• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.40 no.11
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• pp.727-732
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• 2007

Background: The reciptents of aortic valve replacement or a Bentall operation usually display various degrees of mitral regurgitation. When deciding whether or not to correct the mitral regurgitation, one must consider its severity, underlying causes and operative risk. Recently, the operation method for correcting the concomitant mitral regurgitation has been done through aortic root to reduce the operation time and the cardiac trauma. We report our experiences that transaortic mitral valve commissuroplasty done with aortic valve replacement or a Bentall operation has been a simple, less invasive, effective method in the operative management of mitral valve regurgitation without significant organic changes. Material and Method: Between June 2002 and June 2005, twenty patients under-went mitral valve commissuroplasty via the aortic root with aortic valve replacement (n=14) or a Bentall operation (n=7). The mitral valve regurgitation of the patients didn't exceed a moderate (grade 2) degree and there was no significant organic disease. The preoperative diagnosis of MR was established by TTE and intraoperative TEE, and the patients were followed postoperatively by TTE. The operative technique was a simple anterolateral commissuroplasty of the mitral valve with a single mattress suture via the transaortic annular approach after excision of the aortic valve leaflets. Result: The mean patient age was 56.2 years and 65% (n=13) were male. The preoperative MR was mild (grade 1) in 9 (45%), mild to moderate in 8 (40%), and moderate (grade 2) in 3 (15%) patients. There were no operative mortalities. The MR improved in all patients (p=0.002) and the left ventricular ejection fraction (LV EF) improved in 14 (70%) patients (p=0.005). The mean cross-clamp time for the patients who under- went aortic valve replacement with transaortic mitral repair was $62.1{\pm}13.9 min$ and this was $137.5{\pm}7.2 min$ for the patients who underwent a Bentall operation with transaortic mitral repair. Conclusion: For selected patients without significant mitral organic disease, transaortic mitral valve commissuroplasty combined with aortic valve replacement or a Bentall operation may be a feasible, effective method without adding significant aortic cross clamping time and more cardiotomy.

• The Korean Journal of Mycology
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• v.26 no.2 s.85
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• pp.182-186
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• 1998

The result of study on the morphological feature of fruitbody, soil characteristics and enviromental condition of habitat of Tricholoma giganteum in Korea was as follows: The Pileus was $5.5{\sim}28.0\;cm$ in diameter and $1.5{\sim}3.7\;cm$ in thickness, indicating of yellowish white, beige, or ivory color. The lamellae were $18{\sim}20\;mm$ in diameter; the stipe was $9.0{\sim}35.7\;cm$ long and $1.0{\sim}3.0\;cm$ wide. The spores were $3.5{\sim}4.8{\times}5.7{\sim}7.4\;{\mu}m$ in size, ellipsoid, hyaline and the spore deposit white. The basidia were $6.1{\sim}7.0{\times}32.2{\sim}39.2\;{\mu}m$ in size. Cheiloystidia were $3.5{\sim}4.4{\times}30.5{\sim}33.1\;{\mu}m$ in size. Pileipellis were $3.3{\sim}4.4{\times}33.0{\sim}55.0\;{\mu}m$ wide and had clamp connection. Stipitipellis were $2.2{\sim}3.3{\times}88.0{\sim}93.1\;{\mu}m$ in size. Texture of soil in habitate of T. giganteum was silty loam, and organic materials content and available phosphate content in this soil were high as comparision to general soil in Korea. In the time of the mushrooms sprout, the room temperature indicated $25{\sim}27^{\circ}C$, their humidity showed $80{\sim}83%$, and the brightnesses were 328 Lux.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.32 no.2
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• pp.130-137
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• 1999

Background: In cardiac surgery, hypothermia is associated with a number of major disadvantage, including its detrimental effects on enzymatic function, energy generation and cellular integrity. Warm cardioplegia with normothermic cardiopulmonary bypass cause three times more incidence of permanent neurologic deficits than the cold crystalloid cardioplegia with hypothermic cardiopulmonary bypass. Interruptions or inadequate distribution of warm cardioplegia may induce anaerobic metabolism and warm ischemic injury. To avoid these problems, tepid blood cardioplegia was recently introduced. Material and Method: To evaluate whether continuous tepid blood cardioplegia is beneficial in clinical practice during valvular surgery, we studied two groups of patients matched by numbers and clinical characteristics. Warm group(37$^{\circ}C$) consisted of 18 patients who underwent valvular surgery with continuous warm blood cardioplegia. Tepid group(32$^{\circ}C$) consisted of 17 patients who underwent valvular surgery with continuous tepid blood cardioplegia. Result: Heartbeat in 100% of the patients receiving continuous warm blood cardioplegia and 88.2% of the patients receiving continuous tepid blood cardioplegia converted to normal sinus rhythm spontaneously after removal of the aortic cross clamp. There were no differences between these two groups in CPB time, ACC time, the amount of crystalloid cardioplegia used and peak level of potassium. During the operation, the total amount of urine output was more in the warm group than the tepid group(2372${\pm}$243 ml versus 1535${\pm}$130 ml, p<0.01). There were no differences between the two groups in troponin T level measured 1hr and 12hrs after the operation. Conclusion: Continuous tepid blood cardioplegia is as safe and effective as continuous warm blood cardioplegia undergoing cardiac valve surgery in myocardial protection.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.30 no.7
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• pp.647-655
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• 1997

We evaluated the feasibility and safety of this method by reviewing the early outcome of the patients who underwent coronary artery bypass grafting(CABG) utili ing parallel sequential anastomoses with saphenous vein grafts, comparing with the outcome of the patients revascularized with grafts having only single distal anastomosis. During the one-year period of 1995, a total of 79 patients underwent isolated CABG, among whom 39 patients with sequential vein grafts(sequential group) and 40 patients without sequential grafts(non-sequential group). There was no difference between the two groups in terms of preoperative status, except in the extent of the coronary disease; 87.2% of the sequential group and 45.0% of the non-sequential group had left main andlor triple vessel involvement. 318 distal coronary anastomoses were done; 198 for the sequential group(5.1/patient) and 120 for the non-sequential group(3.0/patient). In the sequential group, the mean durations of cardiopulmonary bypass and aortic clamp per one distal anastomosis were 33.5 and 21.1 minutes, respectively. In the non-sequential group, these were 41.8 and 22.7 minutes. There were two operative deaths, both in the non-sequential group. There was no difference in the incidence of postoperative complications including myocardial infarction. During the follow-up period(2 to 15 months), 8 patients(3 in the sequential and 5 in the nonsequential group) complained of residual or recurrent angina. Comparison of preoperative and postoperative ."'Thallium myocardial perfusion scans in 30 patients showed improved or normal perfusion reserve in 83.3% of segments bypassed with sequential grafts and 82.5% of segments bypassed with non-sequential graft(5), These results show that, utilizing parallel sequential anastomoses with saphenous vein grafts, we could achieve satisfactory short-term clinical results in patients with extensive coronary stenoses. So, we conclude that this technique is a safe, technically feasible strategy for CABG, which can achieve the aim of complete myocardial revascularization with a limited length of graft.raft.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.42 no.4
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• pp.441-446
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• 2009

Background: Side clamping of ascending aorta during proximal graft anastomosis in coronary bypassing surgery in-creases the risk of direct aortic injury as well as embolization of intimal atheroma. Heartstring proximal sealing system (Guidant Corporation, Santa Clara, Calif), developed to avoid aortic side clamping, may minimize risks of such complications. The aim of the current study is to compare the surgical outcomes of the two proximal anastomosis techniquesi.e., Heartstring system versus aortic side clamping in off pump coronary bypassing' surgery (OPCAB). Material and Method: From January 2003 to August 2008, 499 patients underwent OPCAB. Of them, proximal graft anastomosis was performed using Heartstring system in 182 patients (Group I) and conventional manual anastomosis in 317 patients (Group II). The two groups were compared for postoperative major complications and mortality. Result: Two groups showed similar characteristics in terms of preoperative demographic data, left ventricular ejection fraction, renal function and history of diabetes, hypertension and smoking. Although there was no inter-group difference in the history of cerebral ischemia (p=0.48), preoperative brain magnetic resonance angiography revealed greater incidence of severe carotid artery stenosis (>75% of lumen) in the Group I than in the. Group II (44.5% in the Group I and 30.0% in the Group II, p=0.003). There were no inter-group differences in postoperative mortality (p=0.40) and complications (p=0.47) including neurologic events (3 in the Group land 2 in the Group II, p=0.258). Whereas neurologic events all comprised transient ischemic attacks in the Group I, they comprised multiple embolic strokes in the Group II. One patient in the Group II experienced aortic dissection during proximal anastomosis which resulted in ascending aortic replacement. Conclusion: Although proximal anastomosis using Heartstring system did not show statistically significant benefit over aortic side clamping, the. absence of embolic stroke maybe a definite benefit which may be better defined through further studies over a larger cohort.

• Korean Journal of Veterinary Research
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• v.39 no.5
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• pp.878-895
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• 1999

Ischemic preconditioing (IPC), i.e., a preliminary brief episode of ischemia and reperfusion, has been shown to reduce the cell damage induced by long ischemia and reperfusion. Superoxide radical which is produced during reperfusion after ischemia was recognized as a factor of the ischemic injury and it is dismutated into $H_2O_2$ and $O_2$ by two types of intracellular superoxide dismutase (SOD), Cu,Zn-SOD in cytoplasm and Mn-SOD in mitochondria. Recently oxygen free radicals are suggested to induce the apoptosis, however mechanism of the reduced apoptosis by ischemic preconditioing was unknown, while many studies performed in mammalian heart indicated that ATP-sensitive $K^+$ ($K_{APT}$) channel activation related with the protective effects. The aim of present study is to investigate 1) whether IP upregulate the Cu,Zn-SOD and Mn-SOD activities, and 2) whether ischemic preconditioning decreases apoptosis via $K_{APT}$ channel activation in timely reperfused skeletal muscle after long ishemia. The experimental animals, Sprague-Dawley rats weighing 250~300g, were divided into 8 groups; 1) control group, 2) ischemic preconditioning only groups, 3) pinacidil, a $K_{APT}$ channel opener, treatment only groups, 4) glibenclamide, a $K_{APT}$ channel blocker, treatment only groups, 5) ischemia groups, 6) ischemia after IPC groups, 7) ischemia and pinacidil treatment groups, and 8) IP and ischemia after glibenclamide pretreatment groups. Animals of the control group were administered with the vehicle (DMSO) alone. Pinacidil (1mg/kg) was administered intravenously 5 minutes after initiation of ischemia, and glibenclamide (0.5mg/kg) was injected intravenously 20 minutes before IPC. In rats that were ischemic preconditioned, the left common iliac artery was occluded for 5 minutes followed by 5 minutes of reperfusion by three times using vascular clamp. Ischemia was done by occlusion of the same artery for 4 hours. The specimens of left rectus femoris muscle were obtained immediately (0 hour), 12 hours, 24 hours after drug administrations, IP or ischemia and reperfusion. The immunoreactivities of SOD and its alterations were observed by use of sheep antihuman Cu,Zn-SOD and Mn-SOD antibodies on the $10{\mu}m$ cryosections. The incidencies of apoptosis were observed by TUNEL methods with in situ apoptosis detection kit on $6{\mu}m$ paraffine section. The results obtained were as follows : 1. After IPC, immunoreactivities of Cu,Zn-SOD mainly in the small-sized fibers were increased by 24 hours, that of Mn-SOD at 0 hour and 24 hours. 2. No significant changes in immunoreactivities of SOD was observed in the pinacidil and in the glibenclamide treatment only groups, and in the ischemia only groups. 3. The immunoreactivities of the Cu,Zn-SOD were increased in the ischemia after IPC groups and the ischemia and pinacidil treatment groups. 4. The immunoreactivities of the Cu,Zn-SOD in the IPC and ischemia after glibenclamide pretreatment groups were not increased except for the 12 hours reperfusion group. But, Mn-SOD immunoreactivities were increased in the 0 hours, 12 hours and 24 hours after reperfusion. 5. In the control group, the IPC only groups, and the pinacidil treatment only groups, negative or trace apoptotic reactions were observed, but the positive apoptotic reaction occured in the glibenclamide treatment groups. 6. Moderate or many number of apoptosis were revealed in the ischemia groups, and also the IPC and ischemia after glibenclamide pretreatment group except for 12 hours and 24 hours after reperfusion. However, the incidence of apoptosis was decreased in the ischemia after IPC groups and in the ischemia and pinacidil treatment groups. 7. There is a coincidence between the increase of Cu,Zn-SOD immunoreactivities and the decrease of apoptosis in the presence of ischemia and reperfusion. These results suggest that the protective effects of ishemic preconditioing may related to the SOD activation, and the ischemic preconditioning decreases the apoptosis partially via $K_{APT}$ channel activation in timely reperfused rat skeletal muscle. It is also suggested that inhibition of apoptosis by IPC may related with the SOD activation.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.38 no.5 s.250
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• pp.366-370
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• 2005

Background: In general, cardiac surgery has been performed via median sternotomy. During the past decade, improvements in endoscopic equipment and operative techniques have resulted in development of minimally invasive cardiac operation using small incisions. With the advent of a voice controlled camera-holding robotic arm (AESOP 3000, Automated Endoscope System for Optimal Positioning), cardiac surgery entered the robotic age. Material and Method: Between April 2004 and December 2004, a total of seventy eight patients underwent robotic cardiac surgery, of whom sixty four patients underwent robot-assisted minimally invasive cardiac surgery via 5cm right lateral minithoracotomy using voice controlled robotic arm, femoral vessels cannulation, percutaneous internal jugular cannulation, transthoracic aortic cross clamp. Other fourteen patients underwent MIDCAB via internal mammary artery harvesting using AESOP. Result: Robotic cardiac surgery were mitral valve repair in 37 cases, mitral valve replacement in 10 cases, aortic valve replacement in 1 case, MIDCAB in 14 cases, ASD operation in 9 cases, and isolated Maze procedure in 1 case. In mitral operation, mean CPB time was $165.3\pm43.1$ minutes and mean ACC time was $110.4\pm48.2$ minutes. Median length of hospital stay was 6 days (range 3 to 30) in mitral operation, 4 days (range 2 to 7) in MIDCAB, and 4 days (range 2 to 6) in ASD operation. For complications, 3 patients were required by reoperation for bleeding. There was no hospital mortality. Conclusion: Our experience of robot cardiac surgery suggests that many cardiovascular surgeons will be able to perform minimally invasive cardiac operations through small incisions with robot-assisted video-direction. Well-designed studies and close long-term follow-up will be required to analyze the benefits of robot-assisted operation.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.42 no.5
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• pp.604-609
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• 2009

Background: Recently, percutaneous cardiopulmonary support (PCPS) has been widely used to rescue patients in cardiogenic shock or cardiac arrest. However, patients with cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) weaning failure during open heart surgery still have very poor outcomes after PCPS. We investigated clinical results and prognostic factors for patients who underwent PCPS during open heart surgery. Material and Method: From January 2005 to December 2008, 10 patients with CPB weaning failure during open heart surgery underwent PCPS using the CAPIOX emergency bypass system ($EBS^{(R)}$, Terumo Inc, Tokyo, Japan). We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of those 10 patients. Result: The average age of the patients was $60.2{\pm}16.5$ years (range, $19{\sim}77$ years). The mean supporting time was $48.7{\pm}64.7$ hours (range, $4{\sim}210$ hours). Of the 10 patients, 6(60%) were successfully weaned from the PCPS While 5 (50%) were able to be discharged from the hospital. Complications were noted in 5 patients (50%). In univariate analysis, long aortic cross clamp time during surgery, mediastinal bleeding during PCPS and high level of Troponin-I before PCPS were significant risk factors. All of the discharged patients are still surviving $34{\pm}8.6$ months (range, $23{\sim}48$ months) post-operatively. Conclusion: The use of PCPS for CPB weaning failure during open heart surgery can improve the prognosis. More experience and additional clinical studies are necessary to improve survival and decrease complications.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.41 no.4
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• pp.423-429
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• 2008

Background: The interest in robotic cardiac surgery has recently grown but there has not been much clinical research reported on this. The aim of this study is to examine our initial experience, since August 2007, with robotic cardiac surgery using the da $Vince^{TM}$ surgical system and to evaluate the feasibility and safety of it. Material and Method: Between August and December 2007, a total of 20 patients underwent robotic cardiac surgery using the da Vinci surgical system. For mitral valve repair (n=11), tricuspid valve repair (n=1), and ASD repair (n=1), cannulation, antegrade cardioplegia and transthoracic aortic cross-clamping were conducted for the right femoral vessels and the right internal jugular vein. For minimally invasive direct CABG (MIDCAB) (n=7), the internal thoracic artery (ITA) was harvested with the da Vinci surgical system. Result: The mean age of the patients was 50.1 (range: $26{\sim}78$) years. Three concomitant Maze procedures and one tricuspid annuloplasty were combined with mitral valve repair. The mean cardiopulmonary bypass time was $208.0{\pm}61.3$ minutes and the aortic cross clamp time was $158.8{\pm}40.6$ minutes. No patients showed more than mild mitral regurgitation after repair and the median hospital stay was 4 days. The robotic-harvested ITA was used for either left ITA (n=6) or bilateral ITA (n=1). The mean harvest time was $43.2{\pm}12.0$ minutes. The harvested ITA showed good flow and it was anastomosed under direct vision after left anterolateral thoracotomy. The patency of all the grafts was 100% (18/18) in MIDCAB. Conclusion: Robotic cardiac surgery using the da Vinci surgical system was variously adapted to areas such as mitral and tricuspid valve repair, ASD repair and ITA harvest for MIDCAB. The early results of the robotic cardiac surgery showed its safety and feasibility. With this primary report, we anticipate that clinical applications and further studies on robotic cardiac surgery using the da Vinci surgical system will be actively conducted in Korea.

• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
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• v.53 no.4
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• pp.532-537
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• 2010

Purpose : Early postoperative arrhythmias are a major cause of mortality and morbidity after open heart surgery in the pediatric population. We evaluated the incidence and risk factors of early postoperative arrhythmias after surgery of congenital heart disease. Methods : From January 2002 to December 2008, we retrospectively reviewed the medical records of the 561 patients who underwent cardiac surgery in Kyungpook National University Hospital. We analyzed patients' age and weight, occurrence and type of arrhythmia, cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) time, aortic cross clamp (ACC) time, and postoperative electrolyte levels. Results : Arrhythmias occurred in 42 of 578 (7.3%) cases of the pediatric cardiac surgery. The most common types of arrhythmia were junctional ectopic tachycardia (JET) and accelerated idioventricular rhythm (AIVR), which occurred in 17 and 13 cases, respectively. The arterial switch operation (ASO) of transposition of the great arteries (TGA) had the highest incidence of arrhythmia (36.4%). Most cases of cardiac arrhythmia showed good response to management. Patients with early postoperative arrhythmias had significantly lower body weight, younger age, and prolonged CPB and ACC times ($P$<0.05) than patients without arrhythmia. Although the mean duration of ventilator care and intensive care unit stay were significantly longer ($P$<0.05), the mortality rate was not significantly different among the 2 groups. Conclusion : Early postoperative arrhythmias are a major complication after pediatric cardiac surgery; however, aggressive and immediate management can reduce mortality and morbidity.