• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.31 no.1
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• pp.20-27
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• 1998

It is well known that troponin T(below TnT) is present in the myocardial cells and released during myocardial damage, so it`s very specific enzyme to myocardium. Availability of cardiac specific TnT in assessing perioperatively myocardial damage was evaluated from 34 open heart surgery patients. They consisted of 11 ischemic heart, 13 acquired valvular heart and 10 congenital heart cases. Patients were divided into two groups, group A(patients with myocardial damage) and group B(patients without myocardial damage), according to the symptom of chest pain suspecting angina and the ECG findings of ST segment and T wave changes which show myocardial ischemia and injury. Serum TnT levels were measured by enzyme immunoassay method preoperatively, immediately postoperatively, postoperative day 1, day 2, day 3, and day 7. We observed and analyzed the changes of serum TnT levels in two groups and compared the serum TnT levels with CK-MB levels measured at the same time. In group A, serum TnT levels showed 1.37$\pm$0.26$\mu$g/L, 3.16$\pm$0.66$\mu$g/L, 2.39$\pm$0.74$\mu$g/L, 2.49$\pm$0.76$\mu$g/L, and 1.23$\pm$0.60$\mu$g/L, immediate postoperatively, postoperatively day1, day2, day3, and day7, respectively. It was observed there were significant differences compared with those of group B(0.38$\pm$0.04$\mu$g/L, 0.34$\pm$0.05$\mu$g/L, 0.25$\pm$0.03$\mu$g/L, 0.24$\pm$0.04$\mu$g/L, and 0.11$\pm$0.03$\mu$g/L) during identical periods(P<0.01). Serum CK-MB level in group A significantly elevated to 145.04$\pm$35.08 IU/L on the postoperative day 1 compared to group B(31.28$\pm$5.87 IU/L, P<0.05), However, it stiffly decreased from day 2 and returned to preoperative level at day 3. When serum TnT level more than 1.0$\mu$g/L is thought to reflect myocardial damage, serum TnT had 100% of sensitivity and 87% of specificity in diagnosing the postoperative myocardial damage(p<0.01). I conclusion, serum TnT levels increased significantly at very early stage of myocardial damage and persisted much longer period than CK-MB. This suggests that serum TnT has more advantage and availability in assessing the perioperatively myocardial damage than any other tests.

• Proceedings of the KTCVS Conference
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• 1996.10a
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• pp.12-12
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• 1996

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.31 no.2
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• pp.125-133
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• 1998

This study was designed to identify the efficiency of serum troponin-T(s-TnT) level as a diagnostic indicator for the perioperative myocardial damage with open heart surgery(OHS) and to compare with the conventional myocardial enzyme tests such as isoenzyme fraction of creatine kinase(% CK-MB) and isoenzyme ratio of lactate dehydrogenase(LDH1/LDH2 ratio). The study was performed on 30 adult patients who underwent OHS from Jan. 1996 to June 1996 at Inje University Pusan Paik Hospital, and they were divided into two groups accor- ding to aortic clamping time(ACT) duration : group I(ACT＜60 minutes, n=15); group II (ACT＞60 minutes, n=15). S-TnT, % CK-MB, and LDH1/LDH2 ratio were measured in serial blood samples from all subjected patients. The results were obtained as follows. 1. In both groups, s-TnT concentrations increased gradually during OHS and elevated significantly at CPB-10(p＜0.001). The peak level was noticed at POD 1 in group I(1.10 $\pm$0.19 ng/ml), whereas, at CPB-off in group II(1.88$\pm$0.42 ng/ml). The elevated levels remained until POD 7 in both groups. 2. %CK-MB was risen significantly with the initiation of operations(p＜0.001) and the peak levels were noticed at CPB-off in both groups(7.14$\pm$0.86% in group I, 10.69$\pm$1.27% in group II). Thereafter, these levels returned to normal values at POD 3. 3. There were no significant changes in the values of LDH1/LDH2 ratio during and after OHS compared with the control levels(p＞0.05). 4. The serial changes of s-TnT were relatively well correlated with those of changes of % CK-MB(r=0.64, p＜0.05). 5. The serial s-TnT levels were significantly higher in group II than group I from B-ACR to POD 1(p＜0.05), suggesting that duration of aortic clamping time was a major factor concerned with perioperative myocardial injury. In conclusion, measurement of s-TnT is a very useful indicator in assessing the myocardial cell damage and therefore it is expected that serial checking and evaluation of the s-TnT is very available for identification of the perioperative myocardial damage and for postoperative cares in patients with OHS.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.34 no.7
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• pp.547-551
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• 2001

The effects of deep hypothermia and circulatory arrest during aortic arch reconstruction are associated with potential neurologic and myocardial injury. We describe a surgical technique that two patients underwent a modified Norwood procedure without circulatory arrest and myocardial ischemia. One was 13-day-old female patient, weighing 3.1kg, having a variant of hypoplastic left heart syndrome and another was 38-day-old male patient, weighing 3.4 kg, diagnosed Taussig-Bing anomaly with severe aortic arch hypoplasia, coarctation of the aorta, and subaortic stenosis. The arterial cannula was inserted in innominate artery directly. During Norwood reconstruction, regional high-flow perfusion into the inominate artery and coronary perfusion were maintained and there were no neurologic, cardiac, and renal complications in two patients. This technique may help protect the brain and myocardium from ischemic injury in patients with hypoplastic left heart syndrome or other arch anomalies including coarctation or interruption.

• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
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• v.45 no.2
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• pp.208-213
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• 2002

Purpose : The major cause of cardiac dysfunction, after open heart surgery for congenital heart disease, is perioperative myocardial injury. Cardiac troponin I is found only within the myocardial cell, so it can be used as a biochemical marker of the myocardial injury. We performed this study to evaluate the worth of cardiac troponin I as a biochemical marker reflecting the extent of perioperative myocardial injury and recovery. Methods : Thirty-four patients who had undergone elective open heart surgery of congenital heart disease(CHD) from April to July 2001 were enrolled in this study. We measured types of CHD, serial cardiac troponin I(baseline 1 day before operation, postoperative day 1, 2, 3, 7), duration of cardiopulmonary bypass(CPB), aortic cross clamping(ACC), intubation and postoperative hospital stay. Results : Compared with the baseline before operation, there was a significant, increase of cardiac troponin I on the postoperative day 1 and a significant gradual decrease on the day 2, 3, 7. The levels of cardiac troponin I were the highest in the transposition of great artery(TGA) repair on the postoperative day 1 and high in the tetralogy of Fallot(TOF), atioventricular septal defect (AVSD), ventricular septal defect(VSD) and atrial septal defect(ASD) repair with decreasing sequence. The longer duration of CPB, ACC and intubation, the higher of cardiac troponin I, but there were no significant correlations between cardiac troponin I levels and duration of hospital stay. Conclusion : Because there was significant increases or decreases of cardiac troponin I according to the perioperative time and types of the congenital heart disease, it is a worthy biochemical marker which reflects the extent of perioperative myocardial injury and recovery after open heart surgery.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.30 no.1
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• pp.34-39
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• 1997

Between May, 1994 and December, 1995, 122 adult cardiac surgical procedures requiring cardiopulmonary bypa s were performed at Kang Dong Sacred Heart Hospital, including 18 cases(14.8%) that were associated with preoperative(n:9), intraoperative(n=7), postoperative(n:2) use of an IABP (intra-aortic balloon pump). The reasons for IABP were low cardiac output and PTCA(percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty) failure in preoperative period, CPB(cardiopulmonary bypass) weaning difficulty in intraoperative period, and intractable arrhythmia in postoperative period. The mean age of the IABP patients was 61.8 $\pm$ 6.9 years(range, 39 to 75years). The overall hospital mortalities in patients with preoperative and intraoperative IABP insertion were 3 and 42.9% respectively. Two patients with postoperative IABP insertion are alive. The rate of IABP weaning is 66.7% for preoperative group, 85.7% for intraoperative group and 100% for postoperative group . In conclusion, if there were no irreversible myocardial damages, IABP could be used safely and emergently at any perioperative period for hemo ynamic stability, CPB weaning, and to overcome low cardiac output syndrome.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.34 no.8
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• pp.591-596
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• 2001

Coronary artery bypass graft with cardiopulmonary bypass is a conventional method of operative revascularization of coronary artery disease. Because of many troubles of cardiopulmonary bypass such as systemic inflammatory reaction, mechanical trauma of blood components and coagulopathy, coronary artery bypass graft without cardiopulmonary bypass has been popularized. Material and Method: From March 1999 to September 2000, 35 patients under went CABG at our institution. Among them, 14 patients received CABG without the use of CPB and 21 patients under went CABG with the use of CPB. Mean operative time, mean postoperative tracheal intubation time, mean ICU stay, mean hospital stay, the amount of transfusion, postoperative use of inotropic agents, and postoperative changes of cardiac enzymes were compared in both groups. Result: There were differences between the CABG without CPB group and CABG with CPB group with regard to mean tracheal intubation time, the amount of transfusion and the elevation of postoperative cardiac enzymes(p<0.05). Conclusion: While CABG without CPB provided satisfactory results, more long term follow-up is required.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.29 no.6
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• pp.639-645
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• 1996

A 14-year-old male patient with previous surgical repair of tetralogy of Fallot was admitted with hemodynamically significant ventricular tachycardia (VT). On preoperative electrophysiologic study (EPS), the morphology of documented VT was RBBB of vertical axis with 320 msec cycle length. The endocardial mapping during VT delineated the origin of VT at right ventricular outflow tract (RVOT), where the patch was attached. The clinical VT had a clockwise reentry circuit around the patch with the earliest activation at the same site seen during the preoperative EPS. The previously placed right ventricular outflow patch and fibrous tissue were removed. During a postoperative EPS, it was no longer possible to induce the VT. Ventricular tachycardia following repair of tetralogy of Fallot seen in this patient was caused by a macro-reentry around the right ventricular outflow patch. We were able to ablate the VT with the aid of a detailed mapping of its epicardial activation sequence.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.30 no.5
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• pp.486-492
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• 1997

We r viewed a policy of primary surgical closure of large ventricular septal defects in small infants. Sixty-three infants met criteria for inclusion in the study, and were divided into two groups based on age: group 1 infants aged less than 5 months(n = 31), and group 2 infants aged 5 months or more(n = 32). Both groups had similar variation in ventricular septal defect location(paramembranous versus muscular), and showed no significant difference in left to right shunt and in ratio of systemic and pulmonary vascualr resistance. Three early deaths(9.7%) occurred in group 1, but no death(0%) in group 2. The causes of death were preoperative cardiac arrest and cerebral injury followed by postoperative respiratory insufficiency in two patients, and preoperative tracheomalacia followed by laryngeal edema and respiratory arrest in one Two patients in group 1 showed postoperative low cardiac output syndrome(6.5% in group 1 versus 0% in group 2). There was no late death during the follow-up per od in both groups. No surviving patients had postoperative patch leakage, or required a second operation. These results indicate that primary surgical closure of large ventricular septal defects, if logical perioperative care is accompanied, can be saefly performed in small infants aged less than 5 months with low postoperative mortality or morbidity rates.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.31 no.12
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• pp.1159-1164
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• 1998

Background: Although operative outcome is progressing due to the development of operative techniques and myocardial protection, some patients face an increased morbidity and mortality. Therefore, it has become increasingly important to predict the operative morbidity and mortality. Material and Method: This retrospective study reports the results of risk factor analysis of morbidity and mortality of 137 consecutive patients who were underwent coronary artery bypass graft surgery(CABG). Preoperative variables were age, sex, preoperative myocardial infarction, operative priority, left ventricular ejection fraction, obesity and triple vessel disease. Postoperative morbidities were arrhythmia, wound infection, cerebral infarction, prolonged postoperative hospitalization, pneumonia, acute renal failure, prolonged use of ventilator and operative death. Result: The mean age of total patients was 56.7 years, from 27 to 74. The overall mortality was 6.6%(9 of 137) with the mortality of 3.9%(5 of 128) for elective operation, and 44.4%(4 of 9) for emergent or urgent cases. The morbidity of patients over 65 years was stastistically higher than that of under 65 years. Sex distribution showed no difference in morbidity, however operative mortality rate was slightly higher in women (5/41, 12.19%) than in men(4/96, 4.17%). Morbidity of emergent or urgent operation was 100%, much higher than that of the elective operation. Mortality of the patients whose left ventricular ejection fraction was under 50% was higher than that of those over 50%. Conclusion: We concluded that the risk factors of morbidity after CABG were old age above 65 years and emergent or urgent operation, and that risk factors of mortality were low left venticular ejection fraction under 50% and emergent or urgent operation.