• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.30 no.4
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• pp.390-395
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• 1997

Between May 1986 and May 1996, 269 patients underwent prosthetic valve replacement. A bioprosthetic valve was replaced in 70 cases and mechanical valve was replaced in 232. Of this 12 patients performed reoperations for replacement, and the mean interval between primary valve operation and reoperation was 87.6 months for mitral valve and )7.7 months for aortic valve. There were 10 women and 2 me , agcd from 22 to 68 years(mean 45). A bioprosthetic valve was implanted in 8 cases and a mechanical valve was implanted in 4 cases for initial operation. llidications for reoperation were structural deterioration in 5 cases(42%), valve thrombus in 5 cases(42%) and endocarditis in 2 cases(17%). Operations performed included 3 aortic valve replacements(25%), 9 mitral valve replacements(75%). Wc used mechanical valve in llcases(92%) and tissue valve in 1 case(8%) for reoperation. There were 2 early operative deaths because of valve detachment and of acute respiratory failure. Among ten survivor's, there were no late deaths with follow up of 35.8 months.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.42 no.4
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• pp.447-455
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• 2009

Background: Prosthetic valve endocarditis usually presents with clinical symptoms that are more severe than native valve endocarditis, and prosthetic valve endocarditis shows the spread of infection into the surrounding tissue as well as into the superficial endocardial layers. The postoperative prognosis is especially poor for valve re-replacement for the cases of active endocarditis that are unable to receive a full-course of pre-antibiotic therapy due to complications and the ensuing clinical aggravation. The aim of this study was to evaluate the clinical profiles, laboratory findings and mid-term surgical results of active prosthetic valve endocarditis. Material and Method: Among the 276 surgically treated infective endocarditis patients who were treated during the period from January 1998 to July 2008, 31 patients were treated for prosthetic valve endocarditis. Among these patients, 24 received surgical treatment for an 'active' state, and they were selected for evaluation. Result: The most frequently encountered symptom was a febrile sensation. Eight cases (33.3%) were accompanied by systemic thromboembolism, among which 5 cases (20.8%) had an affected central nervous system. 'Vegetations' were most commonly found on transesophageal echocardiography, and the 'Staphylococcus species' were the most frequent pathogens. There were 4 deaths in the immediate postoperative period, and an additional 4 patients died during the follow-up period (Mean$\pm$SD, 42.1$\pm$36.9 months). The cumulative survival rate was 79% at 1 year, 73% at 3 years, 66% at 5 year, and 49.5% at 7 years. Conclusion: The cases of active prosthetic valve endocarditis that were unable to receive a full course of preoperative antibiotics therapy generally have a poor prognosis. Nevertheless, early surgery and extensive resection of all the infected tissue is pivotal in improving the survival rate of patients with surgically treated active prosthetic valve endocarditis.

• 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.34 no.9
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• pp.680-685
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• 2001

Background: Tricuspid valve replacement is very rarely performed procedure and its long-term result is not yet satisfactory. Moreover, it is not well known whether bioprosthesis or mechanical prosthesis is the best selection for artificial valve. We reviewed 72 cases of tricuspid valve replacements in 71 patients between January 1989 and December 1998, trying to analyze the overall results and risk factors for mortality and morbidity. Material and Method: Average age of the patients at the time of operation was 42$\pm$13 years(range 16 to 65 years) and the sex ratio of male versus female was 32/39. Primary diagnosis consisted of 50 cases of aquired valvular heart disease and 18 cases of congenital heart disease, such as Ebstein’s anomaly. 4 cases had isolated tricuspid valve regurgitation. Implanted valves were 69 mechanical prosthesis and 3 bioprosthesis. Concomitant mitral or aortic valve replacements were performed in 50 cases. One patient received concomittant pulmonary valve replacement. Result: There were 7(9.72%) operative deaths and 7(13.0%) late deaths. Actuarial survival at 10 years was 59.2$\pm$7.2%. Prosthetic tricuspid valve thrombosis occurred 11 times in 5 patients. Reoperation for prosthetic tricuspid valve failure was performed in 1 patient. In this case, examination of the explanted prostheses showed that the tricuspid stenosis was the result of valve thrombosis. Among the 47 survivors, 46 patients(98%) were in functional class I or II. Conclusion: In our ten-year experience of tricuspid valve replacement, mortality and morbidity were satisfactory. Mechanical prosthesis in tricuspid position showed comparable clinical results as bioprosthesis.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.30 no.2
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• pp.200-204
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• 1997

This is a report of a successful management of a patient with infective endocarditis involving native aortic valve, mitral valve, tricuspid valve, and Interventric lar septum. A 16 year-old patient who underwent VSD patch closure, and aortic valvuloplasty at the age of 1 1 years showed Intractable congestive heart failure during antibiotics treatment for infective endocarditis. Operative findings revealed that there were large defect along the previous patch, aortic regurgitation with multiple perforations and vegetations, mitral regurgitation with vegetation, aortic paraannular abscess, interventricular myocardial abscess, and tricuspid regurgitation with perforations and vegetations. We reconstructed the interventricular defect with Dacron patch extending to the aortic valve annulus after radical debridement of all infected or devitalized tissues, and could implant aortic valve by anchoring to the reconstructed Dacron patch. Mitral valve was replaced and tricuspid valve was repaired with patient's own pericardium. The patient was discharged after antibiotics treatment for 6 weeks and in good condition without any sequelae for 12 months.

• Journal of Veterinary Clinics
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• v.29 no.4
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• pp.348-351
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• 2012

A vaginal speculum examination of a 17-month-old Holstein heifer with a history of repeated artificial insemination (AI) failures via the cranial vagina revealed the presence of an intact hymen (imperforate hymen) beyond the external urethral orifice, which resembled the vaginal wall. An ultrasonographic examination detected hypoechoic fluid within the vaginal cavity between the intact hymen and the cervix, indicating the presence of hydrocolpos. After sedation and epidural anesthesia, the intact hymen was incised using a scalpel and scissors and removed, while the incised portions were sutured using a simple interrupted method. The heifer became pregnant after three consecutive estruses with the intervals of approximately 20 days and concomitant AIs. The heifer gave birth to a healthy male calf with no complications after a 291-day gestation period. This case reports the presence of an imperforate hymen with hydrocolpos in a Holstein heifer, followed by successful insemination, conception and delivery after removal of the imperforate hymen.

• Journal of Biomedical Engineering Research
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• v.19 no.1
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• pp.47-52
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• 1998

To develop the supplementary heart valve which could reduce the complications of prosthetic heart valve, in vitro experiments were performed to analyze the movement of the supplement valves from the view point of the flow dynamics and leaflet dynamics. The autologous pericardium was attached to deficient portion of the porcine valve which was dissected completely and partially. The pericardium was treated by buffered glutaraldehyde solution in the preshaped mould to preserve the shape of the leaflet. The function of the valves were evaluated in the mock circulatory system and three sets of experiment were performed. The instantaneous motion of the leaflet was pictured by the 35mm camera and the pressure drop through the valve and cardiac output were measured. The supplementary valve which was replaced completely performed better thatn the valve replaced partially. In vitro experiments showed that the supplementary valve which was replaced completely performed better than the valve replaced partially. In vitro experiments showed that the supplementary valve could undertake the prosthetic heart valve in clinic.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.31 no.3
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• pp.242-246
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• 1998

From January 1988 to December 1995, 27 patients, 11 men and 16 women, underwent surgical intervention at our institution for prosthetic valve dysfunctions. The mean age was 43.5$\pm$12.2 years. Seventeen(63.0%) patients had the mitral valve replacement, 8(29.6%) the aortic valve, 1(3.7%) the aortic composite graft, and 1(3.7%) the tricuspid valve. Mean follow-up period was 49.5$\pm$30.9 months. In 12 bioprostheses, mean interval between the previous valve replacement and the reoperation was 104.9$\pm$34.9 months. The causes of redo surgery were structural deterioration of the prosthetic valve (12/12, 100%), paravalvular leak (2/12, 16.7%), and prosthetic valve endocarditis(1/12, 8.3%). In 15 mechanical prostheses, the mean interval was 55.2$\pm$43.7 months. The causes of redo surgery were pannus formation (8/15, 53.3%), paravalvular leak(4/15, 26.7%), and valve thrombosis(3/15, 20.0%). Posto- perative complications occurred in 7 patients (25.9%). There was no intraoperative death. But one patient, who received mechanical aortic valve replacement died on the 3rd postoperative day due to low cardiac output and multiorgan failure.

• Proceedings of the KTCVS Conference
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• 1995.10a
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• pp.48-48
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• 1995

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.40 no.4 s.273
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• pp.297-300
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• 2007

Idiopathic hypereosinophilic syndrome is a rare systemic, leukoproliferative disorder characterized by eosinophilmediated tissue injury causing multiple organ failure, including the heart. Cardiac involvement occurs in more than 75% of patients with hypereosinophilic syndrome. Cardiac manifestations include subendocardial fibrosis, thrombus leading to peripheral emboli, restrictive cardiomyopathy, and valvular dysfunction. It is more common in men than in women (9 : 1), and trends to present between the ages of 20 and 50 years. Presentation in childhood is unusual. We report for the first time a case of a 58-year-old man with idiopathic hypereosinophilic syndrome manifested by prosthetic aortic valve dysfunction that was successfully treated by steroid and hydroxyurea therapy after surgical valvular replacement.