• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.35 no.11
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• pp.826-830
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• 2002

Prosthetic valve thrombosis(PVT) may be a life-threatening complication requiring prompt intervention. This is a case report of thrombolytic therapy for thrombosis of prosthetic mitral valve. A 47 year-old male admitted to the emergency room for abrupt onset of dyspnea. He had undergone mitral valve replacement(On-Ⅹ valve, 29mm) for mitral stenosis 8 months ago. The patient's international normalized ratio(INR) on admission was 1.09. The mechanical clicks were muffled and rales were heard in both lung fields. A transesophageal echocardiography(TEE) revealed prosthetic valve thrombosis with increased transvalvular pressure gradient(34 mmHg). The patient's condition needed to intubation for mechanical ventilation due to hemodynamic compromise, however his wife and relatives refused the surgical intervention due to financial problems. The patient was transferred to the cardiac care unit and we decided to perform thrombolytic therapy. A bolus of 1,500,000 IU of urokinase was given, followed by a drip of 1,500,000 IU for 1 hour. The patient did not improved hemodynamically; therefore, we gave 100 mg of tissue plasminogen activator(t-PA) for over 2 hours. During that time mechanical clicks were audible and hemodynamics of the patient improved progressively. A TEE showed disappearance of thrombus and decreased pressure gradient(1.7 mmHg) after 6 hours of thrombolytic therapy. The patient was recovered without any neurologic sequale and was discharged with administration of warfarin.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.38 no.3 s.248
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• pp.214-220
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• 2005

Extended transseptal approach can provide an excellent view of the mitral valve but the safety of this approach is controversial because this incision requires transaction of the sinus node artery, which in most cases and can result postoperative arrhythmia. The purpose of this study was to evaluate perioperative and longterm conduction disturbances and the cardiac rhythms of patients who underwent an extended transseptal approach for mitral valve surgery. Material and Method: Postoperative cardiac rhythms were analyzed in the 164 consecutive patients who received mitral valve replacements with a extended transseptal approach between March 1992 and July 2003. Result: Of the 84 patients in normal sinus rhythm, 34 ($39\%$) had developed transient junctional rhythm and atrial fibrillation after operation, lasting less than 72 hours in most of cases. No intractable arrhythmias occurred. Most of these arrhythmia were not detected at the time of discharge and only 8 patients ($9\%$) had atrial fibrillation at discharge. Postoperative PR intervals increased for 1 week, then decreased within 2 weeks postoperatively, and returned to normal range by 6 months postoperatively. During the postoperative period, 4 of the 78 patients with preoperative atrial fibrillation developed normal sinus thythm. Conclusion: The post-operative arrhythmias were temporary and showed no significant complications after extended transseptal approach for the mitral valve surgery.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.41 no.4
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• pp.423-429
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• 2008

Background: The interest in robotic cardiac surgery has recently grown but there has not been much clinical research reported on this. The aim of this study is to examine our initial experience, since August 2007, with robotic cardiac surgery using the da $Vince^{TM}$ surgical system and to evaluate the feasibility and safety of it. Material and Method: Between August and December 2007, a total of 20 patients underwent robotic cardiac surgery using the da Vinci surgical system. For mitral valve repair (n=11), tricuspid valve repair (n=1), and ASD repair (n=1), cannulation, antegrade cardioplegia and transthoracic aortic cross-clamping were conducted for the right femoral vessels and the right internal jugular vein. For minimally invasive direct CABG (MIDCAB) (n=7), the internal thoracic artery (ITA) was harvested with the da Vinci surgical system. Result: The mean age of the patients was 50.1 (range: $26{\sim}78$) years. Three concomitant Maze procedures and one tricuspid annuloplasty were combined with mitral valve repair. The mean cardiopulmonary bypass time was $208.0{\pm}61.3$ minutes and the aortic cross clamp time was $158.8{\pm}40.6$ minutes. No patients showed more than mild mitral regurgitation after repair and the median hospital stay was 4 days. The robotic-harvested ITA was used for either left ITA (n=6) or bilateral ITA (n=1). The mean harvest time was $43.2{\pm}12.0$ minutes. The harvested ITA showed good flow and it was anastomosed under direct vision after left anterolateral thoracotomy. The patency of all the grafts was 100% (18/18) in MIDCAB. Conclusion: Robotic cardiac surgery using the da Vinci surgical system was variously adapted to areas such as mitral and tricuspid valve repair, ASD repair and ITA harvest for MIDCAB. The early results of the robotic cardiac surgery showed its safety and feasibility. With this primary report, we anticipate that clinical applications and further studies on robotic cardiac surgery using the da Vinci surgical system will be actively conducted in Korea.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.40 no.11
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• pp.770-772
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• 2007

Papillary fibroelastoma is a rare benign tumor of the heart. A 21-year-old man presented with dyspnea on exertion and echocardiogram showed a small round mass attached to the anterolateral papillary muscle. After excision of the mass, including anterior papillary muscle, chordae tendinae, and anterior leaflet, he underwent mitral valve re-placement with a mechanical valve. He was discharged on anticoagulant therapy without further problems.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.30 no.10
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• pp.973-978
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• 1997

We reviewed data of 64 patients who underwent reoperation because of prosthetic valve malfunction from January 1991 to December 1995. The indications for reoperation were prosthetic valve failure(primary tissue failure: 53 patients, 82.8%), prosthetic valve thrombosis(6 patients, 9.4%), paravalvular leak(3 patients, 4.7%), prosthetic valve endocarditis(2 patients, 3.6%). Prosthetic valve failure developed most frequently in mitral portion(40 patients, 75%), prosthetic valve thrombosis also in mitral portion(4 patients, 67%), paravalvular leak significantly in aortic portio (3 patients, 100%). Explant period was longest in prosthetic valve failure(mean 107.4 $\pm$ 24.6 months), shortest in prosthetic valve endocarditis with prosthetic valve thrombosis(1 patient, 1 month). Mean explant period, defined as from first valve replacement operation to redo-valve replacement operatopn, was 109.2$\pm$ 10.7 months in mitral portion, 97.8$\pm$ 10.4 months in aortic portion, 109.5$\pm$ 10.4 months in total. Overall hospital mortality was 9.38%. The most common cause of death was the low cardiac output(4 patients), other causes were bleeding(1 patient), CNS injury(1 patient). Preoperative NYHA class IV(P=0.011), emergency operation(P=0.011), prosthetic valve endocarditis(P=0.001) were the independent risk factors, but age, sex, explant period, ACC time, double valve replacement, valve position, second reoperation did not appear to be significant risk factors. Mean follow up period was 28.8 $\pm$ 17.8 months. Actuarial survival at 3 year was 92.0$\pm$6.2%, 2 year event-free survival w s 84.3$\pm$6.1%. We propose that patients undergoing reoperation because of prosthetic valve failure are carfully controlled and selected in regarding to above mentioned risk factors NYHA class IV, emergency operation, prosthetic valve endocarditis in preoperative state. About other risk factors possible, there is necessary of following study.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.31 no.12
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• pp.1234-1237
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• 1998

Patients with aortic root disease, frequently seen in Marfan syndrome have progressive dilatation of the aortic sinuses and dilatation and distortion of the aortic annulus, leading to aortic incompetence. They are currently treated with composite graft replacement of the ascending aorta and aortic valve and reimplantation of the coronary arteries. Recently, we experienced an aortic root replacement with aortic valve preservation in a patient with annuloaortic ectasia. The ascending aorta and sinus was excised except the aortic annulus and aortic valve. The aortic valve was reimplanted inside of a collagen-impregnated tubular Dacron graft. The coronary arteries were also reimplanted. The patient was followed up for six months and reevaluated with the echocardiography. Postoperative Doppler echocardiography revealed normal aortic valve function. With this technique, it is possible to preserve the native aortic valve if the aortic leaflets are anatomically normal.

• Korean Journal of Clinical Laboratory Science
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• v.51 no.2
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• pp.270-275
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• 2019

The incidence of degenerative valve disease also increasing with the increasing life expectancy of the elderly population. Rheumatic valve disease is decreasing gradually and the incidence of calcified degenerative aortic stenosis (AS) is growing. Echocardiography is a very important tool for evaluating the prognosis and treatment method as well as the time of operation and diagnosis of heart valve disease. When evaluating valvular heart disease, 2-dimensional echocardiography, which observes all heart valves in detail, should take precedence. Understanding the clinical findings of degenerative valve disease and performing precise echocardiography are extremely important. In addition, an assessment of the severity of aortic stenosis is necessary to determine the surgical indications. An assessment of the severity by echocardiography was explained with three cases of degenerative aortic stenosis. To perform echocardiography accurately, it is necessary to understand degenerative valve disease and its clinical findings accurately.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.32 no.4
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• pp.347-352
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• 1999

Background: The atrial fibrillation in patients with mitral valvular heart disease is frequently converted to sinus rhythm after the mitral valve surgery. This sinus restoration implies an important meaning in that it not only helps postoperative convalescence in patients with unstable hemodynamics but also reduces the rate of postoperative thromboembolism. Material and Method: We retrospectively analyzed 184 patients who received mitral valve surgery from June 1986 to December 1996 to investigate the trend of rhythm change following mitral valve surgery and thus to clarify the predisposing factors of postoperative sinus rhythm conversion and its maintenance. Result: The sinus rhythm was restored after the operation in 54 out of 139 patients with atrial fibrillation preoperatively(38.8%). However, the atrial fibrillation recurred in 41 patients at the time of discharge showing a recurrence rate of 75.9 percent. The mean duration of sinus rhythm in patients with eventual atrial fibrillation recurrence was 8.2${\pm}$5.9 days. Only 15 patients were in sinus rhythm at the time of late follow-up with the mean follow-up period of 84.4${\pm}$34.7 months. While the age, duration of symptoms, duration of atrial fibrillation, left atral size, and pulmonary artery pressure were thought to be the predisposing factors for sinus conversion after the operation, only the duration of atrial fibrillation and ejection fraction were considered risk factors for the recurrence of the atrial fibrillation following sinus conversion. Conclusion: This study suggests that the early operation is mandatory for the satisfactory result regarding postoperative rhythm. Moreover, additional operative measure in adjunct to the intervention of mitral valve should be considered for the maintenance of restored sinus rhythm as reflected by high postoperative recurrence rate of atrial fibrillation.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.41 no.3
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• pp.363-365
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• 2008

Accessory mitral valve tissue is a very rare congenital cardiac malformation and it is an uncommon cause of left Ventricular outflow tract obstruction(LVOTO). The pathogenetic mechanism of subaortic obstruction is thought to be systolic ballooning of the abnormal valve tissue into LVOT. We are reporting a case of an accessory mitral valve tissue that was associated with LVOTO, and this was completely relieved after trans-aortic surgical excision of the accessory tissue.

• 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.