• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.30 no.9
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• pp.869-875
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• 1997

Perimembranous ventri ular septal defects(PMVSDS) are the most common type of ventricular septal defects(VSDs) and consist morphologically of deficiency of the membranous septum and variable portions of the adjacent muscular septum. Repair of VSD has begun via a right ventriculotomy. Even with this exposure, however, it mght lead to ventricular dysfunction. Transatrial exposure of VSDs is luiown to a versatile approach to PMVSDS and even malaligunent defects can be repaired by this method. Although transatrial exposure can be improved by taking down'the atrioventricular valve at the annulus, surgeons have been hesitant to do so because of concern for valvular competence. Therefore, this study was undertaken to clarity the effects of transamlular approach of tricuspid valve (TATV) at operation of PMVSD. During last 5 years, twenty eight cases from 96 patients of PMVSD were closed by TATV and follow up study was done from 3 months to 33 months and results were obtained as follows. 1. Age at operation was fr m 4 months to 38 years and most patients(17, 62%) were above 5 years. 2. Preoperative pulmonary-systemic flow ratio(QPIQS) was ranged from 1 to 2.8 and 22 patients(79%) were less than 2. 3. Peak systolic pulmonary artery pressure was below 30mmHg in 8, 30-50mmHg in 17, above 50mmHg in 3 patients and 25 patients(89%) were less than 50mmHg. 4. Preoperative tricuspid regurgitation(TR) is none in 12, trivial in 6, mild in 3, moderate in 5, severe in 2 patients but postoperative TR was none in 18, trivial in 6, mild in 4 patients, so TR in most patients had decreased or not. 5. Indications for operation were based on the presence of a significant shunt. However, in patients with small shunts, indications for operation were included additional factors, tricuspid valve pouch, RVOT obstruction(right ventricular outflow tract obstruction), subacute bacterial endocarditis and associated anomalies. 6. There were no hospital deaths and residual shunts in postoperative echocardiography. Therefore TATV is especially a good method in PMVSn where patients have trcuspid valve pouch. And it is a safe and effective technique that improves exposure for PMVSD repair and does not adversely affect tricuspid valvular competence.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.36 no.5
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• pp.321-328
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• 2003

Background: The St. Jude Medical prosthesis is one of the popularly used artificial prosthesis, therefore the National Medical Center reports the long-term clinical results of patients who underwent prosthetic valve replacement with St. Jude medical valve for 18 years. Material and Method: Between January, 1984 and June, 2002, a series of 163 consecutive patients who had Implanted St. Jude prosthesis at the National Medical Center were reviewed. Mean age was 42.9$\pm$15.1 years and male to female ratio was 69:94. The operative procedure comprised of 87 MVR, 30 AVR, 45 DVR, and 1 TVR. The reoperative procedure comprised of 21 MVR, 2 AVR, and 14 DVR. Follow-up rate was 96.9%, and cumulative follow-up was 823.8 patient-years. Result: Early mortality rate was 7.9% (13 patients), late mortality rate was 8.7% (13 patients) and late mortality due to valve related complication was 47% (7 patients). Actual survival rate at 10 and 18 years were 91.7$\pm$2.1% and 91.0$\pm$1.9%. Linearized Incidence was as follows: thromboembolism, 1.09%/ patient-year; anticoagulant related hemorrhage, 0.36%/patient-year; valve thrombosis, 0.24%/patient-year; paravalvular leakage, 0.12%/patient-year; and prosthetic bacterial endocarditis, 0.12%/patient-year linearized incidence of over all valve related complication was 1.94%/patient-year. Freedom from valve related complication at 10 and 18 years were 89.1$\pm$3.3% and 88.4$\pm$3.9%. Freedom from valve related death at 10 and 18 years were 95.1$\pm$1.2% and 95.1$\pm$1.0%. Valve related complication was related the age of patient, especially anticoagulant related hemorrhage was more common in patients over 60 years of age. Valve related complication, death were higher in DVR than AVR or MVR, and valve related death was higher in reoperation. There was no relationship between valve related complication or death and implant valve of size. Conclusion: The long-term clinical results of patients implanted with St. Jude Mechanical prosthesis was quite satisfactory with a low incidence of valve related complication and mortality.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.49 no.2
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• pp.217-224
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• 2000

Background : It is well known that when macrophages are stimulated with endotoxin, they produce a wide variety of cytokine mediators, including TNF-$\alpha$ and IL-1$\beta$. However, there is an alteration in the macrophages' responsiveness when they are challenged with repeated bouts of endotoxin, termed "endotoxin tolerance" which is regarded as a self-protective phenomenon from continuous stimulation. In this study, endotoxin tolerance in the peripheral blood monocytes of sepsis patients was evaluated. Methods : Fourteen patients with organism-documented sepsis were included. The severity of illness was evaluated by APACHE II score. Peripheral blood monocytes were isolated from the patients and diluted to $1{\times}10^5$ well. After stimulation with endotoxin (LPS of E. coli O114 : B4, 100 ng/ml), they were incubated at $37^{\circ}C$ in 5% $CO_2$ incubator for 24 hours. Supernatant was collected for the measurement of TNF-$\alpha$ and IL-1$\beta$ with ELISA method. Peripheral blood monocytes of seven healthy volunteers were used as control. Results : The APACHE II score (mean$\pm$SD) of the patients at the time of blood sampling was 12.2$\pm$5.7. The primary infection foci were urinary tract infection, pneumonia, subacute bacterial endocarditis, and catheter related infection, etc. The causative organisms were gram negative rods (10 cases), gram positive cocci (6 cases) with two cases of mixed infection. Serum TNF-$\alpha$ could be measured in 4 cases with 29.9$\pm$27.7 pg/ml. Serum IL-1$\beta$was measurable in only one patient. The TNF-$\alpha$ level of supernatant of cultured peripheral blood monocytes was 2,703$\pm$2,066 pg/ml in patients and 2,102$\pm$1914 pg/ml in controls. The IL-1$\beta$level of supernatant was 884$\pm$1,050 pg/ml in patients and 575$\pm$558 pg/ml in controls. There was no difference of TNF-$\alpha$ and IL-1$\beta$ level between patients and controls. Conclusion : We cannot prove the phenomenon of endotoxin tolerance in this study. Future study needs to be focused on the more severe sepsis patients who were taken for sampling earlier. Addition of serum to the culture medium could be an another valuable option for the success of this study.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.37 no.5
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• pp.401-409
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• 2004

Background: As the rupture of chordae and/or papillary muscle became the main cause of mitral valve regurgitation, mitral reconstructive surgery has a very important role. In this regard, we analyzed the clinical result and postoperative early result of operative treatment performed in our hospital, Material and Method: For this analysis, forty nine patients (male 26, female 23, mean age 49.0$\pm$16.5) who underwent mitral valve operation caused by the rupture of chordae and/or papillary muscle from August 1991 to April 2002 were reviewed. Among forty nine patients, twenty two (44.9%) received mital valve reconstruction and twenty seven (59.2%) received mitral valve replacement. Result: As to the pathological etiology of rupture of mitral and papillary muscle, twenty five cases (51.0%) were nonspecific degeneration, eleven cases (22.4%) were myxomatous degeneration, seven cases (14.3%) were subacute bacterial endocarditis. Three patients suffered mortality after operation (6.1%) and valve replacement was performed again on one patient because of remnant mitral insufficiency after valve reconstruction. The 5-year survival rate after operation for the entire mitral valve regurgitation patients was 81 .4%. We have also compared and analyzed the operation results of a group of patients who underwent valve reconstruction and the other group of patients who underwent valve replacement from thirty six patients who had suffered from mitral valve regurgitation caused by degenerative disease. The mortalities were 0% and 14.3%, respectively and the 5-year survival rates were 90.2% and 64.3%, respectively, but there were no statistical significance. Conclusion: The most common pathological etiology of mitral valve regurgitation caused by rupture of chordae and/or papillary muscle was nonspecific degeneration, In case of degenerative disease is the cause of mitral valve regurgitation, valve reconstruction showed better long-term effects in many respects and better operation results compared to valve replacement.