• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.43 no.6
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• pp.743-746
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• 2010

Coronary artery aneurysm is an uncommon disease. The optimal medical or surgical treatment for this disease remains obscure. The causes of coronary artery aneurysms include atherosclerosis, Kawasaki disease, infectious vascular disease, connective tissue disorder and congenital malformation. A 50 year old man visit our institution for chest pain that had started 3 days previously. After coronary angiography, multiple coronary aneurysms were diagnosed and successful surgical intervention was performed.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.31 no.6
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• pp.581-585
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• 1998

Postoperative autotransfusion is known as an effective method for blood conservation. We tried to examine whether the autotransfusion of shed mediastinal blood in patients with unstable angina would be valuable for reducing postoperative homologous transfusion by observing the hourly tendency of bleeding and transfusion. Between August and October, 1997, 26 patients with unstable angina underwent coronary arterial bypass surgery by a single surgeon at Asan Medical Center. In retrospective analysis, we found 90% of the patients received homologous transfusions and 85% of them were in the intensive care unit at the same day after operation. In many patients, the cause of transfusion was not anemia but volume replacement. Mean bleeding through the chest tubes was 340 cc for the first 5 hours and 69%(18 pts) showed more than 200 cc of bleeding, the amount generally considered as a initiating point for autotransfusion. Despite the adoption of multiple methods for blood conservation, 90% of the patients needed homologous transfusion. Moreover, many of them had received unnecessary transfusions. We conclude that some kind of blood for transfusion is needed during the immediate postoperative period, and the adoption of postoperative autotransfusion may help in reducing homologous transfusion.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.32 no.11
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• pp.1009-1016
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• 1999

Background: Minimally invasive direct coronary artery bypass surgery(MIDCAB) has been increasing in interest along with the new techniques in myocardial immobilization for easier and safer procedures. Until the opening of the era of new techniques, adequate accuracy and good patency of grafts were debatable. Our experiences of MIDCAB were studied according to the stages of technical developments. Material and Methods: Since March 1996, 55 patients have undergone MIDCAB procedures. The patients of off-pump CABG(no cardiopulmonary bypass under full sternotomy) were excluded from the study. In the early experience(Stage I), a left anterior small thoracotomy through the left parasternal incision was performed(n=6); then an approach through the lower partial sternotomy was used(Stage II, n=33); and recently, a chest wall elevator for harvesting the internal thoracic artery and the foot plate for myocardial immobilization have been used(USSC, Norwalk, CT)(Stage III, n=16). Result: The surgical procedures of four patients in the Stage II group have been converted to conventional bypass because of the deeply seated left anterior descending coronary artery in two patients, fracture of the calcific lesion in the right coronary artery in one patient, and a cardiogenic shock during hypothermia in the other patient with ventricular dysfunction. Two patients in stage II experienced symptomatic recurrences after surgery and restenosis was verified on angiocardiography. They were managed by interventional procedures. All the other patients were doing well without symptoms, except one patients in Stage II who underwent PTCA procedure for a lesion in the circumflex artery during the follow up period. Conclusion: The new and specialized devices are essential to the development of MIDCAB surgery. MIDCAB and the hybrid procedures in multi-vessel disease are on the way to further development. So far, our experience is limited only to a single device among the many new devices for the purpose.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.26 no.2
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• pp.141-147
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• 1993

A total of 40 patients having a diagnosis of atherosclerotic coronary arterial disease were analysed on the operative outcomes according to variables as follows: 1) preoperative risk factors such as age, sex, CCS (Canadian Cardiovascular Society) functional class, type of angina, number of diseased vessel, presence of left main coronary artery stenosis, previous history of habitual smoking and presence of other medical diseases (diabetes mellitus, essential hypertension), 2) preoperative management such as intravenous infusion of nitroglycerine, preoperative IABP (intra-aortic balloon pump) support and whether the operation was scheduled as emergency or not, 3) intraoperative variables such as infusion method and composition of cardioplegic solutions, number of distal anastomosis, use of internal mammary artery, total cardiopulmonary bypass time and total cross clamp time. Complications included operative death in 12.5％, perioperative myocardial infarction in 25.0％ and perioperative arrhythmia in 17.5％. Nineteen perioperative variables were analyzed to identify risk factors for these end points. For operative death, presence of left main coronary artery stenosis (p = 0.056) and cardiopulmonary bypass time (p = 0.029) were significant in the univariate analysis, but presence of left main coronary artery lesion (p = 0.011, $\chi$$^2$= 6.45) and abscence of preoperative of IABP support (p = 0.069, $\chi$$^2$ = 3.30) were independent predictor in multivariate analysis (stepwise linear logistic regression).

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.22 no.6
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• pp.1025-1035
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• 1989

Since we first performed open heart surgery on December 30, 1986, 126 cases were operated on up to August 31, 1989. Among the 126 cases, 65 cases were congenital heart disease of which 63 were acyanotic disease, and 61 cases were acquired heart disease, most of which were valvular heart disease. The age distribution of congenital heart disease was from 1 years 2 months to 48 years, and males had a slightly higher incidence. The age of acquired heart disease was from a minimum of 15 years to a maximum of 68 years, and the male to female ratio was 1;1.5. Midsternotomy was performed in all cases, and the aortic cannula was inserted through ascending aorta and the venous cannula inserted into the SVC and IVC through the right atrium. Vent was inserted through the right superior pulmonary vein. Cardioplegia solution was used in all cases; it was composed of sodium bicarbonate 3.5 ampule, KCL 14 mEq, 2% lidocaine 2.5 ml, 20 % albumin 50 ml and heparin 1000 units mixed to 950 ml with Hartman solution, and was made to 4oC and infused 10 ml per Kg every 20 minutes. The congenital heart disease had a variety of VSD in 32 cases, ASD 23 cases, PS 6 cases, PDA 2 cases, and one case each of Ebsteins anomaly and tricuspid atresia. The operations performed for acquired heart disease were 4 cases of OMC, 33 cases of MVR, and 5 cases of AVR, and 1 case of AVR with CABG. DVR was perfomed in 13 cases, and triple valve replacement was done in 1 case. Other than these, excision of LA myxoma was 2 cases, and repair of traumatic VSD and removal of a pulmonary embolism were one case each. The surgical mortality was 5 cases[4%], all of which occurred in valve replacement cases. Follow-up study revealed 2 late deaths. One died after a traffic accident and one died due to sepsis after he had received a gastrectomy for ulcer bleeding. The remaining patients were in good condition.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.22 no.6
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• pp.1092-1100
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• 1989

Since May 1987 to April 1989, fifteen patients have been subjected to coronary artery bypass graft [CABG] including coronary thromboendarterectomy in 3 patients at Hanyang University Hospital. The correlation between the preoperative coronary angiography, electrocardiography, clinical status, operative finding and postoperative blood flow, complication and degree of clinical improvement were evaluated. 1. Ten patients [67 %] were male and five patients [33 %] were female, Ages ranged from 30 to 68 years. [average 52.2 years] 2. The angina by types of presentation was stable in 3 patients, unstable in 12 patients with resting, postinfarction and progressive angina as the criteria of unstability. 3. The number of involved vessels were single in 6 cases, double in 4 cases, triple in 5 cases including 1 case of left main coronary arterial disease. 4. The distribution of sites of distal anastomosis revealed predilection to left coronary arterial system [83 %], especially left anterior descending arterial system. 5. The author performed 4 cases of single bypass, 4 cases of double bypass, 5 cases of triple bypass and 2 cases of quadruple bypass. Of these 15 patients, 3 patients received coronary thromboendarterectomy, LAD in 2 patients and right coronary artery [RCA] in 1 patient. 6. The distal anastomosis were performed first with using saphenous vein grafts as conduits in all cases except 1 case using Gore-Tex conduit because of deficient in length and narrowed internal mammary artery and sequential bypass methods were employed in last 6 cases. 7. One operative death occurred and therefore, mortality rate was 6.7%. The perioperative myocardial infarction were occurred in 3 cases [20%] and its cause was supposed that they were triple vessel disease and therefore, aortic cross clamping times were relatively long. 8. All survivors were followed for 17.7 months on an average [range 5-28 months] and they have had symptomatic improvement except 1 case having mild degree of angina at 1.5 months after operation.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.30 no.12
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• pp.1205-1213
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• 1997

This study reviewed useful aspects of the intraoperative transesophageal echocardiography among the patients in whom heart surgery were undertaken between January 1996 and July 1996 at St.Pauls hospital, Medical College of Catholic University, Seoul, Korea. During that period, 61 patients were operated on because of valvular heart disease(25 patients), coronary artery disease(22 patients), congenital heart disease(13 patients), and combined coronary artery disease and valvular heart disease(1 patient). Two patients(1 redo-VSD and 1 valvular heart diease) needed repeated aortic cross clamping and complementary procedures because of incomplete initial procedures. There was no incidence of air embolism. We could observe significant relationship of cardiac output monitoring methods either by thermodilution technique and transesophageal echocardiography by linear regression analysis(p<0.001). We tested myocardial response(percentage of systolic wall thickness, PSWT) with low dose dobutamine challenge to predict post-CABG myocardial perfusion. And the test showed statistically significant resp.onse(sensitivity 76%, specificity 94.7%, positive predictive value 95%, negative predictive value 75%). These results suggest that cardiac surgeon could draw more benefits by intraoperative transesophageal echocardiography.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.39 no.1
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• pp.13-20
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• 2006

Objectives: To propose a risk-adjustment model with using insurance claims data and to analyze whether or not the outcomes of non-emergent and isolated coronary artery bypass graft surgery (CABG) differed between the low- and high-volume hospitals for the patients who are at different levels of surgical risk. Methods: This is a cross-sectional study that used the 2002 data of the national health insurance claims. The study data set included the patient level data as well as all the ICD-10 diagnosis and procedure codes that were recorded in the claims. The patient's biological, admission and comorbidity information were used in the risk-adjustment model. The risk factors were adjusted with the logistic regression model. The subjects were classified into five groups based on the predicted surgical risk: minimal (<0.5%), low (0.5% to 2%), moderate (2% to 5%), high (5% to 20%), and severe (=20%). The differences between the low- and high-volume hospitals were assessed in each of the five risk groups. Results: The final risk-adjustment model consisted of ten risk factors and these factors were found to have statistically significant effects on patient mortality. The C-statistic (0.83) and Hosmer-Lemeshow test ($x^2=6.92$, p=0.55) showed that the model's performance was good. A total of 30 low-volume hospitals (971 patients) and 4 high-volume hospitals (1,087 patients) were identified. Significant differences for the in-hospital mortality were found between the low- and high-volume hospitals for the high (21.6% vs. 7.2%, p=0.00) and severe (44.4% vs. 11.8%, p=0.00) risk patient groups. Conclusions: Good model performance showed that insurance claims data can be used for comparing hospital mortality after adjusting for the patients' risk. Negative correlation was existed between surgery volume and in-hospital mortality. However, only patients in high and severe risk groups had such a relationship.

• Journal of Food Hygiene and Safety
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• v.20 no.1
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• pp.22-35
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• 2005

A survey was conducted to investigate the perception of food sanitation officers toward the Genetically Modified Foods. They were mainly from Regional Agencies of KFDA, City/Province office, and National quarantine station. Some of them were professors of university and researchers of research institute. Most of respondents had experiences of hearing or reading GM foods (over $95\%$) and over $90\%$ of respondents much needed the label of GM foods. Although some of officers of city/province office and national quarantine station showed less knowledge than other respondent groups, most of respondents had basic knowledge about biology. The frequency of respondents worked over 20 years and worked in the general administration was higher than that of other groups in the question of unsafe of GM foods. The answer frequency of careless treatment of foods was highest in the question of risk factor, and the frequency of GM foods was lowest ($4.4\%$). It was concluded that food sanitation officers had positive opinion about GM foods, but there were some differences in the knowledge among agencies. Therefore, it is necessary more educations and informations are needed for food sanitation officers.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.38 no.9 s.254
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• pp.601-608
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• 2005

Background: To maximize the histological advantage and minimize the physiological disadvantage, we have been using the skeletonized gastroepiploic artey (GEA) as a free graft for total arterial revascularization. The aims of the current study was to assess the efficacy of the skeletonized GEA as a composite or extended graft for total arterial revascularization. Material and Method: Between January 2000 and Feburary 2005, 133 patients (43 female, mean age=61.8 yrs) undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) with a skeletonized GEA as free graft (22 extended, 107 composite and 4 others) were enrolled in this study. Coronary angiograms were performed in the immediate (median 44 days, n=86), early (median 366 days, n=56) and midterm (median 984 days, n=29) postoperative periods. Result: There were 3 ($2.2\%$) early and 4 ($3.3\%$) late cardiac-related deaths. The mean number of distal anastomoses per patient was 3.34 for total graft and 1.92 for GEA graft. The immediate, early, and midterm GEA patency were 157/159 ($98.7\%$), 106/142 ($94.6\%$), and 53/56 ($94.6\%$), respectively. During follow-up, four patients required percutaneous intracoronary intervention because of GEA and target coronary artery stenosis or competitive flow. Conclusion: These data demonstrate satisfactory clinical and angiographic results in the skeletonized GEA as free graft for total arterial revascularizatioh. Although we need a careful longer follow-up, the skeletonized GEA as a free graft will be a valuable option 'to be' for CABG.