• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.41 no.3
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• pp.313-319
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• 2008

Background: The Cox maze-III procedure is considered as the most effective surgical treatment for atrial fibrillation. Because this procedure takes a long time and it complicates the concomitant cardiac surgery, some surgeons perform a left atrial maze procedure or pulmonary vein isolation only to reduce the operation time. This study was performed to evaluate how the modified procedures, with using cut-and-sew techniques, can influence the treatment of atrial fibrillation. Material and Method: Between Feb 1999 and June 2005, 40 patients (17 males and 23 females) with organic heart disease and atrial fibrillation underwent the Cox maze-III procedure (23), the left atrial maze procedure (10) or pulmonary vein isolation (7). The cut-an-sew technique was used to ablate the atrial wall, but cryoablation was used instead of the cut-and-sew technique for the coronary sinus and the inferior wall between the pulmonary vein and the mitral annulus. Result: After a mean follow-up period of $50.0{\pm}21.6$ months, all (100%) of the 23 patients who underwent the Cox maze-III procedure had regular sinus or atrial rhythm conversion, and 7(70%) of 10 with a left atrial maze procedure and 4(57.1%) of 7 with pulmonary vein isolation had regular sinus or atrial rhythm conversion (p=0.002). Conclusion: To obtain a high conversion rate from atrial fibrillation to a regular sinus rhythm or a regular atrial rhythm, the standard Cox maze-III procedure should be performed in both atria. The limited modified procedures like the left atrial maze procedure or pulmonary vein isolation may reduce the cure rate of atrial fibrillation.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.31 no.2
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• pp.168-172
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• 1998

Inferior sinus venosus defect is a rare lesion in which there is a large interatrial communication adjacent to the atrial connection of the inferior caval vein. The defect is located posteriorly and inferiorly, outside the confines of the true atrial septum, and partial anomalous pulmonary venous connections are the rule. We underwent surgical repair in four patients with inferior sinus venosus defect and partial anomalous pulmonary venous return. There were three males and one female with an age range from four months to 25 years. A cross- sectional echocardiogram and cardiac catheterization had been performed preoperatively in all patients, but the correct diagnosis had been made in only one case. Surgical repair was indicated due to congestive heart failure, and one patient of 4-month-old needed urgent operation. The repair was accomplished by suturing a untreated autologous pericardial patch to the right of the pulmonary veins, so that the defect was closed and all the pulmonary venous blood was directed to the left atrium. The preoperative knowledge of the unusual anatomy allows the surgeon to repair the anomaly without difficulties. For the patients in whom interatrial communication and anomalous pulmonary venous return are suggested, surgeon has to pay careful attention to the anatomical landmarks to avoid incorrect placement of the patch.

• Korean Journal of Food Science and Technology
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• v.46 no.3
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• pp.375-383
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• 2014

This study aimed to investigate the effects of 50% ethanol extract of ripe black raspberry (Rubus occidentalis, RBR) on hypertension in human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) and in spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR). Angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) inhibition and activation of nitric oxide production by endothelial nitric oxide synthase were significantly regulated by RBR in HUVEC cells. Moreover, the SHR showed significantly higher levels of blood pressure, ACE, renin, endothelin-1, and interleukin-6 than Wistar Kyoto rats (WKY). However, treatment with captopril and RBR decreased the levels of these hypertension-related events in the SHR. The renal arteriole showed greater media thickness/lumen diameter (%) in the SHR than in the WKY. However, media thickness/lumen diameter (%) was reduced in SHR by treatment with captopril and RBR. In addition, the number of eosinophilic cardiac muscle cells was decreased in the heart muscles after treatment with captopril and RBR. Therefore, this study suggests that 50% ethanol extract of RBR may be useful for the prevention and treatment of high blood pressure.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.32 no.8
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• pp.693-701
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• 1999

Recently non-invasive diagnostic imaging replaced the invasive catheter angiography in the diagnosis of vascular disease. Catheter methods are now almost confined to the purpose of intervention. Coronary artery or coronary artery bypass graft still needs catheter technique because of small diameter and the cardiac motion. The last challenge for radiologists in this domain is to obtain a non-invasive imaging. Electron beam tomography(EBT) for high temporal resolution is able to obtain a coronary arteriogram or coronary artery bypass graft (CABG), of which CABG imaging is quite useful for the evaluation of patency. In our experience as well as others, the accuracy of EBT angiogram in evaluating CABG patency revealed that the accuracy of patency of saphenous vein grafts(SVG) is high due to relatively wide lumen, short and straight course and less influence from cardiac motion. The sensitivity and specificity of patency of SVGs were 92%, 97% respectively in the prospective evaluat on and 100% each in the retrospective evaluation. A false positive and a false negative case are rudimentary errors in the initial learing period. In contrast the analysis of left internal mammary artery(LIMA) graft was difficult due to the inherent small size and the adjacent surgical clips provoking beam-hardening artifact; therefore, the method of combining 3 dimensional reconstruction and flow mode study was important in improving the accuracy of LIMA patency. The sensitivity and specificity of LIMA patency were 100% and 80% in both prospective and retrospective evaluation. Therefore, EBT angiography is an accurate non-invasive diagnostic modality for evaluating the patency of CABG, particularly in SVGs. The accuracy can be improved with the improvement of the EBT and the development of the image reconstruction software.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.39 no.1 s.258
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• pp.12-17
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• 2006

Background: Circulatory arrest under deep hypothermia is an important auxiliary means for surgical correction of total anomalous pulmonary venous connection (TAPVC), However, cardiac operations under deep hypothermic circulatory arrest are associated with the risk of post-arrest neurologic abnormalities. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the results of the surgical correction of total anomalous pulmonary venous connection without the total circulatory arrest. Materiai and Method: Between April 2000 and October 2004, hospital records of 10 patients were reviewed retrospectively. Result: The locations for abnormal anatomical connections were supracardiac in 7 cases, cardiac in 1 case, and infracardiac in 2 cases. The mean cardiopulmonary bypass time and aorta cross clamp time were 116.8$\pm$40.7 and 69.5$\pm$24.1 minutes. There was no surgical mortality. Postoperative complications were post-repair pulmonary venous stenosis in 1 case, pneumonia in 1, pneumothorax in 1, wound infection in 1,and diaphragmatic paralysis in 1. All patients without pulmonary venous stenosis were in NYHA class I at mean follow-up of 16.6 months (3$\∼$49 months) Conclusion: We could obtain excellent results by repair without the total circulatory arrest for total anomalous pulmonary venous connection.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.38 no.2 s.247
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• pp.139-145
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• 2005

Background: There were very few reports on long-term survival after coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) in this country. The aim of this study is to investigate the long-term result in patients undergoing CABG in the early period in this hospital. Material and Method: One-hundred and fourteen patients (male/female, 79/35) who had undergone CABG from December 1990 to December 1995 were identified. Most of the patients had undergone CABG using left internal thoracic artery and vein grafts under cardiopulmonary bypass and cardiopulmonary arrest, and the proximal and distal anastomoses of the grafts were performed during the single aortic cross clamping period. Result: During the mean follow-up period of $135.5\pm17.9$ months, 37 patients $(32.5\%)$ were dead and only 10 patients $(27\%)$ of them died of cardiac cause. Risk-unadjusted survival after CABG was $95.6\%,\;85.1\%,\;71.8\%,$ and $57.9\%$ at 1, 5, 10, and 13 years, respectively, and cardiac death-free survival was $97.4\%,\;94.5\%,\;92.1\%$, and $81.3\%$ at 1, 5, 10, and 13 years, respectively. Predictable factors of long-term survival were sex and age. Predictable factors of postoperative coronary angiography and intervention were hypertension, diabetes, and dyslipidemia. Conclusion: Long-term survival after CABG in the early operative period was comparable to the previous outcomes, and females showed the better long-term survival. Postoperative coronary intervention was more common in patients with preoperative dyslipidemia.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.13 no.3
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• pp.243-249
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• 1980

Truncus ateriosus is one of the cyanotic congenital heart disease. The incidence is relatively uncommon, as 0.4% of totoal congenital heart disease. Embryologically the defect is due to a lack of partitioning of the embryonic truncus and conus during the first few weeks of fetal life. The ventricular septal defect is invariable present. A single arterial vessel arises from the heart and supplies blood to the aorta, the lung, and the coronary arteries. In 1949, collett and Edwards classified this defect according to anatomic variation to four major types, such as type I, II, III, and IV. Type IV is defined that pulmonary arteries are absent, and the pulmonary arterial supply arises from the descending thoracic aorta. This patients often have a continuous murmur head particularly well in the interscapular area. No effective surgical treatment is available. We have experienced one case of truncus arteriosus, type IV of Collett and Edwards in the Department of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, Kyungbook National University Hospital. This patient was 10 year-old girl. The chief complaints were cyanosis and dyspnea on exertion since birth. She was admitted at this hospital on April 16, 1980. The continous machinery murmur was heard loudest at the interscapular area. The chest X-ray films revealed cardiomegaly with an increase in pulmonaryvascular markings. The pulmonary secotr was significantly concave. No filling of pulmonary arteries noticed by the right ventriculogram. There was possible biventricular hypertrophy in EKG. The echocardiogram showed that the demension of the aortic root was larger than normal and minimal increase of the left ventricular internal dimension. The cardiac catheterization data was obtained by use of the great saphenus vein approach. The systolic pressure of the right ventricular outflow tract was 80 mmHg and was similar to that of the aorta. The oxygen saturation data revealed the evidence of the left to right shunt at the level of ventricular septum. The patient was operated and the diagnosis was confirmed as trucus arteriosus, type IV. No effective surgical interventins were performed.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.36 no.6
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• pp.422-426
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• 2003

Primary cardiac tumor has very low incidence, especially in cases of malignancy. A 29 year old male patient visited our cardiologic clinic for recent aggrevation of dyspnea on exertion and palpitation. Echocardiography showed a large tumor in the left atrium, which suggested the left atrial myxoma. Urgent open heart surgery was taken. The operative finding was fossa ovalis based a large tumor (35$\times$90$\times$50 mm) that invaded the posterior wall of LA and right superior pulmonary vein directly. The tumor was excised well by simple dissection, and the final pathologic report was malignant myxofibrosarcoma. His postoperative course was smooth and he was discharged in good health. Postoperative radiation and chemotherapy had taken with satisfactory clinical outcome.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.25 no.3
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• pp.307-314
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• 1992

The internal mammary artery has been advocated for use in bypass grafting owing to its superior long-term patency when compared to saphenous vein grafts. Concern exists that the flow through internal mammary artery may be inadequate during periods of peak myocardial demand when the internal mammary artery graft was used for proximal left anterior descending artery stenosis. This flow adequacy was investigated in 13 consecutive patients with a mean proximal left anterior descending artery stenosis of 84.2% who were selected for coronary bypass using internal mammary artery. We checked flow and diameter of left internal mammary artery without intraluminal dilatation just before anastomosis to left anterior descending artery during cardiopulmonary bypass. Clinical results were evaluated postoperatively with clinical symptoms, echocardiographies, stress tests, and coronary angiographies. The mean internal mammary artery flow measured just before anastomosis was 38ml/ min[range of 20 to 80ml /min] and its mean internal diameter 1.4mm. Maximal workload was improved from preoperative value of 6.3$\pm$2.5METS to postoperative value of 9.1$\pm$1.4 METS in 9 patients who Paired-test can be used. Cardiac symptoms recurred in two patients after bypass surgery, but they were not related to left internal mammary artery grafts. All patients were discharged in postoperatively 9.3 days[range of 7 to 20 days] after operation without mortality. Thus, on the basis of these findings, the internal mammary artery is a reasonable graft that we can routinely use for proximal left descending artery stenosis if internal diameter of the internal mammary artery is more than 1.0mm and its flow is more than 20ml /min at mean arterial pressure of 50 to 60mmHg during cardiopulmonary bypass.

• The Korean Journal of Nuclear Medicine
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• v.19 no.1
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• pp.77-81
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• 1985

There are several methods for measurement of cerebral blood flow. A method using Tc-99m DTPA which was injected via antecubital vein and monitored extracranially with gamma camera is described here. In this method, the brain scan and CBF mesurement were performed with scan and CBF were usually studied separately. The results were as follow: 1) Total candidates were 53, male 34 and female 19, who have no evidence of neurologic, cardiac or kidney problems. 2) By this method, the normal CBF of Korean was $54.12{\pm}6.49ml/min/100g$ of brain tissue. 3) The CBF of male was $54.06{\pm}5.9ml/min/100g$ of brain tissue, female was $54.89{\pm}6.51ml/min/100g$, so there was no definite sex difference. 4) The CBF under 10 years of age was $54.12{\pm}2.5ml/min/100g$, $11\sim20years$ of age was $52.33{\pm}6.1ml/min/100g$, $21\sim60years$ of age was $52.86{\pm}5.06ml/min/100g$, and over 61years of age was $55.43{\pm}4.84ml/min/100g$, so there was no significant difference of CBF by age.