• Journal of Chest Surgery
• /
• v.39 no.10 s.267
• /
• pp.759-764
• /
• 2006

Background: We analyzed post-operative angiography performed in symptomatic patients to evaluate the patency rates and the roles of grafts. Material and Method: We reviewed 52 (15%) coronary angiograms performed for recurrent angina after prior coronary artery bypass surgery from January 1995 to June 2005. A total of 345 patients underwent coronary artery bypass surgery during this period. There were 41 men and 11 women and the mean age was $64.07{\pm}15.58$ years. The median period from operation to re-angiogram was 68.5 months (range, 1 to 126 months). The numbers of grafts and peripheral anastomoses were 42 and 43 for internal thoracic artery (ITA), 14 and 20 for radial artery (RA), and 49 and 89 for saphenous vein. The mean number of anastomosis was 2.9 per patient, Result: The patency rates of ITA, RA and saphenous vein graft (SVG) were 37/43 (86%), 17/20 (85%) and 34/89 (38.2%). The patency rate of arterial grafts was significantly higher than that of SVG (p< 0.001) and the patency rate of the RA was comparable to that of ITA (p=0.942). The patency rate of sequential SVGs was higher than that of single SVG (40.3% vs 31.8%, p=0.478) and the patency rate of proximal segments in sequential anastomosis was higher than that in single anastomsis (55.6% vs 31.8%, p=0.097), but statistically not significant. Conclusion: Arterial grafts have markedly superior patency rates than SVGs, so consideration should be given to the vigorous use of arterial grafts. The patency rate of the RA was comparable to that of ITA.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
• /
• v.35 no.3
• /
• pp.182-187
• /
• 2002

Background: There have been many reports of coronary angiographic findings after coronary bypass grafting, most of which are focused on the graft patency rate of the bypass conduits. However, postoperative angiography can provide numerous informations other than patency rates that are useful for establishing operative strategy. Material and Method: We studied 73 patients in whom coronary angiography was done after more than 1 month of CABG. Mean interval from the operation to coronary angiography was 10.6 months and the reasons for coronary angiography follow up were residual or recurrent angina in 54 patients, abnormalities on myocardial perfusion scan or echocardiography in 13 patients, and for simple follow up in 6 patients. Result: Overall graft patency rate was 80.9% (internal thoracic artery 100%, saphenous vein 75.0%) in patients of simple follow up and 61.6%(internal thoracic artery 81.1%, saphenous vein 55.3%) in patients with ischemia. Progression of native coronary arterial disease proximal to the grafting site was found in 50 patients(68.5%). Among 201 coronary arterial branches that had not been completely occluded preoperatively, ninty five branches(47.3%) revealed progression of diameter stenosis by more than 20% on the follow up study. Among them, 64 branches(31.8%) progressed to total occlusion. The incidence of disease progression was highter in the coronary arteries with patent grafts(57.5%) than in those with occluded grafts(36.3%)(p<0.05), Comparing internal thoracic artery graft with saphenous vein graft, internal thoracic artery was superior to saphenous vein, not only in terms of patency(83.3% vs 56.6%), but also in terms of result of later percutaneous intervention success rate(100% vs 62%, p<0.05). Conclusion: Due to the considerable incidence of progression of native coronary artery stenosis in the early postoperative periods, bypass grafting of a vessel with borderline stenosis, especially with vein graft, must be done prudently. And it was confirmed again that revascularization of left anterior descending artery is most important and that internal thoracic artery was superior to saphenous vein.

• The Korean Journal of Pharmacology
• /
• v.22 no.1 s.38
• /
• pp.34-44
• /
• 1986

In our previous studies, we had clarified many pharmacological effects of majarine: the bacteriostatic effect in vitro; the potentiation of hypnotic action of alcohol; hypotensive effect in rats and hypothermic effect in mice. This study was undertaken to search for a new antihypertensive drug. Red crystalline was obtained from majarine (which was extracted from Berberis koreana Palibin) by chemical methods. And this crystalline was identified as $C_{19}H＿{16}NO＿4$ contained one hydroxy group instead of methoxy group of majarine in isoquinoline ring and named 'Majarol' (5,6-Dihydro-9-hydroxy, 10-methoxybenzo-[g]-1,3-benzodioxolo [5,6-a] quinolizinium). We examined the effects of majarol on blood pressure and heart rate in urethane ancsthetized rats and the rate and amplitude of contraction of isolated frog heart. Several drugs: atropine sulfate, diphenhydramine chloride, hexamethonium bromide, phentolamine, epinephrine, propranolol and isoproterenol were used to clarify the mechanism of the hypotensive action of majarol. The results of experimints were as follows; 1. In low dose (0.5-2mg/kg, i.v.), majarol showed a typical transient hypotensive effect and slight decrease in heart rate. In high dose (5-10 mg/kg, i.v.), majarol showed a typical transient and a subsequent prolonged hypotensive effect and a significant prolonged decrease in heart rate was followed. 2. The hypotensive effects of majarol was not abolished by the pretreatments with atropine sulfate, hexamethonium bromide and diphenhydramine. The pretreatment with phentolamine inhibited significantly the hypotensive effects of majarol and the pretreatment wtih majarol blocked markedly the hypertensive effect of epinephrine. The positive chronotropic effect of isoproterenol was not blocked by the pretreatment with majarol. 3. In low dose, majarol increased the amplitude and decreased rate of contraction, but in high dose, majarol inhibited the amplitude and rate of contraction of isolated frog heart.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
• /
• v.32 no.4
• /
• pp.368-372
• /
• 1999

Background: Although there have been few reports about minimal skin incision for the repair of congenital heart lesions, minimizing an unsightly scar is a particularly important factor in growing children. We have adopted a technique that permits standard full sternotomy, conventional open chest cardiopulmonary bypass, aortic cross-clamping, left atrial vent, and antegrade cardioplegia with minimal surgical scar. Material and Method: With minimal skin incision and full sternotomy, 40 patients with congenital heart disease underwent open heart surgery from April 1997 through September 1997. Defects repaired included 30 ventricular septal defects, 4 atrial septal defects, and 1 sinus Valsalva aneurysm in 35 children(M:F=17: 18), and 3 Atrial septal defects, 1 ventricular septal defect, and 1 partial atrioventricular septal defect in 5 adults(M:F=1:4). Midline skin incision was performed from the second intercostal space to 1 or 2 cm above the xiphoid process. For full sternotomy, we used the ordinary sternal saw in sternal body, and a special saw in manubrium under the skin flap. During sternal retraction, surgical field was obtained by using two retractors in a crossed direction. Result: The proportion of the skin incision length to the sternal length was 63.1${\pm}$3.9%(5.2∼11cm, mean 7.3cm) in children, and 55.0${\pm}$3.5%(10∼13.5cm, mean 12cm) in adults. In every case, the aortic and venous cannulations could be done through the sternal incision without additional femoral cannulation. There was no hospital death, wound infection, skin necrosis, hematoma formation, or bleeding complication. Conclusion: We conclude that minimal skin incision with full sternotomy can be a safe and effective alternative method for the repair of congenital heart diseases in children and adults.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
• /
• v.32 no.6
• /
• pp.532-535
• /
• 1999

Background: The purpose of this study was to evaluate and analyze the surgical techniques and postoperative complications in patients undergoing operations for descending thoracic aortic aneurysms. Material and Method: The data of 22 major operations between March 1987 and August 1997 were retrospectively reviewed. Result: There were 18 men and 4 women with a mean age of 49 years (range 33 years to 82 years). The cause of the aneurysm was aortic dissection in 13 patients, atherosclerosis in 3, mycotic in 3, trauma in 2 and uncertain in 1. The operative techniques were resection and graft replacement in 16, axillofemoral bypass graft in 2, femorofemoral bypass graft in 2, exclusion, aneurysmorrhaphy in 1 and transfemoral stent insertion in 1. During the operation, 16 cases were performed under total aortic clamp. Among the 16 patients, femorofemoral bypass was used in 14 cases and previously made shunt in 2 cases. The mean total aortic clamp time was 91 minutes and the mean extracorporeal circulation time was 116 minutes. One death occurred in an excluded patient on the 52 postoperative day due to a rupture of the aneurysm. Postoperative complications were paraplegia in 1 case, acute renal failure in 1 case and acute respiratory failure in 1 case. Conclusion: Although surgical treatment of the descending thoracic aneurysm has many postoperative complications, good surgical results can be achieved with a proper patient selection and fine surgical techniques.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
• /
• v.40 no.7 s.276
• /
• pp.473-479
• /
• 2007

Background: The Hetzer procedure for the correction of Ebstein's anomaly has the advantages of technical feasibility and incorporation of the atrialized right ventricle (RV) into the functional RV. Material and Method: We preformed a retrospective review of 11 patients with Ebstein's anomaly and they had undergone a Hetzer procedure between March 2002 and December 2006. Result: The median age at operation was 19.8 years (range: 6 months ${\sim}56$ years). There were 4 males and 7 females. All patients showed severe tricuspid regurgitation (TR) preoperatively, and arterial desaturation (<95%) was present in 3 patients. The original Hetzer technique was employed in 6 patients with the Carpentier type A anomaly. In the remaining 5 patients with the Carpentier type B or C anomalies, valve competence was restored at the level of the displaced tricuspid valve mechanism. Adjunct bidirectional cavo-pulmonary shunt, or one and a half ventricle repair strategy was employed for all the patients. The median follow-up was 8.6 months (range: $0.8{\sim}51.9$ months). There was no early or late death, and the immediate postoperative TR was trivial to mild in 8 patients. The median cardio-thoracic ratios on chest X-ray at the preoperative period and at postoperative 0, 1 and 6 months were 65%, 62%, 55% and 55%, respectively. Conclusion: The original or modified Hetzer procedure for Ebstein's anomaly shows excellent intermediate-term outcomes.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
• /
• v.40 no.4 s.273
• /
• pp.256-263
• /
• 2007

Background: Intimal hyperpiasia is characterized by a proliferation of vascular smooth muscle cells in the intimal layer Epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG) is known to suppress smooth muscle cell proliferation. We propose that EGCG may have a protective effect against the development of intimal hyperplasia through the suppression of smooth muscle cell proliferation. Material and Method: Human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC) and rat aortic smooth muscle cells (RASMC) were cultured with different concentrations of EGCG, and proliferation and migration speed were measured. In 20 dogs, the autologous jugular veins were interposed into the carotid arteries. For the study group (n=10), the graft was stored for 30 minutes in EGCG solution and 300mM EGCG was applied to the perivascular space after grafting. After 6 weeks, the intimal and medial thickness was measured. Result: The proliferation of RASMC and HUVEC was suppressed with EGCG. The migration of RASMC was suppressed with EGCG, but that of HUVEC was not affected. In the in vivo study, the intimal thickness was thinner in EGCG group than in the control group (p<0.05), but the medial thickness did not show any difference. The intimal/medial thickness ratio was lower in the EGCG group (p<0.05). Conclusion: EGCG suppresses intimal hyperplasia after vascular grafting, and this may be mediated by prevention of migration and proliferation of vascular smooth muscle cells. The use of EGCG may offer new therapeutic modality to prevent intimal hyperplasia.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
• /
• v.34 no.4
• /
• pp.345-350
• /
• 2001

배경: 항부정맥 술식으로서의 메이스 술식은 우수한 동율동 전환율을 보고 있으나, 술식의 복잡성과 상대적으로 긴 수술 시간 등으로 모든 환자들에게 적용할 수는 없기에, 일부 환자군에서 보다 간단한 항부정맥술인 폐정맥 분리술을 시행 받은 환자들을 대상으로 동율동 전환율 등의 수술 성적과 위험 인자 등에 대해 알아보고자한다. 대상 및 방법: 1995년 10월부터 1999년 2월까지, 폐정맥 분리술을 시행받은 96명의 환자들을 대상으로 후향적 연구를 시행하였다. 남자가 37명(38.5%), 여자가 59명(61.5%) 이었고, 평균 연령은 46.9$\pm$11.6세 이었다. 승모판 협착 환자가 50명(52.1%), 폐쇄 부전이 24명(25%), 협착과 폐쇄부전이 같이 있었던 경우가 22명(22.9%)이었다. 판막 술식과 폐정맥 분리술을 시행하고 좌심방이 제거술을 시행하였다. 모든 환자들은 술 후 6개월 내지 1년 이내에 외래에서 심전도와 심초음파를 시행받았다. 평균 추적 관찰 기간은 25.9$\pm$11.5개월 이었다. 술 후 최근 추적일까지 동율동으로 전환된 군과 안된 군으로 나누어 분석을 하였다. 결과: 조기 성적으로는 사망이 3명(3.1%), 술 후 6개월 이내의 추적관찰 유실이 2명(2.1%) 이었다. 조기 합병증으로 재수술이 필요 했던 출혈이 4례, 심폐바이패스 이탈 실패오 심실보조장치 등의 삽입이필요했던 경우가 1례, 뇌혈관질환 1례, 심근경색이 1례 등이 있었다. 만기 합병증으로는 동기능 부전 증후군으로 영구 심박동기를 삽입한 경우가 1례, 일시적인 뇌경색 1례 있었고 다른 판막과 연관된 합병증은 없었다. 동율동 전환 환자 수는 75명(82%)이었다. 동율동으로의 전환이 어려운 위험인자로 50세로 이상의 연령(p=0.03), 65mm 이상의 좌심방 크기(p=0.03), 동반 우심 술식 시행(p=0.02)등이 있었다 결론: 승모판 질환을 동반한 심방 세동 환자에서 폐정맥 분리술을 시행하여 만족할 만한 동율동 전환율을 얻을 수 있었다.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
• /
• v.31 no.5
• /
• pp.481-487
• /
• 1998

The surgical management of acute type B dissection is controversial. The complexity of the repair usually requires a period of aortic cross-clamping exceeding 30 minutes, which can cause ischemic injury of the spinal cord. Several forms of distal perfusion have been considered for use to prevent this injury. To determine the safety and efficacy of a graft replacement with cardiopulmonary bypass in reparing acute dissection of descending thoracic aorta, we retrospectively reviewed our surgical experience treating 8 patients who had aortic dissection secondary to atherosclerosis, trauma, and carcinoma invasion. Cardiopulmonary bypass was performed with two aortic cannulas for simultaneous perfusion of the upper and lower body and one venous cannula for draining venous blood from the right atrium or inferior vena cava. Although aortic cross-clamp time was relatively long (average, 117.8 minutes; range, 47 to 180 minutes) in all cases, there was no neurologic deficit immediately after graft replacement for the aortic lesion. Two patients(25%) of relatively old age died on the postoperative 31st and 41st days, respectively, because of delayed postoperative complications, such as pulmonary abscess and adult respiratory distress syndrome. Although any of several maneuvers may be appropriate in managing dissection of the descending aorta, graft replacement with cardiopulmonary bypass during aortic cross-clamping may be a safe and effective method for the treatment of acute dissection of the descending thoracic aorta.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
• /
• v.39 no.8 s.265
• /
• pp.579-587
• /
• 2006

Background: Preoperative risk analysis for Fontan candidates is still less than optimal in that patients with apparently low risks may have poor surgical outcome; prolonged pleural drainage, protein losing enteropathy, pulmonary thromboembolism and death. We hypothesized that low pulmonary vascular compliance (PVC) is a risk factor for prolonged pleural effusion drainage after the Fontan operation. Material and Method: A retrospective review of 96 consecutive patients who underwent the Extracardiac Fontan procedures (median age: 3.9 years) was performed. Fontan risk score (FRS) was calculated from 12 categorized preoperative anatomic and physiologic variables. PVC $(mm^2/m^2{\cdot}mmHg)$ was defined as pulmonary artery index $(mm^2/m^2)$ divided by total pulmonary resistance $(W.U{\cdot}/m^2)$ and pulmonary blood flow $(L/min/m^2)$ based on the electrical circuit analogue of the pulmonary circulation. Chest tube indwelling time was log-transformed (log indwelling time, LIT) to fit normal distribution, and the relationship between preoperative predictors and LIT was analyzed by multiple linear regression. Result: Preoperative PVC, chest tube indwelling time and LIT ranged from 6 to 94.8 $mm^2/mmHg/m^2$ (median: 24.8), 3 to 268 days (median: 20 days), and 1.1 to 5.6 (mean: 2.9, standard deviation: 0.8), respectively. FRS, PVC, cardiopulmonary bypass time (CPB) and central venous pressure at postoperative 12 hours were correlated with LIT by univariable analyses. By multiple linear regression, PVC (p=0.0018) and CPB (p=0.0024) independently predicted LIT, explaining 21.7% of the variation. The regression equation was LIT=2.74-0.0158 PVC+0.00658 CPB. Conclusion: Low pulmonary vascular compliance is an important risk factor for prolonged pleural effusion drainage after the extracardiac Fontan procedure.