• 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.38 no.7 s.252
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• pp.483-488
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• 2005

Aortic valve-sparing procedures could reduce valve-related morbidity, but may increase operative risks; therefore, these procedures could not be performed routinely. We attempted to find out the early results while focusing on the operative risks associated with these procedures in our hospital. Material and Method: From May 1996 to July 2003, 26 patients underwent these procedures including 15 patients with Marfan syndrome and 1 patient with Behcet disease. There were 17 men and 9 women with mean age of $37.9\pm19.2$ years (range: 6 months-74 years). Ten patients had ascending aortic dissection, 18 patients had more than moderate degree of aortic valve insufficiency (AI). Two types of valve-sparing procedures were performed: valve reimplantation in 14 and root remodeling in 12 patients. Associated procedures were performed as follows: aortic valve plasty in 6, mitral valve plasty in 5, hemi-arch replacement in 4, total arch replacement in 2, coronary artery bypass surgery in 1 and Maze procedure in 1 patient(s). Result: In four patients, valve-sparing procedures were converted to Bentall procedures during operation. Including these patients, there was no operative deaths, 3 patients underwent re-operation due to bleeding, 1 patient had permanent pacemaker. The median duration of ICU stay was 45.5 hours, the median duration of hospital stay was 10.5 days. In 22 patients excluding 4 converted patients, intraoperative transesophageal echocardiogram (TEE) showed less than mild degree of AI in all except one who had not received intra-operative TEE in the beginning and showed moderate degree of AI at discharge. The mean duration of follow-up was $21.2\pm27.4$ months. All patients were alive except one who died during other departmental surgery. In 3 patients, more than moderate degree of AI was recurred, but there were no reoperation. Conclusion: Aortic valve-sparing procedures could be performed relatively safely in selected patients who had annuloaortic ectasia.

• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
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• v.50 no.1
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• pp.47-51
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• 2007

Purpose : The early diagnosis of Kawasaki disease (KD) is difficult sometimes, especially in atypical or incomplete cases presenting 4 or less principal clinical features without coronary arterial lesions (coronary arterial ectasia or aneurysm). The authors investigated the incidence of echocardiographic abnormalities in patients with KD to discover whether abnormal echocardiographic findings might be helpful in the early diagnosis of KD. Methods : Echocardiography was done in the acute stage of 103 patients with KD (Kawasaki group) and 40 patients with other acute febrile illnesses (control group). Abnormal echocardiographic findings were classified into 4 categories and defined as follows; 1) significant pericardial effusion, 2) significant valvular dysfunctions, 3) left ventricular systolic dysfunction, 4) coronary arterial ectasia or aneurysm. Results : In the Kawasaki group, significant pericardial effusion was present in 24 patients (23.3 percent), significant valvular dysfunctions in 30 patients (29.1 percent), left ventricular systolic dysfunction in 10 patients (9.7 percent), and coronary arterial lesions in 27 patients (26.2 percent). In the control group, significant pericardial effusion was present in only one patient (2.5 percent). The number of patients with any one of echocardiographic abnormalities was 57 (55.3 percent) in Kawasaki group and one (2.5 percent) in control group. The sensitivity of echocardiography in the diagnosis of KD was 55.3 percent, the specificity 97.5 percent, the positive predictive value 98.3 percent, and the negative predictive value 45.9 percent. Conclusion : If abnormal echocardiographic findings, even if other than coronary arterial lesions, are confirmed in patients in whom KD is suspected, it seems desirable to inifiate specific treatment for KD.

• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
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• v.46 no.7
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• pp.661-667
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• 2003

Purpose : This study was performed to find the chief clinical problems associated with the ages of adult patients of tetralogy of Fallot(TOF) who had undergone total correction. Methods : Of the 30 patients who were registered at the Grown-Up Congenital Heart Disease (GUCH) Clinic of Samsung Medical Center for TOF, a retrospective investigation was carried out on 28 patients who underwent total correction. Results : Mean age at retrospective study was 30.8(range : 16-53) years old. Age at total correction was 15.8(range : 2-49) years old. Problems after corrective surgery were assessed. They were arrhythmia, pulmonary valve regurgitation, left pulmonary artery stenosis, residual ventricular septal defect, mitral valve regurgitation, tricuspid valve regurgitation, right ventricle outflow tract obstruction, aortic valve regurgitation, infective endocarditis and protein losing enteropathy. After repair of TOF, such arrhythmias as atrial arrhythmia and AV conduction disturbances were observed in some patients. Cardiomegaly was found significantly in the subjects with arrhythmia(P<0.05), and arrhythmia was less observed in patients who underwent surgery at a young age. Eight patients required a reoperation; the main indications were residual ventricular septal defect, right ventricle outflow tract obstruction and peripheral pulmonary artery stenosis. Conclusion : The majority of the patients seemed to live normal lives after Tetralogy of Fallot repair. However, as residual anatomic and functional abnormalities exist postoperatively, continued careful follow-up is needed to detect and correct structural and functional abnormalities.

• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
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• v.48 no.10
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• pp.1132-1138
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• 2005

Purpose : The mucopolysaccharidoses (MPSs) are a heterogeneous group of lysosomal storage disorders. They are caused by a deficiency of the enzymes involved in the degradation of glycosaminoglycans. Early recognition is important because recombinant enzyme replacement therapy is now available for MPS. We studied the clinical characteristics of 80 MPS children with the object of determining the epidemiological, clinical and radiological features in Korean MPS children. Methods : Diagnosis of MPS was confirmed by skin fibroblast enzyme analysis in 80 patients between February 1995 and December 2004. Charts were retrospectively reviewed for clinical and radiological findings, as well as for intelligence and speech evaluations. Results : Hunter syndrome (MPS type II) was the most prevalent type, appearing in 51/80 cases (64 %), followed by Sanfilippo syndrome (MPS III-18%), Hurler syndrome (MPS I-15%), and Morquio syndrome (MPS IV-4%). The average age at diagnosis was 5.5 years (range 1 to 20), and the male-to-female ratio was 4.7 : 1. Typical radiographic changes were observed in 45/54 cases (83%). Mitral regurgitation was the most common cardiac defect. Moderate to profound mental retardation and hearing loss were present in 14/35 cases (56%) and 33/38 cases (82%), respectively. Four MPS II patients had bone marrow transplantation, with mixed outcomes. Five MPS I patients are currently on enzyme replacement therapy. Conclusion : Our study showed a high proportion of MPS II cases (64%), which may represent population variability. By studying the clinical features of these patients, we hope to alert pediatricians of the warning signs of MPS.