• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.4 no.1
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• pp.51-54
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• 1971

37 years old female was admitted with chief complaints of dyspnea on exertion and hemoptysis. Past history and family history were non-contributory. Physical examination showed Grade III systolic murmur at the apex, which transmitted to the back. E. K. G. and X-ray findings were compatible with the mitral insufficiency. With small size of Beall mitral valve, mitral valve replacement was done under the cardia-pulmonary bypass using hemodilution technic. Patient was tracheotomized after operation and assisted respiration was done for four weeks. Postoperatively, all signs were fine and patient walked around the ward without any difficulty, but she was in psychotic state. On postoperative 60th day, she complained of sudden dyspnea and on chest film, tracheal stenosis was found and recannulation of the tracheal tube was made. Thereafter, she was quite fine until postoperative 110th day when she, by berself, removed the tracheal cannula and died of asphyxia. Autopsy findings of the valve showed no thrombosis, no variance of the valve, and good endothelization of the valve cuffs. Asphyxia, due to removal of the tracheal connula by herself under psychotic state, was considered to be the cause of death in this patient who had tracheal stenosis after tracheostomy.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.25 no.7
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• pp.750-755
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• 1992

We report a case of leaflet embolization of central leaflet fracture a 31mm mitral Edw-ards-Duromedics prosthesis. A leaflet was fractured to two segments, a larger one embolized to right common iliac artery and a smaller one to left femoral artery, respectively. Patient was reoperated with 29mm mitral Carbomedics prosthesis and incidentally found of smaller segment in left femoral artery at cannulation site. The embolectomy was done 15 days after cardiac operation through midline abdominal incision, Leaflet escape of a mitral Edward-Duromedics prosthesis is a rare, potentially curable mode of valve failure. After mechanical valve replacement, unexplained heart failure and acute pulmonary edema, mechanical valve failure should be suspected. Correct interpretation of clinical signs, symptoms and fluroscopy should allow early diagnosis of leaflet escape and prompt surgical therapy.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.35 no.3
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• pp.209-216
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• 2002

Background: Valvular heart disease is still the most common health problem in Korea. By the end of the year 1999, there has been 94,586 cases of open heart surgery since the first case in 1958. Among them, 36,247 cases were acquired heart diseases and 20,704 of those had valvular heart disease. But there was no database system and every surgeon and physician had great difficulties in analysing and utilizing those tremendous medical resources. Therefore, we developed a valve registry database program and utilize it for risk factor analysis and so on. Material and Method: Personal computer-based multiuser database program was created using Microsoft AccessTM. That consisted of relational database structure with fine-tuned compact field variables and server-client architecture. Simple graphic user interface showed easy-to-use accessability and comprehensibility. User-oriented modular structure enabled easier modification through native AccessTM functions. Infinite application of query function aided users to extract, summarize, analyse and report the study result promptly. Result: About three-thousand cases of valve replacement procedure were performed in our hospital from 1968 to 1999. Total number of prosthesis replaced was 3,700. The numbers of cases for mitral, aortic and tricuspid valve replacement were 1600, 584, 76, respectively. Among them, 700 patients received prosthesis in more than two positions. Bioprosthesis or mechanical prosthesis were used in 1,280 and 1,500 patients respectively Redo valve replacements were performed in 460 patients totally and 40 patients annually Conclusion: Database program for registry of valvular heart disease was successfully developed and used in personal computer-based multiuser environment. This revealed promising results and perspectives in database management and utilization system.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.40 no.12
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• pp.817-824
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• 2007

Background: There are two choices for heart valve replacement-the use of a tissue valve and the use of a mechanical valve. Using a tissue valve, additional surgery will be problematic due to valve degeneration. If the risk of additional surgery could be reduced, the tissue valve could be more widely used. Therefore, we analyzed the risk factors and mortality of patients undergoing repeated heart valve replacement and primary replacement. Material and Method: We analyzed 25 consecutive patients who underwent repeated heart valve replacement and 158 patients who underwent primary heart valve replacement among 239 patients that underwent heart vale replacement in out hospital from January 1995 to December 2004. Result: There were no differences in age, sex, and preoperative ejection fraction between the repeated valve replacement group of patients and the primary valve replacement group of patients. In the repeated valve replacement group, the previously used artificial valves were 3 mechanical valves and 23 tissue valves. One of these cases had simultaneous replacement of the tricuspid and aortic valve with tissue valves. The mean duration after a previous operation was 92 months for the use of a mechanical valve and 160 months for the use of a tissue valve. The mean cardiopulmonary bypass time and aortic cross clamp time were 152 minutes and 108 minutes, respectively, for the repeated valve replacement group of patients and 130 minutes and 89 minutes, respectively, for the primary valve replacement group of patients. These results were statistically significant. The use of an intra aortic balloon pump (IABP) was required for 2 cases (8%) in the repeated valve replacement group of patients and 6 cases (3.8%) in the primary valve replacement group of patients. An operative death occurred in one case (4%) in the repeated valve replacement group of patients and occurred in nine cases (5.1%) in the primary valve replacement group of patients. Among postoperative complications, the need for mechanical ventilation over 48 hours was different between the two groups. The mean follow up period after surgery was $6.5{\pm}3.2$ years. The 5-year survival of patients in the repeated valve replacement group was 74% and the 5-year survival of patients in the primary valve replacement group was 95%. Conclusion: The risk was slightly increased, but there was little difference in mortality between the repeated and primary heart valve replacement group of patients. Therefore, it is necessary to reconsider the issue of avoiding the use of a tissue valve due to the risk of additional surgery, and it is encouraged to use the tissue valve selectively, which has several advantages over the use of a mechanical valve. In the case of a repeated replacement, however, the mortality rate was high for a patient whose preoperative status was not poor. A proper as sessment of cardiac function and patient status is required after the primary valve replacement. Subsequently, a secondary replacement could then be considered.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.33 no.1
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• pp.32-37
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• 2000

Background: Reconstruction surgery of mitral valve regurgitation is now considered as an effective operative technique and has shown good long-term results. Although reconstructive surgery of mitral valve has been performed since 1970s, we have started only in early 1990s in full scale because of small number of the mitral regurgitation compared to mitral stenosis and lack of knowledge from the viewpoint of patients and physicians. Material and Method: From January 1992 to December 1996, 100 patients underwent repair of the mitral valve for mitral regurgitation with or without mitral stenosis in Seoul National University Hospital. 45(45%) of the patients were men and 55(55%) were women. The mean age was 39.9$\pm$14.4 years. The causes of the mitral regurgitation were rheumatic in 61, degenerative in 28 and others in 11. According to the Carpentier's pathological classification of mitral regurgitation 5 patients were type I. 55 patients were type II and 40 patients were type III. 7 patients underwent concomitant aortic valvuloplasty and 8 patients underwent aortic valve replacement. 7 patients underwent Maze operation or pulmonary vein isolation. Result: There were no operative death but 3 major operative complications: 2patients were postoperative low cardiac output syndrome(needed intra-aortic ballon pump support) and 1 patient was postoperative bleeding. There was one late death(1.0%) The cause of death was sepsis secondary to acute bacterial endocarditis. 3 patients required reoperation for recurred mitral regurgitation. There were no statistically significant risk factors for reoperation. The other 96 patients showed no or mild degree of mitral regurgitation 99 survivors were in NYHA functional class I or II. There were two throumboembolisms but no anticoagulation-related complications. Conclusion: We concluded that mitral valve repair could be performed successfully in most cases of mitral regurgitation even in the rheumatic and combined lesions with very low operative mortality and morbidity. The early results are very promising.

• 대한핵의학회:학술대회논문집
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• 1981.05a
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• pp.126.2-126.2
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• 1981

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.11 no.4
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• pp.428-432
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• 1978

Between Jan. and Oct. 1978, mitral valve Replacement had been performed on eight patients using porcine aortic valve mounted on flexible polypropylene or Egyloil wire and Dacron covered stent. Mitral valve replacement was performed on five, mitral valve replacement with tricuspid valve replacement on two, and mitral valve replacement with tricuspid valve annuloplasty on 1 patient using five Carpentier and five Hancock Xenograft. Overall operative deaths were 2 cases. All other 6 cases did well after surgery and improved. No systemic thromboembolism occurred without anticoagulant-No valve failure took place. The results are satisfactory.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.34 no.7
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• pp.561-565
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• 2001

Patients who have complex endocarditis with involvement of both the aortic and mitral valves and intervalvular fibrous skeleton are among the most difficult to treat and still have the highest surgical mortality and morbidity rates. We report one case of aortic and mitral valve replacement with reconstruction of the fibrous skeleton performed in a 55-year-old female patient who had an aortic annular abscess and both the aortic and mitral prosthetic valve endocarditis with destruction of the fibrous skeleton. Previously, she had undergone redo double valve replacement\`, Transesophageal echocardiogram showed the paravalvular defect at the noncoronary aortic sinus and abnormal sinus tract along the fibrous skeleton. Emergent operation was performed due to positive blood cultures of staphylococcus epidermidis and persistent sepsis despite appropriate antibiotic therapy. After aortotomy extended to the roof of left atrium, both prosthetic valves and destroyed fibrous skeleton were completely resected and the aortic annular abscess was debrided and closed with a bovine pericardial patch. Reconstructions of both aortic and mitral annuli and the fibrous skeleton were done by using two separate bovine pericardial patches in triangular shape and mechanical valves were implanted. Postoperatively, adequate antibiotic therapies were continued and the patient was discharged at the postoperative 72 days without evidence of recurrence of endocarditis. Transthoracic echocardiogram of the postoperative 8 months shows no paravalvular leakage or recurrence of endocarditis and the patient has been followed up with no symptom.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.31 no.6
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• pp.576-580
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• 1998

This study is to clarify the results of atrial septal defect(ASD) repair and mitral valve surgery through right anterolateral thoracotomy since 1989, and those of more generalized application of minimal invasive cardiac surgery since August 1997. We retrospectively analyzed the results of open heart surgery(OHS) through other than full sternotomy carried out until October 1997. There were 28 cases of OHS done through right anterolateral thoracotomy(17 cases of ASD, 4 cases of mitral valve repair, 6 cases of mitral valve replacement, and 1 redo mitral and tricuspid valve repalcement) which has demonstrated no surgical mortality or morbidity except only 1 case of reoperation for bleeding. During the period between August and October 1997, we performed near routine application of upper sternotomy or transverse sternotomy in aortic valve cases and routine application of minimal incision in cases with ASD and there was no evidence of early and late complications associated with this approach. We conclude that OHS with the use of minimal incisions is very safe, cosmetically excellent, and superior in terms of the amount of bleeding. The indication for minimal incision, therefore, should be extended afterwards.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.41 no.4
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• pp.516-519
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• 2008

Aorto-cutaneous fistula is a rare complication after performing open heart surgery, but if this develops, it is a fatal condition. So, prompt diagnosis and aggressive surgical treatment is needed. We report here on a patient who had two mechanical double valves placed during heart surgery and she was treated for repeated sternal wound infections for about 5 years. She visited the ER due to abrupt bleeding at the sternal wound. She was diagnosed as having an aorto-cutaneous fistula by performing an aortogram and we then performed cardio-pulmonary bypass surgery. The patient is currently doing well and is under follow up 24 months after the repair.