• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.48 no.5
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• pp.359-363
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• 2015

The comprehensive aortic root and valve reconstruction (CARVAR) technique comprises two main procedures, which are aortic root reduction using prosthetic rings and neo-leaflet reconstruction using a pericardial patch. Although concerns about durability of the pericardial neo-leaflet have been raised in the CARVAR technique, complications related to leaflet reconstruction have not been reported to date. The present report describes two cases of complications associated with leaflet reconstruction. After resecting the reconstructed leaflets, aortic valve replacement was performed in the patients. Careful and close follow-up is required for patients who had undergone CARVAR surgery, and aortic valve surgery should be performed in a timely manner if needed.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.19 no.1
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• pp.92-100
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• 1986

Results of reoperation for tissue valve failure were presented with review of current knowledge. Through January 1986, 19 patients required reoperation: 18 had undergone mitral, 2 aortic, and 1 tricuspid valve. Primary tissue failure was the main cause of tissue valve failure: it occurred in 18 valves [15 mitral, 2 aortic, and 1 tricuspid] at a mean postoperative interval of 54-25 months [range 29-120]. During the same period, 2 patients required reoperation for prosthetic valve endocarditis, 1 for paravalvular leakage. The types of valves failed were 12 lonescu-Shiley valves, 5 Hancock valves, and 1 Carpentier-Edwards valve. All 6 patients younger than 15 years of age at first operation had been implanted with lonescu-Shiley valves and failed after a mean interval of 35 months. In contrast, 11 patients older than 15 years had been implanted with 5 Hancock, 6 lonescu-Shiley, and 1 Carpentier-Edwards valve initially, and eventually failed after mean intervals of 81, 53, 47 months each other. The kinds of valves used at reoperation were 8 lonescu-Shiley, 4 Bjork-Shiley, and 6 St. Jude Medical valves for primary tissue failure cases and 3 lonescu-Shiley valves for the other 3 cases. Overall mortality at reoperation was 10%: 5.6% for primary tissue failure, 50% for prosthetic valve endocarditis. In 15 cases [all mitral] primary tissue failure were caused by calcification associated with or without leaflet destruction or fibrous ingrowth, and in 2 cases [all aortic] caused by cusp perforation and tearing without any evidence of calcification. In conclusion: 1 primary tissue failure is the main cause of reoperation in patients with tissue valve failure; 2. the majority of the failed valves is in mitral position; 3. leaflet calcification is the leading pathology of primary tissue failure; 4, reoperation for tissue valve failure may be a major concern, although the mortality is low; 5. the limited durability of tissue valve suggests its use be restricted to selected cases.

• Journal of Biomedical Engineering Research
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• v.29 no.2
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• pp.151-158
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• 2008

To evaluate aortic wall stiffness without influence of different background blood pressure, a new technique was developed and verified. At eight swine descending aortae, volume-pressure measurement was performed using custom-made system. Based on averaged pressure-volume curve, aortic distensibility index was formulated to evaluate aortic wall stiffness regardless of variable blood pressure and aortic size. The variability of aortic distensibility index by pressure change was compared with other parameters for wall stiffness evaluation. Subsequently, the aortic distensibility index was calculated at 100 contrast-enhanced EBCT data sets of normal volunteers in regular health screening program. The measured aortic distensibility index was compared with age, coronary calcium score, and aortic calcium score. Between 50 and 360 mmHg of blood pressure, the coefficient of variance of aortic distensibility index was 22.00% as comparing with 88.99% of classical compliance. Based on age, aortic distensibility index showed correlation coefficient of 0.55, whereas classical compliance showed 0.26. The correlation coefficient with modified aortic calcification was 0.43. Linear regression study revealed statistical significance of correlation coefficients. The aortic distensibility index, the method to evaluate aortic wall stiffness free from variable blood pressure and aortic size, was developed and verified with significant practical feasibility.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.30 no.8
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• pp.819-822
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• 1997

Aortic valve replacement with aortic allograft has been considered a treatment of choice for aortic valve disease secondary to bacterial endocarditis because of its good homodynamic performance and higher resistance to infection. The aortic root replacement technique might be superior to the subcoronary allograft implantation technique with regard to aortic regurgitation. A 46 yea,rs old male patient had acute aortic regurgitation with progressing heart failure secondary to acute bacterial endocarditis. The patient underwent emergent aortic root replacement using 20 mm aortic allograft. At operation, right coronary cusp perforation and heavy calcification of commissure between right and left coronary cusp were observed. The patient recovered well and postoperative echocardiography demonstrated no aortic regurgitation. Inflammatory signs were subsided after 8 weeks of antibiotics therapy. Medically uncontrolled acute bacterial endocarditis was treated successfully by aortic root replacement using aortic homograft.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
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• v.19 no.2
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• pp.111-118
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• 2015

Osteoprotegerin (OPG), receptor activator of NF-${\kappa}B$ ligand (RANKL)/receptor activator of NF-${\kappa}B$ (RANK) axis, and TNF-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL) participate in vascular calcification process including atherosclerosis, but their contributions under high glucose (HG) and phosphate (HP) condition for a long-term period (more than 2 weeks) have not been fully determined. In this study, we evaluated the effects of HG and HP levels over 2 or 4 weeks on the progression of vascular calcification in rat vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs). Calcium deposition in VSMCs was increased in medium containing HG (30 mmol/L D-glucose) with ${\beta}$-glycerophosphate (${\beta}$-GP, 12 mmol/L) after 2 weeks and increased further after 4 weeks. OPG mRNA and protein expressions were unchanged in HG group with or without ${\beta}$-GP after 2 weeks. However, after 4 weeks, OPG mRNA and protein expressions were significantly lower in HG group with ${\beta}$-GP. No significant expression changes were observed in RANKL, RANK, or TRAIL during the experiment. After 4 weeks of treatment in HG group containing ${\beta}$-GP and rhBMP-7, an inhibitor of vascular calcification, OPG expressions were maintained. Furthermore, mRNA expression of alkaline phosphatase (ALP), a marker of vascular mineralization, was lower in the presence of rhBMP-7. These results suggest that low OPG levels after long term HG and phosphate stimulation might reduce the binding of OPG to RANKL and TRAIL, and these changes could increase osteo-inductive VSMC differentiation, especially vascular mineralization reflected by increased ALP activity during vascular calcification.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.26 no.9
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• pp.667-676
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• 1993

Boprosthetic cardiac valves fail from biological and metabolic as well as mechanical reasons, and the limited durability is the main factor of marked withdrawal in their clinical use. Starting the use of bioprosthetic valves in 1976, up to the end of 1992, the consecutive 178 patients have undergone re-replacement of glutaraldehyde-treated xenograft valves for primary tissue failure [PTF]among the patients who had initial valve replacement at Seoul national University Hospital. The explanted valves were 69 porcine aortic [51 Hancock, 12 Angell-Shiley and 6 Carentier-Edwards] and 141 bovine pericardial [129 standard-profile and 12 low-profile ionescu-Shiley] valwes, with an overall incidence of PTF of 15.2%. The operative mortality rate of re-replacement was 5.1%. Calcific degeneration and tissue damage in relation to calcification were the most frequent modes of PTF on gross examinatin of the explanted valves resulting hemodynamically in valvular regurgitation. The number of Hancocg porcine and the standard-profile Ionescu-Shiley valves in valves in mitral position failed more often from tissue damage [tears, holes, and loss or destruction of cuspal tissue] than calcification [68.3% vs. 39.0%, p<0.01] with resultant regurgitation in 61%, the Ionescu-Shiley valves in the same position in 53%. The tendency of more calcification than tissue damage[71.3% vs. 33.3%, p<0.001]with stenosis in 53%. The tendency of more calcification and immobility of cusps in the latter group was partly explainable by the inclusion of patients of pediatric age. Observation made in this study suggest : many of bioprosthetic valves would fail from calcification and tissue damage : some fail prematurely because of mechanical stress probably owing to the valve design in construction ; andeven those valves escaped early damage would be subject to calcify in the prolonged follow-up period. In conclusion, at the present time, the clinical use of bioprostheticxenograft valves seems to be quite limited until further improvement in biocompatibility and refinement in valve design in manufacture are achieved.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.41 no.1
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• pp.61-67
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• 2008

Background: Conventional ascending aortic cross clamping is often limited. This study was carried out to evaluate the safety and efficacy of an endovascular aortic clamping technique with an intraaortic balloon catheter. Material and Method: From April 2004 to January 2007, surgery with endoaortic clamping was performed in seven patients. A retrograde access perfusion (RAP) catheter was used in six patients and a Pruitt's balloon catheter in two patients. The indication for the operation was a retrosternal pseudoaneurysm of the aortic root in six patients, diffuse calcification of the ascending aorta with aortic regurgitation in 2 patients and an atrial septal defect in one patient. Five patients had at least two prior cardiac surgeries. Result: Successful insertion of the catheter and endoaortic clamping was achieved in all patients. Conclusion: The endovascular aortic clamping technique with a balloon catheter was a useful alternative method for patients in whom conventional cardiac surgery was limited.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.24 no.5
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• pp.522-528
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• 1991

A successful repair of aortic dissection of descending thoracic aorta was performed in a 48 year old man. The patient was visited ER because of abruptly onset chest pain. On admission, Chest film showed mediastinal widening and undertaken chest CT, echocardiogram and angiogram There was evidence of dilation on descending aorta with internal separation of intimal calcification. Aneurysmal sac with dissection was noted from just below left subclavian artery to 2cm above of diaphragm. He underwent thoracotomy and the impending ruptured aneurysm of the aorta was replaced with a Woven Dacron graft[20Yo Albumin preclotted] using LA-femoral bypass. Postoperative course was uneventful.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.51 no.4
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• pp.283-285
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• 2018

A 73-year-old woman who underwent combined bioprosthetic mitral valve replacement, tricuspid ring annuloplasty, and coronary artery bypass grafting 12 years previously visited our clinic due to aggravated dyspnea caused by structural valve deterioration of the mitral prosthesis. Because aortic or femoral artery cannulation and cross-clamping would have a high risk of stroke owing to severe calcification of the ascending aorta and ilio-femoral vessels, and because there was a risk of redo sternotomy due to the patent bypass grafts, a comprehensive approach including axillary artery cannulation, a minimally invasive right thoracotomy approach, and a clampless hypothermic fibrillatory arrest technique was used during redo mitral valve replacement.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.29 no.2
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• pp.164-170
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• 1996

From January 1986 to June 1993, 12 patients Aad required reoperation: 9 had undergone mitral and 3 aortic valve replacement. Five were male and 7 female, and ages ranged from 29 to 61 years. Replacement of the prosthetic heart valve was performed at a mean interval of 98 $\pm$ 1 months after the Hrst operation. In aortic valve replacement patients the mean interval was 115 $\pm$ 2 months and in mitral valve replacement patients 98 $\pm$ 4 months. Primary tissue failure was the most frequent reason of replacement (10 patients) followed by valve thrombosis (1 patient) and prophylactic replacement (1 patient) in order. The most pronounced pathology of the failed prosthetic heart valves seen in the primary tissue failure group was calcification, perforation, shrinkage and tearing of the cusps. There was one early operative death (8.3%) due to intractable low cardiac output and acute renal failure. Eleven early survivors had successful operative results and there was no late death.