• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.35 no.11
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• pp.831-834
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• 2002

When any part of the pacemaker system is infected, all pacemaker hardware should be removed, because reinfection rates of 51% to 77% have been noted in patients whose infected pacemaker system has been only partially explanted. The removal of infected leads during cardiopulmonary bypass prevents mechanical injury as well as the spread of infection and vegetation. We report one case of endocarditis by staphylococcus aureus with infected transvenous pacing lead which was migrated into the heart from the left subclavian vein. We removed the migrated pacing lead and vegetation under cardiopulmonary bypass.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.35 no.2
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• pp.166-169
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• 2002

Poststernotomy mediastinitis is a rare but potentially life-threatening complication of cardiac surgery. Up to present, poststernotomy wound infection has been treated by closure of wound directly or by use of myocutaneous flaps after irrigation and debridement of wound. We describe a new treatment of poststemotomy wound infection by using the vacuum-assisted closure technique. This technique was successfully applied in 3 patients with poststernotomy wound infection and mediastinitis, and a healed sternotomy wound could be achieved using this new technique.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.34 no.6
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• pp.490-493
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• 2001

A 17 year-old high school girl was admitted for anterior chest pain. Pulmonary edema and circulatory collapse progressed in spite of the medical treatment and intra-aortic balloon pump. Left ventricular assist device(LVAD, Bio-Pump, Medtronic Bio-Med, USA) was instituted under the impression of acute fulminant myocarditis. The inlet cannula was inserted in the left atrium(LA) via left submammary anterior thoracotomy. Biopsy was taken from left atrial appendage. The outlet cannula inserted to the left femoral artery using PTFE cuff. After 158 hours of extracorporeal circulation, LVAD was able to be weaned successfully with nearly normalized LV motion on echocardiogram, Coxsakievirus was identified with immunochemistry and serum neutralization test. She was discharged without any heart failure symptoms after 23 days of hopitalization.

• Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology & Nutrition
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• v.14 no.2
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• pp.155-160
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• 2011

Purpose: This study was performed to evaluate the role of colonoscopy in children with hematochezia. Methods: We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of 277 children who underwent colonoscopy because of hematochezia between January, 2003 and July, 2010. Results: The mean age of the patients was $6.0{\pm}4.4$ (7 days~17.8 years) years. The male to female ratio was 2.2:1. The duration between the 1st episode of hematochezia and colonoscopy was $4.9{\pm}12.1$ months. Characteristics of hematochezia included red stool (65.1%), blood on wipe (12.8%), bloody toilet (11.9%), and blood dripping (10.2%). The most proximal region of colonoscopic approach was terminal ileum (84.5%), cecum (9.5%), hepatic flexure (2.8%), and splenic flexure (3.2%). Eighty five patients (30.6%) had no specific abnormal findings. Major causes of hematochezia were polyp (26.4%), food protein induced proctocolitis (6.9%), infectious colitis (5.4%), lymphofolliculitis (5.7%), non specific colitis (5.7%), and vascular ectasia (5.1%). The hemorrhagic sites included the rectum (24.0%), rectosigmoid junction (18.1%), sigmoid colon (13.5%), ascending colon (14.2%), transverse colon (11.3%), descending colon (7.8%), cecum (8.1%), and terminal ileum (3.1%). The recurrence rate of hematochezia after colonoscopy was 19.1%. Colonoscopy was performed in 262 patients (94.6%) with conscious sedation. Endoscopic hemostasis was performed in 5 patients. Complications of colonoscopy or sedation were not found. Conclusion: The causes and lesional localization of pediatric hematochezia were diverse. Colonoscopy has an important role in the diagnosis and treatment of hematochezia in children. Total colonoscopy is recommended to detect the cause of hematochezia.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.30 no.2
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• pp.158-163
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• 1997

From July 1994 to August 1995, 32 patients underwent coronary artery bypass surgery. There were 14 men and 18 women. The mean age was 59 years (range from 37 to 81 years). Preoperatively 26 patients had unstable angina pectoris and 6 patients had stable angina pectoris. Nine patients had previous myocardial infarction hi tory. Five patients had preoperative left ventricular ejection fraction of 40% or less, The involved risk factors were as follows ; smoking 19 cases, hypertension 16 cases, hypercholesterolemia 14 cases, diabetes mellitus 6 cases, and obesity 3 cases.21 patients had three-vessel disease, 7 patients had two-vessel disease, 2 patients had one-vessel disease and 2 patients had left main coronary artery disease. We performed 103 distal bypasses out of 32 cases, and the mean number of grafts per patients is 3.22. We used arterial grafts (left internal mammary artery,)1, radial artery; 2) in 32% of total grafts. Postoperative complications were low cardiac output, perioperative myocardial infarction, respiratory failure and atrial fibrillation, etc. Early mortality was 6.25% (2/32). The causes of deaths were low cardiac output (1), and perioperative myocardial infarction(1).

• KSBB Journal
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• v.22 no.4
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• pp.249-254
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• 2007

Anti-angiogenesis and anti-cell adhesion effects were investigated with different dose of Camellia japonica leaf (CJL) extract for applying anti-cancer, anti-metastasis and anti-obesity. Cytotoxicity on HUVECs was very low at 200 ug/mL of CJL-extract. Anti-angiogenic ratio at increasing dose of 1.5 ug/mL, 3.0 ug/mL, 15 ug/mL and 30 ug/mL was showed 30.7%, 38.5%, 53.8%, and 70.0%, respectively. Also, anti-cell adhesion effect at concentration of $50{\mu}g{/well},\;100{\mu}g{/well}\;and\;200{\mu}g{/well}$ was expressed on E-selectin by 46.7%, 66.7%, and 86.76%, on VCAM-1, 23.0%, 61.5%, and 84.6%, and on ICAM-1, 11%, 55.5%, and 88.8%, respectively. For inquiring anti-angiogenesis mechanism, when western blot was performed with different dose of CJL extract, signal molecules of VEGFR-2, $\beta$-catenin and PI3-K were suppressed. As the signal transduction from VEGFR-2, $\beta$-catenin and PI3-K to NF-${\kappa}$B was interupted, angiogenesis could not be occurred causing not activated NF-kB. C. japonica leaf (CJL) is a useful herb for developing therapeutics of angiogenesis related diseases such as cancer, metastasis, rheumathioid arthritis and obesity.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.36 no.10
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• pp.780-783
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• 2003

Pacemaker lead-related infective endocarditis is an uncommon, but serious complication. We report a case of a 45-year-old man who had symptom of intermittent high fever and rupture of sinus Valsalva that developed after a redo aortic valve replacement and transvenous permanent pacemaker implantation. Positive blood cultures of streptococcus viridans and transesophageal echocardiography showing a large mobile vegetation on pacemaker lead and tricuspid valve lead to the diagnosis of pacemaker lead-related infective endocarditis. Initial antibiotic therapy followed by surgical extraction of the pacemaker lead and wide debridement of infective tissues including multiple vegetations was required. Postoperative antibiotic therapy was continued for 4 weeks. The postoperative course has been uneventful. The patient is totally asymptomatic and is doing well up to now.

• Childhood Kidney Diseases
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• v.1 no.2
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• pp.101-108
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• 1997

Purpose : The clinical characteristics of renovascular hypertension (RVHT) in children were analyzed. Methods : Medical records of 16 children diagnosed as RVHT on the basis of angiography during Jan. '86 to Jun. 94 in our hospital were reviewed retrospectively. Results : The mean age at the onset was 8.5 yrs and the sex ratio(M:F) was 7:9. The causes of RVHT were Takayasu arteritis in 6, Moyamoya disease in 5, and fibromuscular dysplasia in 3 patients. Abdominal bruit was noted in 6 patients (38%). Peripheral renin activity was raised in all tested patients. Bilateral renal arterial involvemnent was found in 9 patients (56%). Captopril renal scans showed good correlation with angiographic findings. Five patients were treated with antihypertensives only, and blood pressure was controlled completely in 2 and incompletely in 3. Percutaneous transluminal angioplasty was performed in 10 patients with 50% of success rate. However, hypertension was recurred due to restenosis or accompaning aortic stenosis in 3 patients. Surgical treatment was performed in 4 patients, and the blood pressure was controlled partially in 1 and poorly in the remaining 3. Conclusions : Takayasu arteritis, Moyamoya disease and fibromuscular dysplasia are the major causes of childhood RVHT in our country. The diagnosis of RVHT in children should be based on a set of tests individually selected for case by case. For the low curability of the current treatment modalities available, RVHT in children should not be regarded as 'curable' so far. We expect, however, that the outcome will be improved by more extensive application of the newly developed surgical technique.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.42 no.2
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• pp.220-225
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• 2009

Background: Sternoclavicular septic arthritis manifests serious complications such as abscess, osteomyelitis, mediastinitis and empyema; therefore, a prompt diagnosis and appropriate treatment are necessary. Material and Method: The treatment results of eight patients with sternoclavicular septic arthritis and who had been surgically treated at our institutions between September 2005 and July 2008 were retrospectively reviewed. The surgical treatment they underwent was en bloc resection, including partial resection of the sternum, the clavicular head and the 1st rib. Result: The patients ranged in age from 40 to 74 years with an average of $55.1{\pm}10.3$ years. Five were men and three were women. There were 6 patients with spontaneous sternoclavicular septic arthritis and 2 patients had their condition induced by central venous catheters. The pathogens isolated from the patients’ blood and wounds were MRSA (3), Streptococcus intermedius (1), Streptococcus agalactiae (1) and Pseudomonas luteola (1). One patient expired from aggravation of preoperative sepsis on POD 31. Conclusion: The life-threatening complications from sternoclavicular septic arthritis can progress and lead to death unless appropriate treatment is administered. A prompt diagnosis, appropriate antibiotics therapy and effective surgical treatment such as radical en bloc resection can reduce the morbidity and mortality of this malady.

• 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.