• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.42 no.1
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• pp.63-71
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• 2009

Background: The treatment of tracheal stenosis includes less invasive bronchoscopic intervention and more invasive segmental resection & anastomosis. Depending on the patient's clinical features, sometimes all these methods are inappropriate. Silicone T-tube stenting has recently been used as an alternative, safe management of tracheal stenosis. We studied the short term and Intermediate term results of using T-tubes in patients with tracheal stenosis, and this tracheal stenosis was caused by various underlying diseases. Material and Method: We retrospectively reviewed 57 patients with tracheal stenosis and who were treated with T-tubes between Jan 1997 and Apr 2007. Based on the patient's medical records and the imaging studies, we evaluated the clinical findings and status of T-tube removal. Result: There was no T-tube related morbidity or mortality in this series. On follow-up, one patient underwent sleeve resection and end-to-end anastomosis. The T-tube could be successfully removed from 13 patients (13/57, 22.8%) without additional interventions. For another four patients, a T-tube was again inserted after removal of the first T-tube due to tracheomalacia or recurrent stenosis. Four patients died of underlying disease and cancer. The patients' gender and previous tracheostomy significantly affected T-tube removal. By contrast, multiple logistic regression analysis identified gender as a predictor of successfully removing a T-tube. Gender (p=0.033) and previous tracheostomy (p=0.036) were the two factors for success or failure of T-tube removal. Conclusion: A T-tube provided reliable patency of a stenotic airway that was caused by any etiology. We have proven that using a T-tube is safe and effective therapy for patients with tracheal stenosis for the short term or the intermediate term.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.37 no.4
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• pp.322-327
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• 2004

Coronary artery bypass grafting on the beating heart is no longer a new methods for any cardiac surgeon. We evaluated the application of the off-pump coronary artery bypass procedure relative to safety and efficiency as measured by postoperative complication and operative mortality. Material and Method: We used our retrospective database to compare the patients having off-pump coronary surgery (n=100) with those having on-pump coronary surgery (n=100) between June, 1999 and August, 2002. Patients whom underwent associated valvular or aortic aneurysmal operation were excluded. Result: Neither groups showed any differences in the patient's risk factors and extent of coronary disease. Off-pump CABG group did not have significantly less mean operation time (295$\pm$73 min vs 323$\pm$83 min, p=ns) and mean hospital day (15.34$\pm$6.02 day vs 13.80$\pm$4.95 day, p=ns). However, off-pump CABG group had significantly shorter mean ventilation time (17.3$\pm$11.27 hour vs 24.98$\pm$16.1 hour, p＜0.05). No patients were converted to on-pump CABG in off-pump CABG. Intraoperative hemodynamic instability in off-pump CABG were 6 cases, of whom 2 cases were in lateral wall approach and 4 cases in right coronary anastomosis. Postoperative mortality was 1 case in off-pump CABG and 2 cases in on-pump CABG. Intra-aortic ballon pump (IABP) was applied in 1 case with off-pump CABG and in 2 cases with on-pump CABG. No patients presented postoperative cerebral infarction ＆ stroke in off-pump CABG but 2 patients in on-pump CABG. Postoperative arrhythmia presented in 4 cases with off-pump CABG and in 6 cases with on-pump CABG. Acute renal failure (ARF) was complicated in 3 cases with off-pump CABG and in 2 cases with on-pump CABG. Conclusion: This study documented the immediate safety and efficiency of the off-pump CABG procedure.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.40 no.3 s.272
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• pp.209-214
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• 2007

Background: Failed percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (PTCA) is occasionally required for emergency coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG). The aim of this study was to assess the outcome of patients receiving emergency CABG after failed PTCA. Material and Method: Between May 1988 and May 2005, 5712 patients underwent PTCA, where 84 (1.4%) failed. 27 patients underwent emergency CABG after failed PTCA. The mean age was $63.7{\pm}8.9\;(46{\sim}80)$ years, with 14 male patients (51.9%). Result: All patients underwent emergent surgical revascularization within 6 hours. 22 patients underwent conventional CABG and 5 underwent off-pump CABG. The causes of PTCA failure were coronary obstruction due to new thrombi formation during the procedure (n=4), coronary dissection (n=17), coronary artery rupture (n=3) and 3 due to other causes. The rate of in-hospital operative mortality after emergent operation was 18.5% (5/27). A univariate analysis revealed that patients who died more often had left anterior descending artery disease, a preprocedural shock status, postoperative use of multiple isotropics and postoperative use of intra-aortic balloon pump. The mean follow up duration was $53.6{\pm}63.4$ months. Conclusion: Although PTCA is known to be life saving, there is still a high risk for morbidity and mortality following emergency CABG after failed PTCA, despite the advancement in PTCA techniques. This result will help identify and more effectively treat patients selected for PTCA when emergency CABG is required.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.60 no.1
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• pp.65-71
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• 2006

Background : Hemoptysis, when massive and untreated, has a mortality rate of over 50 percents, is considered as one of most dreaded of all respiratory emergencies and can have a variety of underlying causes. Bronchial artery embolization (BAE) has become an established procedure in the management of massive and recurrent hemoptysis, and its efficacy is widely documented thereafter by number of articles. However, the long-term success rate of BAE is known to be unfavorable. Risk factors influencing that control failure are inevitably needed. Materials and methods : Seventy-five patients underwent bronchial artery embolization due to massive hemoptysis in Severance Hospital from Jan. 2000 to Jan. 2005. Nine patients' data were not available and could not be contacted with. Finally 66 patients' (48 males, 18 females) medical records were analyzed retrospectively during a mean follow up period of 20.4 months (ranging from 1 month to 54 months). Results : Among 66 patients whose data were available, 23(34.9%) patients had recurrent major hemoptysis. Patients' age, sex, underlying disease, previous intervention history, and number of feeding vessels had no statistical validity as risk factors of recurred major hemoptysis. But bilaterality of lesion, amount of hemoptysis, and pleural thickening were revealed as meaningful factors for predicting relapse (p = 0.008, 0.018, and 0.001, respectively). Conclusion : According to our series, patients presenting with larger amount of hemoptysis, pleural thickening of chest radiography and bilateral lesion are associated with increased risk of major hemoptysis in patients treated with BAE.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.32 no.9
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• pp.781-789
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• 1999

Background: Pulmonary artery banding(PAB) accompanies some risks in the aspect of band complications and mortality in the second-stage operation. To assess these risks of the second-stage operation after PAB, we reviewed the surgical results of the second-stage operation in the pediatric patients who had undergone PAB in infancy. Material and Method: From May 1988 to June 1997, a total of 29 patients with preliminary PAB underwent open heart surgery. Ages ranged from 2 to 45 months(mean 20.6$\pm$9.0 months). Preoperative congestive heart failure conditions were improved after PAB(elective operation group) in 27 patients, but early second-stage procedures were required in the remaining 2 patients due to sustaining congestive heart failure(early operation group). Preoperative surgical indications included 2 double outlet right ventricles(DORV group) and 27 ventricular septal defects as the main cardiac anomaly(VSD group). Result: The mean time interval from PAB to the second-stage operation was 15.5$\pm$8.7 months(range 5 days to 45 months). One patient in the DORV group underwent intraventricular tunnel repair and modified Glenn procedure in the other. In the VSD group, the VSD was closed with a Dacron patch in all patients. Concomitant procedures included a right ventricular infundibulectomy in 4 patients and a valvectomy of the dysplastic pulmonary valve in 1 patient. At the second-stage operations, pulmonary angioplasty was required due to the stenotic banding sites in 18 patients. One patient underwent complete ligation of the main pulmonary artery with the modified Glenn procedure. The mortality at the second-stage operation was 17.2%(5 patients). Causes of death were 4 low cardiac output, and 1 autoimmune hemolytic anemia. Diagnosis with DORV and the early operative group were the risk factors for operative death in this series. There was 1 late death. Conclusion: This study revealed the second-stage operation for pulmonary artery debanding and closure of VSD in children was complicated by the correction of the acquired lesions with a significantly high incidence of morbidity and early postoperative deaths. Primary repair is recommended for isolated VSD, if possible.

• Journal of radiological science and technology
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• v.30 no.3
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• pp.205-212
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• 2007

To evaluate the feasibility and efficacy of a pulsatile aortic aneurysm phantoms for in-vitro study. The phantoms consisted of a pulsating motor part(heart part) and an aortic aneurysm part, which mimicked true physiologic conditions. The heart part was created from a high-pressured water pump and a pulsatile flow solenoid valve for the simulation of aortic flow. The aortic aneurysm part was manufactured from paper clay, which was placed inside a acrylic plastic square box, where liquid silicone was poured. After the silicone was formed, the clay was removed, and a silicone tube was used to connect the heart and aneurysm part. We measured the change in pressure as related to the opening time(pulse rate, Kruskal-Wallis method) and pressure before and after the stent-graft implantation(n = 5, Wilcoxon's signed ranks test). The changes in blood pressures according to pulse rate were all statistically significant(p<0.05). The systolic/diastolic pressures at the proximal aorta, the aortic aneurysm, and the distal aorta of the model were $157.80{\pm}1.92/130.20{\pm}1.92$, $159.40{\pm}1.14/134.00{\pm}2.92$, and $147.20{\pm}1.480/129.60{\pm}2.70\;mmHg$, respectively, when the pulse rate was 0.5 beat/second. The pressures changed to $161.40{\pm}1.34/90.20{\pm}1.64$, $175.00{\pm}1.58/93.00{\pm}1.58$, and $176.80{\pm}1.48/90.80{\pm}1.92\;mmHg$, respectively, when the pulse rate was 1.0 beat/second, and $159.40{\pm}1.82/127.20{\pm}1.48$, $166.60{\pm}1.67/138.00{\pm}1.87$, and $161.00{\pm}1.22/135.40{\pm}1.67\;mmHg$, respectively, when it was 1.5 beat/second. When pulse rate was set at 1.0 beat/second, the pressures were $143.60{\pm}1.67/90.20{\pm}1.64$, $147.20{\pm}1.92/84.60{\pm}1.82$, and $137.40{\pm}1.52/88.80{\pm}1.64\;mmHg$ after stent-graft implantation. The changes of pressure before and after stent-graft implantation were statistically significant(p<0.05) except the diastolic pressures at the proximal(p =1.00) and distal aorta(p=0.157). The aortic aneurysm phantoms seems to be useful for the evaluation of the efficacy of stent-graft before animal or clinical studies because of its easy reproducibility and ability to display a wide range of pressures.