• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.33 no.5
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• pp.391-397
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• 2000

Background: Cardiac involvement of Behcets disease is very rate, however, the prognosis of Behcet disease depends on cardiovascular complications. In this article, we described surgical treatment of aortic insufficiency with Behcets disease. Material and Method: From March 1986 to February 1998, we operated on 10 patients of aortic insufficiency with Behcets disease. Male to female ratio was 8 to 2, and age ranged from 21 to 40 years(mean 32.8 years). There were 8 patients with evidence of Behcets disease and another 2 patients had some suspicious findings of Behcets disease(i.e., prosthetic value dehiscence, hypertrophied aortic wall). Adequate preoperative medical treatment for Behcets disease was done in 3 patients. Result: We performed 24 open heart surgeries in 10 patients. Redo value replacements using prosthetic valves were done in 4 patients. Among them, 2 patients were operated on for a second redo valve replacement and one of them operated on for a 4th and 5th operation because of recurrent paravalvular leakage. These 4 patients expired. 1 patient who had undergons tissue value replacement is alive. 1 patient who underwent Cabrol operation expired dut to rupture of graft anastomosis site. We used homografts in 3 patients. In 2 of them, we performed aortic root replacement and subcoronary valve replacement in another patient. The patient who underwent subcoronary valve insertion had remnant aortic insufficiency, so we are closely observing him. We also performed Ross operation in a 24 year old female who suffered severs aortic insufficiency and endocarditis after aortic valvuloplasty. 5 patients are alive and mean follow up duration is 49.0 months. Among them, we used homografts or sutografts in 4 patients. We could observe excellent clinical results in the patients who underwent aortic root replacement using homograft and they were treated medically for Behcets disease. Conclusion: We concluded that adequate preporative diagnosis, clinical suspicion, and periopertive medical treatment for Behcets disease are very important for the result of surgical management of aortic insufficiency with Behcets disease. The use of homograft or autograft was helpful for the healing of anastomosis site and we should carefully observe the long term follow up results.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.31 no.11
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• pp.1031-1036
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• 1998

Background: Medtronic-Hall mechanical valve is a world widely using prosthesis. But, in Korea, the clinical result from Medtronic-Hall valve replacement is not frequenthy available. Materials and methods: From March 1986 to May 1990, 50 patients underwent valve replacement surgery with Medtronic-Hall valve at Pusan National University Hospital. Seventeen were male and thirty three were female and ra nging in age from 16 to 70 years of age(mean=35 years). Results: The causes of valvular lesion were rheumatic in 43 patients, bicuspid aortic valve in 3 patients, degenerative lesion in three patients and bacterial endocarditis in one patient. The operative procedures were mitral valve replacement(MVR) in 38, aortic valve replacement(AVR) in 5 and double valve replacement(DVR) in 7. The most commonly used valve size was 21mm in AVR, 29mm in MVR. Concomitant surgical procedures were performed in 15 patients; left atrial thrombectomy in 9, left atrial auricle obliteration in 6 and tricuspid annuloplasty in 5(Kay: 2, DeVega: 3). New York Heart Association functional class was mostly Class Ⅲ or Ⅳ(91.5%) preoperatively and ClassⅠor Ⅱ(87.2%) after operation. The findings of postoperative echocardiogram of LAD, LVESD, LVEDD were reduced compared with preoperative period and ejection fraction was increased compared with preoperative period. Postoperative complications were massive bleeding in three, low cardiac output syndrome in two, thromboembolism in one and fulminant hepatitis in one patient. There were three hospital deaths and their causes were low cardiac output syndrome in two and rupture of left ventricle in one patient. The 5 year survival rate was 93.65±0.71% and 10 year actuarial survival rate was 88.27±6.42%. Conclusions: Medtronic-Hall mechanical valve has low valve related complication rate. It's durability and hemodynamic performance is comparable to other mechanical valves.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.25 no.3
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• pp.296-306
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• 1992

A 6 year experience with the bileaflet St. Jude Medical valve is reported. Between Feb. 1986 and Dec. 1992, 68 patients received 87 such valves[36 mitral, 13 aortic, and 19 double mitral-aortic valve replacements]. The results are summarized as follows 1. There were 35 male and 33 female patients ranging in age from 17 to 55 years the mean age of 35.3 $\pm$ 9.7 years. 2. The mean aortic clamp time[ACT] of the MVR, AVR and DVR groups were 91.5$\pm$16.4, 117.2$\pm$28.7 and 165.5$\pm$24.1 minutes. The mean total bypass time [TBT] of the MVR, AVR and DVR groups were 112.8$\pm$19.5, 134.7$\pm$31.4 and 192.2$\pm$28.5 minutes. 3. Eighty seven valves were used [55 mitral site, 32 aortic site]. 31mm[20], 33mm[15], 29mm[15], 27mm[2], 25mm[2] and 35mm[1] were used in mitral site and 23mm[13], 21mm[8], 19mm[7] and 25mm[4] were used in the aortic site. In the DVR, there were valve combinations such as 4 cases of M[29mm]-A[19mm], 4 of M[31mm]-A[23mm], 3 of M[33mm]-A[23mm] and others. 4. Preoperative NYHA functional classes were II [3 cases], III [46 cases], IV[19 cases] and improved to I [52 cases] and Il [13 cases] postoperatively. 5 Early postoperative complications were occurred in 15 cases[2Z.l%] and there were LOS in 5 cases[7.4%], arrythmia [3 cases], wound infection [2 cases], hepatitis [2 cases], sudden cardiac arrest [2 cases] and postoperative bleeding [1 case]. The early hospital death was occurred in 3 cases[4.4%] with LOS [1 case] and sudden cardiac arrest [2 cases]. 6. Mean follow-up time of survival cases[65 cases] was 31.3$\pm$21.9 months and the total follow-up time was 169.8 patient-years. Late postoperative complications were occurred in 4 cases[2 thromboembolism, 1 paravalvular leak, 1 thromboembolism br paravalvular leak, 1 valve endocarditis] with the occurrence rate as 2.35% per patient-years. Reoperation was performed in 2 cases [1 paravalvular leak, 1 left atrial thrombus] and there was one [1.5%] late valve related death. Therefore the 6 year complication free rate was 90.6% and 6 year actuarial survival rate was 98.3$\pm$1.7%. On the basis of this experience and the results, SJMvalve appears to be one of the best performing mechanical prosthesis currently available, in terms of both hemodynamics and lower complications with warfarin antioagulation.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.31 no.3
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• pp.242-246
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• 1998

From January 1988 to December 1995, 27 patients, 11 men and 16 women, underwent surgical intervention at our institution for prosthetic valve dysfunctions. The mean age was 43.5$\pm$12.2 years. Seventeen(63.0%) patients had the mitral valve replacement, 8(29.6%) the aortic valve, 1(3.7%) the aortic composite graft, and 1(3.7%) the tricuspid valve. Mean follow-up period was 49.5$\pm$30.9 months. In 12 bioprostheses, mean interval between the previous valve replacement and the reoperation was 104.9$\pm$34.9 months. The causes of redo surgery were structural deterioration of the prosthetic valve (12/12, 100%), paravalvular leak (2/12, 16.7%), and prosthetic valve endocarditis(1/12, 8.3%). In 15 mechanical prostheses, the mean interval was 55.2$\pm$43.7 months. The causes of redo surgery were pannus formation (8/15, 53.3%), paravalvular leak(4/15, 26.7%), and valve thrombosis(3/15, 20.0%). Posto- perative complications occurred in 7 patients (25.9%). There was no intraoperative death. But one patient, who received mechanical aortic valve replacement died on the 3rd postoperative day due to low cardiac output and multiorgan failure.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.17 no.4
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• pp.593-606
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• 1984

With the ligation of patent ductus arteriosus by Gross in 1938, surgeons first entered the field of congenital heart disease. Interruption of a ductus is one of the most satisfactory and curative operations in the field of surgery for congenital heart disease. 27 cases of isolated patent ductus arteriosus were operated from Jan. 1978 to July 1984 at the Department of Thoracic & Cardiovascular Surgery in Kyung-Hee University Hospital. Retrospective clinical analysis of these patients were: 1. Sex ratio, female: male, was 2:1. 2. Mean age at operation was 9.85\ulcorner.58 years. The youngest patient was a 23 month-old girl and the oldest one was a 24 year-old male. 3. More than half of the patients had less than 50 percentile of growth retardation. 4. Chief complaints of the patients were frequent URI [52%], dyspnea on exertion [33%], generalized weakness [22%], palpitation [7%], but 7 patients [26%] had no subjective symptoms. 5. Continuous machinery murmur could be heard at the 2nd or 3rd intercostal space on the left sternal border in 22 patients [81%]. The other S patients made systolic murmur with accentuation of the second heart sound and those were associated with pulmonary hypertension. 6. Radiologic findings of Chest P-A were cardiac enlargement in 15 patients [55%], enlargement of pulmonary conus and/or increasing density of pulmonary vascularity in 20 patients [74%]. 7. Electrocardiographic findings of the patients were within normal limit in 13 patients [48%], LVH in 4 patients [15%], biventricular hypertrophy in 3 patients [11%]. 8; echocardiogram was obtained from 11 patients. Ductus was directly visualized in 7 patients. Left atrial enlargement is the secondary change of left to right shunt, 10 patients had LA/Ao ratio more than 1.2. 9. Cardiac catheterization performed in 25 patients. The mean value of the results were:SO2[PA-RV]= 14.72\ulcorner6.01%, Qp/Qs=2.22\ulcorner.80, peak systolic pulmonary arterial pressure=48.28\ulcorner1.60 mmHg. 10. 26 patients were operated through the left posterolateral thoracotomy: closure of ductus by double ligation in 14 cases, triple ligation in 5 cases, and division with suture in 8 cases. One patient suffer from aneurysmal rupture of main pulmonary artery, endocarditis, hemopericardium was treated with cardiopulmonary bypass via median sternotomy and closure of ductus through the ruptured main pulmonary artery. 11.There was no death associated with the operation, but 3 cases were experienced with intraoperative rupture around the ductus resulting in massive bleeding. The other complications were transient hoarseness in one patient, atelectasis in left lower lobe in 3 patients, and postoperative systemic hypertension in 4 patients with unknown etiology. 12. Pulse pressure was reduced, 11.47+5.92 mmHg, postoperatively, as compare to preoperative status. 13. Intraoperative wedge lung biopsy from lingular segment for the evaluation of the pulmonary vascular disease was taken in S patients with severe pulmonary hypertension. The result was Heath-Edward grade I in one case, grade II in two cases, and grade III in two cases.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.48 no.5
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• pp.328-334
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• 2015

Background: There have been a number of studies on mitral valve replacement and repeated percutaneous mitral balloon valvotomy for mitral valve restenosis after percutaneous mitral balloon valvotomy. However, studies on mitral valve repair for these patients are rare. In this study, we analyzed postoperative outcomes of mitral valve repair for mitral valve restenosis after percutaneous mitral balloon valvotomy. Methods: In this study, we assessed 15 patients (mean age, $47.7{\pm}9.7years$; 11 female and 4 male) who underwent mitral valve repair between August 2008 and March 2013 for symptomatic mitral valve restenosis after percutaneous mitral balloon valvotomy. The mean interval between the initial percutaneous mitral balloon valvotomy and the mitral valve repair was $13.5{\pm}7years$. The mean preoperative Wilkins score was $9.4{\pm}2.6$. Results: The mean mitral valve area obtained using planimetry increased from $1.16{\pm}0.16cm^2$ to $1.62{\pm}0.34cm^2$ (p=0.0001). The mean pressure half time obtained using Doppler ultrasound decreased from $202.4{\pm}58.6ms$ to $152{\pm}50.2ms$ (p=0.0001). The mean pressure gradient obtained using Doppler ultrasound decreased from $9.4{\pm}4.0mmHg$ to $5.8{\pm}1.5mmHg$ (p=0.0021). There were no early or late deaths. Thromboembolic events or infective endocarditis did not occur. Reoperations such as mitral valve repair or mitral valve replacement were not performed during the follow-up period ($39{\pm}16months$). The 5-year event-free survival was 56.16% (95% confidence interval, 47.467-64.866). Conclusion: On the basis of these results, we could not conclude that mitral valve repair could be an alternative for patients with mitral valve restenosis after percutaneous balloon mitral valvotomy. However, some patients presented with results similar to those of mitral valve replacement. Further studies including more patients with long-term follow-up are necessary to determine the possibility of this application of mitral valve repair.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.31 no.12
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• pp.1165-1171
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• 1998

Background: All currently available mechanical and bioprosthetic valves are associated with various types of deterioration leading to dysfunction and/or valvular complications. Reoperation on prosthetic heart valves is increasingly under consideration for both clinical and prophylactic indications. This review was conducted to determine the factors affecting the risk of reoperation for prosthetic valve replacement. Material and method: From January 1985 to July 1996, 124 patients underwent reoperation on prosthetic heart valves, and 3 patients had a second valve reoperation. The causes of reoperation were prosthetic valve failure(96 cases, 77.4%), prosthetic valve thrombosis(16 cases, 12.9%), prosthetic valve endocarditis(7 cases, 5.6%) and paravalvular leak(5 cases, 4.1%). This article is based on the analysis of the experience with particular emphasis on the preoperative risks affecting the outcome of the reoperation. Result: Overall hospital mortality rate was 8.9%(11/124). Low cardiac output was the most common cause of death(70.6%). Left ventricular systolic dimension(p=0.001), New York Heart Association functional class IV(p=0.003) and serum creatinine level(p=0.007) were the independent risk factors, but age, sex and cardiothoracic ratio did not have any influence on the operative mortality. Follow-up period was ranged from 3 to 141 months (mean, 50.6 months). A late mortality rate was 1.8%. Conclusion: The surgical risk of reoperation on heart valve prostheses in the advanced NYHA class patients is higher, therefore reoperation is recommended before the hemodynamic impairment become severe.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.20 no.2
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• pp.289-299
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• 1987

A total of 1,239 patients had cardiac valve replacement using 1,514 substitute valves at Seoul National University Hospital from 1968 to 1986. Of the total substitute vales, 84.9% were the glutaraldehyde-treated xenograft valves. Six hundred ninety-four patients who had 820 bioprosthetic tissue valves were studied for their clinical characteristics. They were a total and consecutive cases to the end of the study. Four hundred sixty-four patients had the lonescu-Shiley pericardial valves: MVR 291, AVR 66 and MVR+AVR 107; 163 had the Hancock porcine valves; 46 had the Angell-Shiley porcine valves; and 21 had the Carpentier-Edwards porcine valves. Five hundred forty patients underwent single valve replacement: MVR 460, AVR 76 and TVR 4; 154 had multiple valve replacement: MVR+AVR 141, MVR+TVR 12 and one triple valve replacement. Additional surgery was necessary in 22.3% of the cases. Operative mortality rate within 30 days of surgery was 6.77% for the total patients: 5.2% and 4.2% with MVR, 13.6% and 12.5% with AVR, and 7.5% and 7.4% with MVR+AVR using the lonescu and the Hancock valves respectively. A linealized annual late mortality rate was 2.56%/patient-year. Six hundred forty-three operative survivors were followed up for a total of 1482.7 patient-years [a mean 27.7 months], and the follow-up rate was 67.7%. The Idealized complication rates were: 2.02% emboli/patient-year, 0.94% bleeding/patient-year, 1.21% endocarditis/patient-year, and 3.84% overall valve failure/patient-year. A linealized rate of primary tissue failure was 0.87%/patient-year. Actuarial survival rates including the operative mortality were: 87.8*2.6%, 82.3*4.9% and 82.2*4.7% with MVR, AVR and MVR+AVR using the lonescu valves at 4 years after surgery respectively; and they were 88.0*4.1% with MVR at 8 years, 82.3*4.9% with AVR at 4 years and 84.9*7.0% with MVR+AVR at 6 years after surgery using the Hancock valves respectively. Probabilities of freedom from thromboembolism were 89.8*6.3% with MVR using the lonescu valves at postoperative 5 years and 89.2*3.8% with MVR using the Hancock valves at postoperative 7 years, and 93.3*3.9% with AVR using the lonescu valves at postoperative 5 years. None had embolic complication after AVR using the Hancock valves. Probabilities of freedom from valve failure [according to the Stanford criteria] were 81.0*7.1% with MVR using the lonescu valves at postoperative 4 years and 57.4*12.5% with MVR using the Hancock valves at postoperative 9 years. These clinical results prove the excellent antithrombogenicity of the glutaraldehyde-treated xenograft substitute valves and confirm the previously speculated rate of tissue failure. At the present situation, it may be concluded that there is a room for the further development of more durable bioprosthetic valves.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.45 no.1
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• pp.24-29
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• 2012

Background: The conventional method of aortic cross-clamping is very difficult and increases the risk of cerebral infarct due to embolism of the calcified aorta in these patients. Accordingly, we analyzed our experience with 11 cases of ascending aorta and aortic valve replacement with hypothermic circulatory arrest. Materials and Methods: From January 2002 to December 2009, 11 patients had ascending aorta and aortic valve replacement with hypothermic arrest at our hospital. We performed a retrospective study. Results: There were 5 males and 6 females, with a mean age of 68 years (range, 44 to 82 years). Eight patients had aortic stenosis, and 3 patients had aortic regurgitation. An aortic cannula was inserted into the right axillary artery in 3 patients and ascending aorta in 6 patients. Two patients with aortic regurgitation had a remote access perfusion catheter inserted though the right femoral artery. The mean cardiopulmonary bypass time was 180 minutes (range, 110 to 306 minutes) and mean hypothermic circulatory arrest time was 30 minutes (range, 20 to 48 minutes). The mean rectal temperature during hypothermic circulatory arrest was $21^{\circ}C$ (range, $19^{\circ}C$ to $23^{\circ}C$). No patient had any new onset of cerebral infarct or cardiovascular accident after surgery. There was no hospital mortality. Early complications occurred in 1 patient who needed reoperation due to postoperative bleeding. Late complications occurred in 1 patient who underwent a Bentall operation due to prosthetic valve endocarditis. The mean follow-up duration was 32 months (range, 1 month to 8 years) and 1 patient died suddenly due to unknown causes after 5 years. Conclusion: Patients with a calcified aorta can be safely treated with a technique based on aorta and aortic valve replacement under hypothermic circulatory arrest.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.28 no.6
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• pp.571-578
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• 1995

Rastelli operation in which right ventricle[RV and pulmonary artery[PA is connected with an artificial graft is effective in increasing the pulmonary blood flow in certain types of congenital heart disease but, in many, it requires a reoperation because of the relative stenosis of graft that develops as the patients become old. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the various factors which many influence the long term outcome of such patients following a Rastelli operation. A total of 47 patients underwent a Rastelli operation during a 15 year period between November, 1978 and October 1993. The mean follow-up period is 76.1 51.3 months.1 Among the 47 patients, a valved conduit was used in 30[63.8% , and non-valved conduit in 17[36.2% patients. In the 8 patients[17.0% who died postoperatively, a valved conduit was used in 5 [16.6% and a non-valved conduit in 3[17.6% . There was no statistical difference in mortality between the 2 groups. There was a good linear correlation between the body surface area[X and the conduit size[Y [Y=3.86X + 14.6, R=0.55, P=0.01 .2 Ten patients underwent replacement of the conduit during the follow-up period. The type of conduit used and the frequency of subsequent replacement were as follows: Ionescu-Shiley, valved-33.3%, Carpentier-Edwards, valved-30.8%, Hancock, valved-80% and non-valved conduit-9.1%. The median period free of reoperation was 110 months for the valved and 79 months for the non-valved group, there being no statistical difference between the 2 groups. 3 The patients who did not require reoperation are all doing well [New York Heart Association Functional Classification: Class I . Pressure gradient between the RV and the PA was 20 mmHg in 10 randomly selected patients who did not require reoperation and 92 9 mmHg in 10 patients who did require reoperation.4 In the 10 patients who underwent a conduit replacement procedure.5 Among patients undergoing reoperation, 2 died from endocarditis.The remaining 8 patients are doing well without limitation in physical activity at a mean follow-up period of 32.7 33.9 months [range 2 to 89 months . 6 At 5, 7, and 10 years, the reoperation-free rates among all patients were 96%, 91% and 29% and the survival rates were 82%, 82% and 71%. In conclusion, Rastelli operation is an effective procedure in ameliorating symptoms in a select group of patients with congenital heart disease. Because of the inherent nature of relative graft stenosis and degeneration, a long-term follow-up is required under the proper selection of the graft material.