• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.40 no.1 s.270
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• pp.17-24
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• 2007

Background: The aim of this study is to assess the clinical results of various procedures in congenital aortic stenosis. Material and Method: From August 1987 to June 2004, 53 patients of congenital aortic stenosis underwent procedures such as percutaneous balloon valvuloplasty, aortic valvuloplasty, Ross procedure, and aortic valve replacement. The mean age of initial procedures was $8.2{\pm}6.0$ years. Percutaneous balloon valvuloplasty was peformed in sixteen patients, aortic valvulopiasty in thirty two patients, Ross procedure in nineteen patients, and aortic valve replacement in fourteen patients. The mean follow duration was $80.6{\pm}60\;(0{\sim}207)$ months. Result: There was 15.1% (8/53) of early mortality and no late mortality. The six patients with critical aortic stenosis were died of left ventricular dysfunction in early series (before 1 year; 4 cases) and two patients died after the Ross procedure and aortic valve replacement respectively. After percutaneous balloon valvuloplasty, most patients needed reoperations (14/16). Thirteen patients needed reoperation, after aortic valvuloplasty. After Ross procedure, two patients needed reoperation due to aortic regurgitation caused by progressive aortic root dilatation. The actuarial survival rate after Ross procedure at 7 years was 90.5%. Conclusion: In young children before the age of one, percutaneous balloon valvuloplasty was considered as :he safe initial palliative procedure. But children over one year-old, aortic valvuloplasty were the effective procedure. Ross procedure can be preformed safely with good results.

• 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.37 no.1
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• pp.88-91
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• 2004

Aortic regurgitation is not a rare complication of Takayasu's disease. Aortic regurgitation may aggravate cerebral ischemic syndrome like syncope in patients with stenotic or occlusive lesions in cerebral branches of aorta secondary to acute or progressive inflammation. In a 34-yrs-old male patient who complained of syncope and exertional dyspnea with occlusion of both carotid arteries and severe stenoses of both subclavian arteries, occlusion of right coronary artery, and aortic regurgitation, his symptom was improved with perioperative aggressive steroid therapy, stent insertion in both subclavian arteries, and aortic valve replacement.

• 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.35 no.4
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• pp.274-282
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• 2002

Background: Paravalvular leakage or false aneurysm developed after isolated aortic valve replacement(AVR) for aortic regurgitation(AR) associated with Behcet's disease is one of the most serious complications, and requires subsequent reoperations. We describe the surgical result of homograft aortic root replacement(ARR) for AR associated with Behcet's disease. Material and Method: From January 1992 to December 2001, 6 patients with AR associated with Behcet's disease underwent 7 ARR with homograft and 1 Ross operation. Five patients were male and one was female. The grafts used for ARR were 5 aortic and 2 pulmonic homografts. Ages at operation ranged from 27 to 51 years(mean, 37$\pm$9 years). Two patients underwent ARR with aortic homograft at the first operation. In the remaining 4 patients, ARR using a homograft was performed for paravalvular leakage that developed after AVR, and the mean interval from AVR to ARR was 21 $\pm$29 months(range, 5 to 73.3 moths, median, 7.6 months). Result: There was no early death. All patients were followed up for an average of 18.9$\pm$24.0 months(range, 1.9 to 68.9 months, median, 8.4 months). Two of 4patients who had undergone ARR after AVR required subsequent reoperations for false aneurysm of the ascending aorta and failure of pulmonary homograft. One patient underwent re-replacement of the aortic root, ascending aorta and partial aortic arch with an aortic homograft, the other underwent Ross operation. Conclusion: This study suggests that aortic root replacement using a homograft in aortic regurgitation with Behcet's disease may provide good clinical results and decrease the incidence of paravalvular leakage or false aneurysm after aortic valve replacement. However, the adequate perioperative management and complete removal of the inflarrunatory tissue at operation were also important for the good long-term results.

• 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.38 no.4 s.249
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• pp.316-318
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• 2005

Papillary fibroelastomas are benign, and they are the second most common primary cardiac tumors usually involving the cardiac valve. Papillary fibroelastoma attached to the free margin of right coronary cusp of the aortic vlave was found incidentally during the work-up of a 51-year-old woman, who was presented with palpitation and dyspnea. During the operation, the tumor mass was excised without leaving defect on the aortic valve leaflet.

• 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.30 no.8
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• pp.815-818
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• 1997

Prosthetic valve endocarditis(PVE), although uncommon, is associated with significant mortality if the infection spreads into the paravavular structures with later abscess formation. However, combined antibiotic and surgical treatment is often successful. Accurate diagnosis by on echocardiography, effective myocardial protection during operation and increased surgical experience have improved the short-term and long-term outcomes for patients with PVE. A 35-year-old male had a history of replacement of aortic and mitral valve, and tricuspid annuloplasty on August 1994, was admitted due to sudden onset of aphasia, leftward deviation of both eyeballs and spiking fever and diagnosed of having PVE by echocardiography. Reoperation was done after 6weeks of antibiotic treatment. On the operative field, we could notice circumferential vegetation along aortic valve annulus, paravalvular leakage and abscess pocket. The mitral valve amlulus was healthy. The patient underwent redo aortic valve replacement using cryopreserved aortic homograft after radical debridement of infected issue. During the follow up of 7 months period the homograft was well functioning without recurrence of symptoms.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.40 no.9
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• pp.600-606
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• 2007

Background: Infective endocarditis shows high surgical mortality and morbidity rates, especially for aortic endocarditis. This study attempts to investigate the clinical characteristics and operative results of isolated aortic endocarditis. Material and Method: From July 1990 to May 2005, 25 patients with isolated aortic endocarditis (Group I, male female=18 : 7, mean age $43.2{\pm}18.6$ years) and 23 patients with isolated mitral endocarditis (Group II, male female=10 : 13, mean age $43.2{\pm}17.1$ years) underwent surgical treatment in our hospital. All the patients had native endocarditis and 7 patients showed a bicuspid aortic valve in Group I. Two patients had prosthetic valve endocarditis and one patients developed mitral endocarditis after a mitral valvuloplasty in Group II. Positive blood cultures were obtained from 11 (44.0%) patients in Group I, and 10 (43.3%) patients in Group II, The pre-operative left ventricular ejection fraction for each group was $60.8{\pm}8.7%$ and $62.1{\pm}8.1%$ (p=0.945), respectively. There was moderate to severe aortic regurgitation in 18 patients and vegetations were detected in 17 patients in Group I. There was moderate to severe mitral regurgitation in 19 patients and vegetations were found in 18 patients in Group II. One patient had a ventricular septal defect and another patient underwent a Maze operation with microwaves due to atrial fibrillation. We performed echocardiography before discharge and each year during follow-up. The mean follow-up period was $37.2{\pm}23.5$ (range $9{\sim}123$) months. Result: Postoperative complications included three cases of low cardiac output in Group I and one case each of re-surgery because of bleeding and low cardiac output in Group II. One patient died from an intra-cranial hemorrhage on the first day after surgery in Group I, but there were no early deaths in Group II. The 1, 3-, and 5-year valve related event free rates were 92.0%, 88.0%, and 88.0% for Group I patients, and 91.3%, 76.0%, and 76.0% for Group II patients, respectively. The 1, 3-, and 5-year survival rates were 96.0%, 96.0%, and 96.0% for Group I patients, and foo%, 84.9%, and 84.9% for Group II patients, respectively. Conclusion: Acceptable surgical results and mid-term clinical results for aortic endocarditis were seen.