• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.37 no.8
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• pp.672-683
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• 2004

Background: The treatment results of the advanced lung carcinoma is not satisfactory with the present therapeutic modalities: surgical resection, anti-cancer chemotherapy, and radiotherapy or combination therapy. To predict the prognosis of the non-small-cell lung carcinoma, TNM classification has been was as the basic categorization; however, it has been not satisfactory. It is necessary to consider the causes and the prognosis of the lung carcinoma from another points of view rather the conventional methods. We intended to find out the relationship between the major apoptotic factor, p53 gene and the prognosis of the patient with lung carcinoma. Material and Method: Three hundreds and fifty-nine patients with lung carcinoma who underwent surgery were analysed. We observed p53 protein accumulated in the cellular nuclei. The p53 protein was detected by immuno-histo-chemical method. We collected information of the patient retrospectively. Result: p53 protein densities were observed in 40% in average as a whole. The protein density was 44 percent in man, 25 percent in woman, 49 percent in the squamous cell carcinoma, and 38 percent in the adenocarcinoma. There were significant correlations between the p53 protein density and the mortality in the squamous cell carcinoma (p=0.025), follow-up duration in TNM stage I group (p=0.010), and follow-up duration in the lobectomy patient group (p=0.043), and tumor cell differentiation (p=0.009). p53 protein densities were significantly different between the lobectomy and the pneumonectomy group (p=0.044). Conclusion: The authors found that p53 protein had some correlations with the prognosis of the lung cancer partially in some factors. We suggest the p53 protein density could be used as a marker of prognosis in the non-small-cell lung carcinoma.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.37 no.4
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• pp.313-321
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• 2004

Excellent clinical results of the arterial switch operation and the limited availablity of the intraventricular rerouting has recently made an arterial switch operation to become the therapeutic method of choice for the repair of double-outlet right ventricle (DORV) with subpulmonary ventricular septal defect (VSD). The early and midterm outcomes of arterial switch operation for this anomaly were evaluated. Material and Method: Between August 1994 and July 2002, 13 patients underwent an arterial switch operation for the correction of double-outlet right ventricle with subpulmonary VSD at Dong-A university hospital.. The 50% rule was used to define DORV. Median age and mean body weight were 27 days (range, 3-120 days) and 3.8$\pm$0.7kg (range, 2.92-5.3kg) respectively. Aortic arch anomalies were associated in 6 cases (46.2%), which were all repaired through one-stage operation. The relationship of the great arteries were side-by-side in 8 cases (61.5%) and anteroposterior in 5 (38.5%). Coronary artery patterns were 1 LCx-2R in 6 cases, retropulmonary left coronary artery (LCA) in 6, and intramural LCA in 1 respectively. The enlargement of VSD was required in 1 patient and the patch enlargement of right ventricular outflow tract was performed in another one patient. The Lecompte maneuver was used in all but 3 patients with a side by side relationship of the great arteries. Result: Overall postoperative hospital mortality was 23.1 % (3/13). All operative deaths were occurred in the patients with aortic arch anomalies. There was one late death related to the postoperative complication of the central nerve system during the mean follow-up of 41.3$\pm$30.7 months. Pulmonary valvar stenosis (＞30mmHg of pressure gradient) developed in 1 patient (10%) and left pulmonary artery stenosis in 2 (20%), among them, one required reoperation 52 months after repair. There was an asymptomatic patient with moderate aortic regurgitation. 5-year survival rate including operative deaths was 68.3%. Conclusion: Although the operative mortality is high in the patients with aortic arch anomaly, the arterial switch operation for DORV with supbpulmonary VSD can be performed with low operative mortality and low reoperation rate in the patients Without arch anomaly. The arterial switch operation can be considered a good option for this complex anomaly.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.35 no.11
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• pp.779-784
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• 2002

Recently, the number of coronary artery bypass surgery(CABG) is increasing according to the increasing incidence of coronary artery disease. However, CABG is not a definite corrective surgery; therefore, in some patients, redo-CABG may be required. We retrospectively reviewed our redo-CABG experiences to help future redo-CABG. Material and Method: From January 1991 to April 2001, 14 cases of redo-CABG were performed in Yonsei Cardiovascular Center(M:F＝12:2) and mean age was 61,7 $\pm$ 7.1(47-72) years. Mean time from 1st. CABG to redo-CABG was 121.9 $\pm$ 50.5(6.1-179.6) months. Thirteen cases were conventional on-pump CABG and one case was off-pump CABG. In two patients, mitral valve re-replacement and mitral valve repair were performed each. All redo-CABG were performed through mid-sternotomy. During redo-CABG, left internal mammary artery and saphenous vein grafts were used in 6 patients, left internal mammary artery and left radial artery grafts were used in 2 patients, left internal mammary artery and gastroepiploic artery were used in one patient and only greater saphenous veins were used in 5 cases(In one case, cephalic vein was also used). The number of mean distal anastomosis was 2.1 $\pm$ 0.9(1-4). Result: There were no operative death and no perioperative myocardial infarctions and cerebrovascular accidents or other heart related complications. Mean follow up duration was 40.1 $\pm$ 38.6(1.1-118.5) months. During follow up period, angina was re-developed in one patient 13 months after operation. Two patients died of end-stage renal failure 14.8 months and 116.3 months after redo-CABG, respectively. During follow up period, coronary angiography was performed in 3 patients, and all grafts were patent. At last follow up, mean Canadian class was 1.3. Kaplan-Meier survival at 9 years was 90.0 $\pm$ 9.5% and event free survival at 9 years was 71.4 $\pm$ 6.9%. Conclusion: After redo-CABG, all patients improved their angina symptom and daily activity. And long-term survival after redo-CABG was excellent. Therefore, if patients have indications for redo-CABG, thenredo-CABG must be strongly recommended and performed.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.30 no.3
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• pp.287-292
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• 1997

.Itrial fibrillation is one of the most common cardiac arrhythmias requiring treatment. About 60% of patients with mitral valvular disease have atrial fibrillation and one third of patients with atrial fibrillation may have the past history of thromboembolic events. Between April 1994 and June 1995, 20 patients with organic heart diseases combined with atrial fibrillation underwent open heart surgery including Cox-maze 111 procedure. There were 6 men and 14 women with an average age of 48 years (range, 31 to 66 years). Nineteen patients had valvular heart diseases and 1 ventricular septal defEct (VSD). Mean duration of atrial fibrillation was 36 months (:42 months) (range, 1 to 132 months). T e past medical history of thromboembolic events was positive in 7 patients (35%) and left atrial thrombus was detected in 9 patients (45%). The concomitant procedures were mitral valve replacement (MVR) and aortic valve replacement (AVR) in 5 patients, MVR in 4, MVd and tricuspid annuloplasty(TAP) in 4, mitral valvuloplasty(Mln) in 3, Mln and Tln in 1, MIW and coronary artery bypass surgery in 1, AVR in 1, and patch closure of VSD in 1. Mean aortic cross-clamping time was 175 minutes (range, 116 to 270 minutes). Atrial fibrillation recurred in 16 patients (80%) during the early postoperative period, but, recurrent atrial fibrillation was converted to regular rhythm at postoperative forty-first day in average. There was no early or late death in this series of 20 patients and postoperative complications were inappropriate tachycardia in 5 patients (25%), low cardiac output syndrome in 3 (15%), aggravated hemiplegic in 1, and acute renal failure in 1. Mean follow-up interval of patient was 16.5 months (range, 10.5 to 24 months) and all patients are currently in regular rhythm. Seventeen patients (85%) are in sinus rhythm and 3 (15%) in junctional rhythm. Right atrial contraction was detected in 95% of patients and left atrial contraction in 63% on postoperative transthoracic echocardiogram. The surgical treatment of atrial fibrillation concomitant with open heart surgery is warranted in the recent clinical setting of improved myocardial protection technique, considering the untoward side-effects of atrial fibrillation.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.40 no.12
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• pp.855-858
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• 2007

A left ventricular rupture might be one of the most disastrous complications after a mitral valve replacement. An acute atrioventricular groove rupture (type I) was detected in a 54-year-old female diagnosed with a mitral stenosis combined with severe tricuspid regurgitation. She had a prior medical history of an open mitral commissurotomy in Japan at 30 years ago. The surgical findings suggested that the previous procedure was not a simple commissurotomy but a commissurotomy combined with a posteromedial annuloplasty procedure. After a successful mitral valve replacement and a measured (De Vega type) tricuspid annuloplasty, the weaning from a cardiopulmonary bypass was uneventful. However, copious intraoperative bleeding from the posterior wall was detected and the cardiopulmonary bypass was restarted. Exposure of the posterior wall of the left ventricle showed bleeding from the atrioventricular groove 3 cm lateral to the left atrial auricle. Under the impression of a Type I left ventricular rupture, epicardial repair (primary repair of the Teflon felt pledgetted suture, continuous sealing suture using auto-pericardial patch and application of fibrin-sealant) was attempted. Successful local control was made and the patient recovered uneventfully. The patient was discharged at 14 postoperative days without complications. We report this successful epicardial repair of an acute type I left ventricular rupture after mitral valve replacement.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.40 no.5 s.274
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• pp.341-350
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• 2007

Background: We present here the early and midterm surgical results for infective endocarditis and we especially focus on the effect of aggressive reconstruction or root implantation after wide debridement. Material and Method: Between January 1995 and Jun 2006, we enrolled 79 adult infective endocarditis patients who underwent surgical treatment. There were 63 and 16 native and prosthetic valve endocarditis cases, respectively. They included 27 cases of culture negative endocarditis. With performing valve replacement or repair, 28 of the patient underwent a more aggressive surgical option, for example, aortic root replacement or reconstruction, or heart base reconstruction etc. Result: There were statistical relationships between the in-hospital mortality and staphylococcal infection, urgent-based operation and operation during the active phase of endocarditis. Wide debridement and aggressive reconstruction were not related to either the post operative mortality or the early morbidity. Culture negative endocarditis was not related to the postoperative mortality and morbidity. Conclusion: Physicians must pay attention to patients' medical treatment during the preoperative period of the infective endocarditis. If surgery is considered for treating infective endocarditis, it should be performed before the downhill course of the disease so that the surgical outcome is improved. Wide debridement and more aggressive reconstruction are also warranted.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.29 no.6
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• pp.639-645
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• 1996

A 14-year-old male patient with previous surgical repair of tetralogy of Fallot was admitted with hemodynamically significant ventricular tachycardia (VT). On preoperative electrophysiologic study (EPS), the morphology of documented VT was RBBB of vertical axis with 320 msec cycle length. The endocardial mapping during VT delineated the origin of VT at right ventricular outflow tract (RVOT), where the patch was attached. The clinical VT had a clockwise reentry circuit around the patch with the earliest activation at the same site seen during the preoperative EPS. The previously placed right ventricular outflow patch and fibrous tissue were removed. During a postoperative EPS, it was no longer possible to induce the VT. Ventricular tachycardia following repair of tetralogy of Fallot seen in this patient was caused by a macro-reentry around the right ventricular outflow patch. We were able to ablate the VT with the aid of a detailed mapping of its epicardial activation sequence.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.40 no.2 s.271
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• pp.83-89
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• 2007

Background: The surgical repair of an isolated coarctation of the aorta, without complex cardiac anomalies, has improved, with very good results. However, despite the success of surgical repair, many long-term complications, such as hypertension, re-coarctation and an aortic aneurysm, still exist. Material and Method: Between 1991 and 2006, 50 patients diagnosed with an isolated coarctation of the aorta were reviewed retrospectively. The incidence of re-coarctation and hypertension were compared with respect to age and surgical methods. Result: There were no early & late mortality, or post operative aortic aneurysms. Hypertension developed in 11 patients (22%). A greater number of patients in the child/adult group had hypertension (52.4%) than in the neonate/infant group (0%). With respect to the surgical methods, the patients in the graft interposition group suffered more hypertension (88.9%) than those in the EEEA (extended end to end anastomosis) group (5.3%). Post operative re-coarctation developed in 2 out of the 29 patients (6.9%) in the neonate/infant group and 2 out of the 21 patients (9.5%) in the child/adult group, but without any statistical difference. There were no statistical differences between the operative type-related groups. Conclusion: Even though the surgical outcomes have greatly improved, an isolated coarctation of the aorta still has many long-term problems, such as hypertension and re-coarctation. An isolated coarctation is accepted as a systemic vascular dysfunction, and often progresses to other cardiovascular diseases. Therefore, patients with a coarctation of the aorta have to be carefully followed-up, and aggressive management must be given when required.

• 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.

• Maxillofacial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery
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• v.28 no.6
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• pp.499-510
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• 2006

Malignant tumors of the human salivary glands may arise from major or minor salivary glands. Adenoid cystic carcinoma (ACC) is the second most common malignant neoplasm in the salivary glands. ACC is occasionally highly aggressive tumor that readily invades adjacent tissues and metastasize to distant organs at early stages of the disease. Although ACC tends to grow slowly, treatment outcome may be poor due to wide local infiltration, perineural or intraneural spread and a propensity for hematogenous metastasis. Therefore, knowledge of cellular and molecular characteristics that influence the growth, survival and metastasis of tumor cells, is important for new treatment strategies of salivary ACC. I determined expressions of epiderma growth factor (EGF)-signaling molecules using surgical specimens of human ACCs. Protein expressions of EGF, transforming growth $factor(TGF)-{\alpha}$, EGF receptor (EGFR), phosphorylated EGFR (pEGFR), and human EGF receptor (HER)-2 were assessed in 18 cases of salivary ACC by immunohistochemical staining. Adjacent normal salivary tissues and mucosal tissues, uninvolved by the malignant tumor, served as internal controls. Most of the tumors, especially ACC with a tubulocribriform pattern, were positive for EGF signaling molecules. The overall percentages of the 18 specimens expressing EGF, $TGF-{\alpha}$, EGFR, pEGFR, and HER2 were 50, 89, 61, 61 and 83% respectively. Moreover, tumor-associated endothelial cells and infiltrating immune-related cells in the stroma of ACC, also expressed these biomarkers. Taken together, EGF-signaling molecules are actively expressed in salivary ACC. Therefore, we suggest that these biomarkers can be molecular targets for new treatment strategies of salivary tumors.