• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.35 no.5
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• pp.336-342
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• 2002

Background: Recently, cell transplantation has been extensively investigated to improve heart function in dysfunctional heart. This study was designed to compare the effects of smooth muscle cells (SMC) and heart cells (HC) transplantation in dilated cardiomyopathic hamsters. Material and Method: HC and SMC were isolated from heart and ductus deferens of BIO 53.58 hamsters, and cultured for transplantation. HC and SMC or culture medium were transplanted into the left ventricle of 17 weeks old adult hamsters in HC transplanted (HCTx), SMC transplantation (SMCTX), and control groups (Con) (N = 10 each). Cyclosporine (5 mg/Kg) was administered subcutaneously for HCTx. Sham operated hamsters (N=10) underwent the surgery but did not receive an injection. At 4 weeks after transplantation, heart function was evaluated in all groups using a Langendorff perfusion apparatus. Result: Histology showed severe focal myocardial necrosis in all groups. HCTx and SMCTx formed huge muscle tissue in dilated myocardium. SMCTx and HCTx had better heart function than Con and sham (p<0.01). And SMCTx had better peak systolic pressure (p<0.05) antral developed pressure (p<0.05) than HCTx. But sham and Con did not any statistical make difference. Conclusion: SMCTx and HCTx formed muscle tissue and improved ventricular function in hamsters with dilated cardiomyopathy And SMCTx showed better heart function in peak systolic pressure and developed pressure than HCTx.

• Proceedings of the KTCVS Conference
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• 1998.10a
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• pp.73-73
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• 1998

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.36 no.5
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• pp.316-320
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• 2003

Background: The detection of circulating microemboli by transcranial Doppler ultrasonography (TCD) has the potential to select the patients with high risk for future symptomatic brain embolism. We prospectively evaluated the positive rate and the frequency of microembolic signals (MES) before and after the heart valve surgery (HVS). Material and Method: Fifty in-patients with heart valve disease were enrolled in this study. Patients with history of previous stroke or heart valve surgery were excluded. Two unilateral TCD monitoring sessions were peformed from middle cerebral artery for 1-hour, before and after HVS. Result: Mechanical Heart valves were implanted in 28 patients, tissue valves were implanted in 10 patients, and remaining 12 patients received mitral valve repair. Positive rate of MES was significantly increased after HVS (50%), compared to that of before HVS (8%, p=0.00). There was no relation between MES after HVS and intensity of anticoagulation, cardiac rhythm, patients' age, and history of hypertension. The positive rate of MES after implantation of mechanical heart valve (71.4%) was significantly higher than those after implantation of tissue valve or mitral valve plasty (p=0.002). Conclusion: Positive rate of MES was increased significantly after the implantation of HVS. The changes of MES in those with mechanical prosthesis may be related to the increased risk or embolism after Hvs.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.35 no.5
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• pp.329-335
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• 2002

Background: The surgical technique for biventricular assist device(BVAD) implantation has mainly consisted of cannulation procedures. A median sternotomy has been the technique of choice as it gives a surgeon an excellent exposure of the heart. However, considering that most patients require a future sternotomy or already have a previous sternotomy, sternotomy-related complication remains a major concern in BVAD implantation. Based on this consideration as well as the clinical experiences of conventional heart surgery, the authors have hypothesized that the cardiac chambers for BVAD cannulation can be approached from the right side of the heart. The purpose of this studs to develop a novel surgical technique of right thoracotomy for BVAD implantation in an animals study. Material and Method: For last two years, 16 (11 calves, 3 canines, and 2 sheep) out of 30 experimental animals with AnyHeart implantation underwent a right thoracotomy. The device was used as an implantable BVAD in 14 animals, a wearable BVAD in 1, and an implantable LVAD in 1. The chest cavity was entered through the 4th intercostal space or the 5th periosteal bed. As for the BVAD use, a right inflow cannula was inserted into the right atrial free wall and a right outflow cannula was grafted onto the main pulmonary artery. A left inflow cannula was inserted into the interatrial groove and a left outflow cannula was grafted on the innominate artery of the ascending aorta. The connecting tubes were brought out through the thoracotomy wound and connected to the pump located in the subcutaneous pocket at the right flank. Result: Except for the 5 animals for a lilting test or during the early learning curve, all recovered smoothly from the procedures. The inflow drainage allowed the pump output 6.5 L/min at the maximum with 3-3.5 L/min in an average. Of the survivors, there noted no procedure-related mortality or morbidity. Necropsy findings demonstrated the well-positioned cannula tips in the each cardiac chamber

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.42 no.6
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• pp.719-724
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• 2009

Background: As the patients who undergo heart transplantation have achieved better survival in recent years, growing number of recipients are at a risk for experiencing surgical complications in addition to rejection and infection. In this paper, we report on our experience with the surgical complications that occurred in heart transplant recipients. Material and Method: From April 1994 to September 2003, 37 heart transplantations were performed at our center by a single surgeon. The indications for transplantation were dilated cardiomyopathy, ischemic cardiomyopathy, valvular cardiomyopathy and familial hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. Result: Twenty postoperative complications required surgeries in 15 patients (41%). The types of operations required were; redo-sternotomy for bleeding (5), pericardiostomy for effusion (4), implantation of a permanent pacemaker (1), right lower lobe lobectomy for aspergilloma (1), removal of urinary stone (1), cholecystectomy for gall bladder stone (1), drainage of a perianal abscess (1), paranasal sinus drainage (1), total hip replacement (1), partial gingivectomy due to gingival hypertrophy (1), urethrostomy (1), herniated intervertebral disc operation (1) and total hysterectomy for myoma uteri (1). The locations of the complications were mediastinal in 10 (27%) cases and extramediastihalin 10 (27%) cases. Conclusion: The relatively high incidence of extrathoracic complications associated with heart transplantation emphasizes the importance of a multidisciplinary approach to the improve long-term survival when managing those complex patients.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.32 no.3
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• pp.299-302
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• 1999

Heart transplantation was planned for a 10-year old boy who had dilated cardiomyopathy with severe congestive heart failure and had been on dopamine for 1month. However, partial left ventriculectomy and mitral annuloplasty were performed instead, because there was no donor heart of the adequate size and the symptoms were aggravated. The clinical symptoms were markedly improved after the surgery. Comparing the postoperative echocardiographic results with the preoperative results, there were remarkable changes in the left ventricular ejection fraction(preoperative LV EF 17% to postoperative 3 months 29%, 6 months 35%, 1 year 36%) and the left ventricular end-diastolic dimension(preoperative 72 mm to postoperative 3 months 59 mm, 6 months 61 mm, 1 year 61 mm). Partial left ventriculectomy and mitral annuloplasty reduced the cardiac loading in the dilated cardiomyopathy. Partial left ventriculectomy and mitral annuloplasty may be considered as one of the alternative surgical metho s to carry over until a heart transplantation can be performed, especially for children.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.36 no.6
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• pp.418-421
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• 2003

Heart-lung transplantation is a widely accepted treatment for Eisenmenger'syndrome. The patient is a 41-years-old male diagnosed with Eisenmenger'syndrome due to patent ductus arteriosus. The pressures were checked as follows: aorta 130/80 mean 100 mmHg, pulmonary artery 130/80 mean 109 mmHg, and right ventricle 130/20 mmHg, right atrium mean 20 mmHg. The patient needed heart-lung transplantation due to enlarged right pulmonary artery (diameter 7.5 cm). The donor was a 24 years-old male diagnosed as brain death due to subdural hematoma. Ligation of patent ductus arteriosus was performed under the cardiopulmonary bypass followed by heart-lung transplantation. Patient was extubated on postoperative day one, transferred to the general ward on day 3, and was discharged on postoperative day 33. Cardiac and lung biopsy was performed on postoperative day 41 with no signs of rejection.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.31 no.5
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• pp.531-535
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• 1998

In 1964, Abbott and Colleagues published the world's first heterotopic heart transplantation technique in the rat. Their method established circulation by end-to-end anastomoses of the graft's aorta and pulmonary artery to the recipient's abdominal aorta and Inferior Vena Cava(IVC), respectively. In 1966, Tomita et al altered Abbott's technique by employing end-to-side rather than end-to-end anastomoses, thus eliminating the hind leg paralysis that sometimes resulted from Abbott's technique. In order to prevent postsuture hemorrhage (since 7-0 silk suture was the finest available at that time), Tomita's aortic anastomosis was done with double up-and-down continuous suture technique. A single layer continuous anstomosis effected the pulmonary artery-IVC anastomosis. The availability of Nylon monofilament suture made it possible for Ono and Lindsey to use a single layer suture technique for the aortic end-to-side anastomosis in their modified rat heart transplantation. We observed survival time between control group and Immunosuppression(Cyclosporine administration, 10mg/Kg${\times}$4 times postoperatively) group after heterotopic heart transplantation in the rat model. The cyclosporine adminstration group survived longer than the control group, thus we concluded that cyclosporine was based on Immunosuppressive drugs.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.37 no.7
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• pp.547-552
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• 2004

Recently, autologous bone marrow cell transplantation (CTx) for angiogenesis and myogenesis in ischemic myocardium has been extensively investigated to improve heart functions. This study was designed to evaluate the effects of CTx with off-pump coronary artery bypass grafting (OPCAB) in patients who were not feasible for complete revascularization. Material and Method: Four male patients underwent CTx and OPCAB simultaneously. Bone marrow was aspirated from iliac bone. Mean 1.5 ${\times}$ 10$^{9}$ mononuclear cells including mean 6.7 ${\times}$ 10$^{6}$ CD34 + cells and 3.7 ${\times}$ 10$^{6}$ AC133 + cells were obtained and concentrated with 10 cc. These cells were transplanted into non-graftable ischemic myocardium after OPCAB. The heart function of all patients were evaluated using the MIBI scan, echocardiogram and MRI preoperatively. The effects of CTx was evaluated using MIBI scan and echocardiogram at 1 month postoperatively. Result: An average of 2 grafts were bypassed to left anterior descending artery territory. Other territories were transplanted with isolated mononuclear cell. All patients had uncomplicated postoperative course. After 1 month follow up, there were improvement in symptom, ejection fraction (from 49% to 55%) on echocardiogram and myocardial perfusion on MIBI scan in all patients. Conclusion: These preliminary data showed improvement of heart function and myocardial perfusion and also showed the feasibility and safety of combined therapy with OPCAB and CTx in ischemic myocardium. However, the effectiveness of CTx alone cannot be readily assessed. Further randomized, controlled studies are required to evaluate the effectiveness of CTx alone.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.38 no.2 s.247
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• pp.91-100
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• 2005