• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.31 no.7
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• pp.679-683
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• 1998

From June 1995 to May 1997, we have implanted 52 Sorin Bicarbon mechanical valves in 41 patients. They were 16 men and 25 women, and their mean age was 47.4${\pm}$14.8(range; 18∼74 y.o.). 35(27 mm∼31 mm) were in mitral position, 15(19 mm∼25 mm) in aortic position, and 2(31 mm) in tricuspid position. 3 CABGs and a tumor excision were taken concomittantly. 35 patients were primary operation, and 6 were re-do operations. By intraoperative transesophageal doppler echocardiography, transvalvular peak/mean pressure gradient was 6.1${\pm}$2.7/2.4${\pm}$1.4 mmHg in mitral position and 27.6/10.7 mmHg in aortic position. The effective valve opening area in mitral position was 3.2${\pm}$0.6 cm2. Follow-up was total 508.6 patient-months, and mean follw-up was 12.7${\pm}$9.2 months. NYHA class was improved from 2.6${\pm}$0.6 to 1.2${\pm}$0.3 in average postoperatively. During that period, there was no operative death. 2 late non-valve related deaths were occurred. One was died of COPD, and the other was possible acute myocardial infarction. Among 7 postoperative complications, one valve related complication(minimal paravalvular leakage) was noticed. In conclusion, Sorin Bicarbon mechanical valve is believed one of the safe choice in clinical settings. It showed excellent hemodynamic and mechanical functions, and very low postoperative valve related complications in short term clinical experience.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.29 no.4
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• pp.444-448
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• 1996

Hemolytic anemia due to tiny prosthetic paravalvular leakage is one of a complication of prosthetic valve replacement. Mild Hemolysls usually occurs after aortic valve replacement with mechanical valve but rarely occurs in mitral valve position especially in case of tissue valve. Cardiac valves fabricated from biologic material are associated with a reduced incidence of hemolytic anemia. Hemolysis was reported in patients with an lonescu-Shiley bovine pericardial xenograft prosthesis in the aortic position but not in the mitral site. A 41-year-old female patient was admitted due to sudden development dark colored urine. About 10 years ago the patient was underwent MVR (Mitral Valve Re lacement) with fTmm lonescu-Shiley valve due to MR (Mitral regurgitation). Echocardiographic examination showed mild degree of mitral regurgitation with valvular thickening. However, there was no definitive evidence of paravalvular leakage. The peripheral blood smear showed nomochromic normocytic anemia, but the hematologic and urinary examination revealed severe hemolytic evidence. Mitral valve replacement with St. Jude Medical valve (27mm) was done and intraoperatively, a tiny paravalvular leakage was found which was regarded as the point of hemolysis. The hemolytic evidence completely disappeared. We are reporting a case of severe hemolytic anemia due to tiny prosthetic paravalvular leakage with a review of the literature.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.30 no.2
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• pp.152-157
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• 1997

From August 1986 until June 1995, single aortic valve replacement was performed in 65 patients at the Chonnam National University Hospital. worthy-eight were male and 17 were female patients, ranging from 19 to 68 years of age(median : 43 years). The causes of the valve lesions were rheumatic in 29 patients (44.6%), bicuspid aortic valve in 6 patients (6.2%), endocarditis in 6 patients(6.2%), unknown in others. Concomitant surgical procedures were performed in 10 patients : repair of congenital defect in 5, pericardiectomy in 1, coronary artery bypass grafting in 1, noncoronary sinus plication in 1, Valsalva sinus aneurysmectomy in 1, subaortic membrane resection in 1 Used valves were 51. Jude-Medical valve in 42, Duromedics valve in 22, Bjork-Shiley valve in 2, Carpentier-Edward valve in 1. There were 3 hospital deaths (4.6%), and 2 late deaths (3.2%). Follow-up was 95.2% complete. The 10-year acturlal survival rate was 85.3%. Postoperative complications were low cardiac utput in 8, arrythmia in 5, valve related hemolysis in 1, cerebral infarction in 1, and gastrointestinal bleeding in 2. Reoperation was performed in 4 for surgical bleeding, in 3 for paravalvular leak. The mean improvement in New York Heart Association functional class is from 2.79 $\pm$ 0.66 preoperatively to 1.25 $\pm$ 0.49 postoperatively(p < 0.001) The change of cardiothoracic ratio from preoperative to postoperative is 0.57 $\pm$ 0.06 to 0.54 $\pm$ 0.05 (p < 0.05). The left ventricular ejection fraction change is not significant perioperatively. There are no mechanical failures. This early and intermediate-term follow-up suggests that in adults in whom valve repair is not possible, the mechanical valve is a reliable and durable prosthesis with good hemodynamic function and a low rate of thromboembolic event.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.37 no.7
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• pp.559-569
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• 2004

The CarboMedics mechanical valve has been reported to show acceptable valve-related complication rates. The aim of this study is to evaluate our clinical experience with the CarboMedics valve. Material and Method: Between August 1988 and September 1999, we implanted 1,144 CarboMedics valves in 850 patients (aortic 179; mitral 385; double-valve 234; tricuspid 52). The mean age was 44.5 $\pm$ 12.5 years. Follow-up was completed in 95.2% and median follow-up period was 7.9 years (6753 patient-years). Result: The overall hospital mortality rate was 3.4% and the mortality rate for each group was 1.7% for aortic group, 2.6% for mitral group, 4.7% for double-valve group, and 9.6% for tricuspid group, Tricuspid group showed significantly higher mortality rate than aortic and mitral group (p〈0.05). The actuarial survival at 10 years was 87.1 $\pm$ 2.6%, 88.9 $\pm$ 1.7%, 82.4 $\pm$ 2.9%, and 77.5 $\pm$ 7.0% for aortic, mitral, double, and tricuspid valve group, respectively. Age and tricuspid valve replacement were significant risk factors for long-term survival in multivariate analysis (p 〈 0.05). Freedom from valve thrombosis at 10 years was 99.4 $\pm$ 0.6%, 98.2 $\pm$ 0.8%, 99.2 $\pm$ 0.8%, and 87.6 $\pm$ 0.5% for aortic, mitral, double and tricuspid valve group. Tricuspid valve group showed significantly higher rate of valve thrombosis (p 〈 0.05). Conclusion: Long-term results of our experience demonstrated that CarboMedics valve showed acceptable incidence of valve-related complications. However, tricuspid valve replacement showed higher rate of early mortality and valve thrombosis than other valve replacement groups.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.43 no.6
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• pp.614-618
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• 2010

Background: The aim of our study was to assess the extent of regression of left ventricular mass after aortic valve replacement in isolated aortic regurgitation. Material and Method: Retrospective analysis of echocardiographic data was collected preoperative and postoperative 1 year. There were 20 patients (12 males, 8 females, mean age $55.8{\pm}11.8$ years, mean body surface area $1.64{\pm}0.19m^2$) with aortic regurgitation from 2002 through 2007. We studied the change of left ventricular ejection fraction, ventricular septum and left ventricular posterior wall thickness, and left vemtricular muscle index (LVMI). The control group was age matched with normal echocardiographic study results. Patients with combined surgery or infective endocarditis were excluded. Result: Seven cases of tissue valves and thirteen cases of mechanical valve were used. The valve sizes were 21 mm (3 cases), 23 mm (13 cases) and 25 mm (4 cases). The postoperative ($125.5{\pm}42g/m^2$) LVMI has decreased than preoperative LVMI ($212.3{\pm}80g/m^2$, p=0.000) but higher than that of control group ($80.5{\pm}15.9g/m^2$, p=0.000). Postoperative septal wall (systolic/diastolic: $13.5{\pm}3.4mm/17.1{\pm}4.1mm$) and left ventricular posterior wall (systolic/diastolic: $12.9{\pm}3.4mm/16.7{\pm}3.4mm$) thickness were slightly decreased after the valve replacement but was not significantly different than preoperative levels. And postoperative interventricular septal wall and left ventricular posterior wall thickness (systolic/diastolic: $8.6{\pm}1.4mm/12.1{\pm}1.7mm$, systolic/diastolic: $8.4{\pm}1.4mm/13.2{\pm}1.9mm$) were higher than that of the control group (p<0.001). Conclusion: The significant regression of LVMI after aortic valve replacement developed at postoperative one year but the level was higher than control group. The main cause of decreased LVMI is decreased in left ventricular dimension.