients with severe valvular calcification.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.42 no.3
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• pp.368-370
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• 2009

As the average age of the general population increases, a growing number of elderly patients are presenting for cardiac operations. Although aortic valve replacement in patients aged 80 years and older has been shown to have excellent outcomes with good long-term survival rates, some physicians are still hesitant to refer elderly patients for surgical intervention. A 95-years old female was admitted to our hospital with cardiogenic shock and an emergency operation was required. She was successfully treated with emergency aortic valve replacement. We report here on a case of successful emergency surgical treatment for aortic stenosis in a 95 years old woman.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.35 no.2
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• pp.133-136
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• 2002

A 28 year-old male who had received Konno procedure twelve years ago with 23mmmechanical aortic valve and bovine pericardium with which his small aortic annulus, ventricular septum and right ventricular outflow tract had been enlarged was transferred due to sudden congestive heart failure. There were perforations on aortic and interventricular portion of bovine pericardial patch above and below the aortic valve, respectively, which was calcified and denaturated severely. The perforations seemed to be attributed to the cracks, resulting from mobility of mechanical aortic valvc itself and stiffness of calcified and denaturated bovine patch. We performed a redo Konno procedure applying PTFE patch.