• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.42 no.3
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• pp.317-323
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• 2009

Background: Although high efficiency of conversion into sinus rhythm has been demonstrated after performing the Cox-Maze procedure in patients with atrial fibrillation associated with mitral valve disease, the changes in the mechanical function and size of the left atrium have not been determined. The aim of the study was to evaluate the effect of the Maze procedure on the left atrial size and contractile transport function. Material and Method: From July 1997 to July 2008, 647 consecutive patients were operated on for chronic atrial fibrillation associated with mitral valve disease. Among these, 211 patients that (1) were able to be followed up for 2 years after surgery, (2) had sustained normal sinus rhythm, regardless of whether they were taking anti-arrhythmic medications and (3) did not have valvular regurgitation greater than grade III or they did not have moderate grade valvular stenosis were selected for evaluation. The left atrial size and contractile transport function were assessed by transthoracic echocardiography at the postoperative base line (1 year) and at regular follow-up periods (2 years, 3 years, 4 years and 6 year). Result: The left atrial dimension was increased and the contractile transport function was decreased during the follow-up period. The longer the follow-up period, the greater was the statistical significance of the left atrial size increase and contractile transport function decrease. Conclusion: In patients who sustain normal sinus rhythm conversion after a Maze III procedure with a mitral valve operation, there is a gradual increase of the left atrial dimensions and a decrease of contractile transport function during the follow-up period. Therefore, scrupulous follow-up is needed for these patients.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.32 no.1
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• pp.70-74
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• 1999

Thrombosis in valve or left atrium after mechanical mitral valve replacement causes prosthetic valve dysfunction or thromboembolism. Early and adequate therapy is very important but clinically not easy. Thrombolysis can avoid reoperation-related risks and act as an optimal therapy for prosthetic valve thrombosis. This report describes three patients who were treated by using low molecular weight heparin (LMWH) and wafarin. Two patients, including one pregnant woman, had prosthetic valve thrombosis and immobility of valve leaflets, and one patient with recent cerebral infarction due to thromboembolism had thrombus in left atrium. Fraxiparine 0.3 cc (7,500 ICU AXa) was administrated subcutaneously twice or triple daily. At discharge, thrombosis in valve and left atrium were completely or near totally lysed and valve leaflets were normally mobile. During the period of thrombolysis and follow up, there were no complications in all patients.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.32 no.4
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• pp.341-346
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• 1999

Background: Thirty children ranging from 3 to 15 years of age underwent cardiac valve replacement at Dongsan Medical Center from 1982 to 1997. Material and Method: There were 16 boys and 14 girls. The mean age was 12.1. The underlying pathological cause for valve replacement was congenital heart disease in 17 children and acquired heart disease in 13. The valve replaced was mitral in 15 children, aortic in 11, tricuspid in 3, and combined aortic and mitral in 1. Twenty-one mechanical and 10 tissue valves were placed: primary mechanical valve have been utilized since 1985. Eight of ten patients with tissue valves have had successful second valve replacements 4 to 11 years after the initial operation. Result: The operative mortality was 6.7%, but mortality was higher among patients less than 5 years of age and patients who had previous cardiac operations. Of the 28 operative survivors, 4 patients were lost to follow-up: the remaining patients were observed for a total of 2091 patient/months(mean 74.7 months, maximum 187 months). There was one late death from dilated cardiomyopathy after mitral valve replacement in 7 year-old patient with atrioventricular septal defect. After the operation, all patients with mechanical valves were placed on a strict anticoagulant regimen with Coumadin. The actuarial survival rate was 96% at the end of the follow-up. No instance of thromboembolism or major bleeding were observed in the survivors. Conclusion: These results indicate that valve replacement can be performed with low mortality in children, and with satisfactory long-term survival.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.26 no.3
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• pp.191-195
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• 1993

Among 25 consecutive cases having undergone mitral valve surgery between March 1991 and June 1992 in Gill General Hospital, 11 patients[44%] who had undergone mitral valve reconstruction using prosthetic rings is evaluated and presented. Patients` mean age is 43 + 19 years[range:16-72], and they are consisted with 4 males and 7 females. Mitral valve insufficiency is due to degenerative disease in 6 cases[55%] and rheumatic disease in 5 patients[45%]. Carpentier`s functional classification I is 2 cases, II is 6 cases, and III is 2 cases. Surgical techniques include prosthetic ring annuloplasty[11 patients, 100%], chorda shortening[6, 55%], leaflet mobilization[4,36%], new chorda formation[2, 18%], chorda transposition[1, 9%] commissurotomy[3, 27%], and papillary muscle splitting[3, 27%]. Average number of mitral anatomic lesions per patient are 2.7 and we used average 2.8 procedures upon mitral valve apparatus per patient. There were no surgical mortality and no late valve related admission during the mean follow up period of 17 months. The mean functional class[NYHA] is 2.81 preoperatively and improved to 1.10 postoperatively. Doppler echocardiography showed much improvement from grade II MR [1 case], grade III MR [1 case] and 9 cases of grade IV MR to 6 cases of patients showed no MR, only trace MR in 4 cases, and grade I MR was found only in one patient with NYHA functional class II postoperatively. The postoperative mean mitral valve area is $2.10+0.28cm^2$. We conclude that mitral reconstruction is a predictable and stable operation.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.28 no.4
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• pp.355-359
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• 1995

A clinical analysis was performed on 48 cases with mitral stenosis who received open mitral commissurotomy from December 1983 to June 1991 at the Department of Thoracic & Cardiovascular Surgery, Chungnam National University Hospital. Fifteen patients were men and 33 were women. the mean age was 35.6 years with the range of 16 to 61 years. The distribution of preoperative NYHA Functional Classes was as follows; class II, 25 patients; class III, 20 patients; class IV, 3 patients. Three patients had cerebral emboli preoperatively, all of whom were in atrial fibrillation. The preoperative electrocardiographic studies revealed that 32 patients had sinus rhythms and 16 had atrial fibrillations. Twenty-six patients had open mitral commissurotomy alone and 22 patients had additional cardiac procedures. Intraoperatively, there were 6 cases of left atrial thrombosis. There was no perioperative death but early postoperative complications were found in 3 cases. The patients were followed up from 2 to 99 months[mean 33.7 months . There was one case of late unexplained sudden death. There was a case of late postoperative cerebral infarction, 5 cases of mitral restenosis and 3 cases of congestive heart failure and/or arrhythmia. Mitral valve replacements were required in 3 patients.But, it is evident that open mitral commissurotomy has many advantages beyond mitral valve replacement concerning the results of the mitral valve replacement underwent during the same period at the Department of Thoracic & Cardiovascular Surgery, Chungnam National University Hospital.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.6 no.1
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• pp.69-88
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• 1973

Twenty-one cases of open mitral commissurotomy were done between October 1963 and March 1973. 1] Preoperative embolism consists of 7 cerebral and 2 peripheral cases. Two operative cerebral embolism cases were noted. 2] There were two cases of restenosis, one associated valvular disease, three mitral insufficiency cases, and six cases of pulmonary hypertension. 3] Out of 21 cases, 13 cases of atrial fibrillation were found and two cases of atrial fibrillation were found postoperatively among 8 cases of preoperatively normal sinus rhythm. 4] During operation 10 cases of valvular calcification and 6 cases of left atrial thrombus were noted. 5] Complete blood count, electrolyte and acid base balance showed normal range of data. 6] Four helix reservoir whole blood total body perfusion and 17 cases of .hemodilution perfusion utilizing Rygg-Kyvsgaard bag oxygenator with sigma motor were performed. 7] EACA 125 mg/kg intravenous administration before cardiopulmonary bypass resulted in markedly diminished postoperative bleeding. 8] Post-perfusion urine amount was in satisfactory range. 9] There were 2 operative mortality due to coronary embolism and three cases of hospital death, 2 due to severe hepatic failure and one due to cerebral embolism. 10] Sixteen survival cases showed marked clinical improvements and almost all of them returned to their occupation satisfactorily after operation.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Visualization
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• v.16 no.2
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• pp.31-37
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• 2018

Ischemic mitral regurgitation (IMR) is the primary mitral valve (MV) pathology in the aftermath of myocardial infarction as a consequence of regional left ventricular (LV) remodeling. We investigated the effect of asymmetric papillary muscle (PM) displacement and annular dilation on IMR development. Virtual MV modeling was performed to create a normal human MV. Asymmetric PM displacement, asymmetric annular dilation, and the combination of these two pathologic characteristics were modeled. Dynamic finite element evaluation of MV function was performed across the complete cardiac cycle for the normal and three different IMR MV models. While the normal MV demonstrated complete leaflet coaptation, each pathologic MV model clearly revealed deteriorated leaflet coaptation and abnormal stress distributions. The pathologic MV model having both asymmetric PM displacement and annular dilation showed the worst leaflet malcoaptation. Simulation-based biomechanical evaluation of post-ischemic LV remodeling provides an excellent tool to better understand the pathophysiologic mechanism of IMR development.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.24 no.4
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• pp.421-427
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• 1991

Atrial fibrillation[Af] is closely related to thrombus in left atrium, systemic embolism, and loss of the contribution of atrial contraction to cardiac output. Therefore maintenance of sinus rhythm[SR] is undoubtedly hemodynamically superior to Af in the clinical course of mitral valvular disease especially in the unstable period immediately after surgery. In this article, the conversion rate and the factors influencing the conversion of Af to SR after surgery were studied. Ninety-three patients with mitral valvular replacement at Chungnam National University Hospital were analysed with electrocardiography before and after surgery during the period from June 1985 to June 1990. Eighty patients presented Af before surgery. Twenty-four[30Yo] of the patients were converted to SR[A group] and fifty six presented continuous Af after surgery[B group]. The duration of preoperative Af, preoperative left atrial dimension[LAD], preoperative functional status[NYHA classification] and cardiothoracic[CT] ratio were factors influencing the conversion of Af to SR after surgery. The mean preoperative duration of Af was 3.5$\pm$2.6yr in group A and 7.6$\pm$4.9yr in group B. The mean preoperative LAD was 53. 7$\pm$9.4mm in group A and 62.5$\pm$11.2mm in group B. Before surgery, eleven patients[46%] were belong to NYHA class I, II in group A and eight[14%] in group B. The preoperative CT ratio was 62$\pm$6% in group A and 69$\pm$8% in group B.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.41 no.2
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• pp.264-267
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• 2008

The da Vinci telemanipulator system (Intuitive Surgical, Sunnyvale, CA USA) is the most advanced robotic surgical system and has been increasingly used for cardiac surgical procedures. We report out first clinical experience of use of the da Vinci telemanipulator system for endoscopic harvesting of the bilateral thoracic artery andmulti-vessel small thoracotomy off pump CABG for 3-vessel disease. The da Vinci telemanipulator system has been previously utilized primarily for mitral valve surgery.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.27 no.8
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• pp.664-668
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• 1994

A total of 217 patients underwent single mitral valve replacement [MVR] with the St. Jude Medical valve between September 1984 and the end of 1992. There were 86 males and 131 females with a mean age of 34.6 $\pm$ 14.4 years[range 5 months-61 years]. A previous valve replacement had been performed in 46 patients [21.2 %]. An early mortality rate was 7.4 % [5.2 % in primary MVR; and 15.2 %in re-replacement MVR]. Early survivors of 201 patients were followed up for a total of 934.5 patient-years[mean 4.7 $\pm$ 2.1years]. A late mortality rate was 2.5 % or 0.54%/patient-year. The linearized rates of thromboembolism, valve thrombosis and anticoagulation-related bleeding were 1.301 %, 0.214 % and 0.428 %/patient-year, respectively. The actuarial survival including operative mortality was 89.9 % $\pm$ 2.1% at postoperative 10 years. The freedom from thromboemolism was 91.3 %$\pm$ 2.5% and the actuarial estimate of incidence free from late deaths and all complications were 80.9 % $\pm$ 3.8 % at 10 years. There were no mechanical failures. In summary, the St. Jude Medical prosthesis performed satisfactorily with an acceptable rate of late complications.