• Journal of Korean Academy of Nursing
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• v.33 no.3
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• pp.365-375
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• 2003

Purpose: This study was aimed to investigate the health related quality of life and related factors of organ transplant recipients. Method: The participants were 188 people who had liver(86), kidney(81), or heart(24) transplanted. Data on the demographic characteristics, transplantation-related characteristics, symptom frequency or discomfort measured by Transplant Symptom Frequency and Symptom Distress Scale by Lough et al(l987), and health related quality of life measured by SF-36(version 2) were collected. Result: Overall health related quality of life score was 492.1 for 100scoring and, 344.9 for norm based. Physical functioning showed the highest quality of life score (77.5) and vitality showed the lowest(51.l). The kidney transplanted showed the highest quality of life (504.4) and the heart transplanted showed the lowest(426.7) Quality of life was related with occupation(p=.016) and symtom discomfort(p < .0001). Conclusion: The health related quality of life of transplated patients was lower than the norm of American. Further studies need to be done to identify the norm of Korean and to investigate the effect of releving symptom discomfort on the increasing the health related quality of life.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.61 no.5
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• pp.440-446
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• 2006

Background: Post-transplant tuberculosis (TB) is a serious complication in solid organ transplant recipients worldwide, However there is little or no data on TB in liver or heart transplant recipients in Korea. Methods: The incidence and clinical characteristics of TB of 730 patients who had undergone a liver transplant in a university hospital in Korea between 1992 and 2004, and 110 heart transplant recipients in the same period, were reviewed retrospectively. Results: The incidence of TB was 1.5%(11/730) and 2.7%(3/110) in the liver and heart transplantation, respectively. The median time from the transplant to the development of TB was 8.4 months(1.0-30.8). and the mean time from the symptoms to the diagnosis of TB was $2.1{\pm}3.6$ months(0.3-13.2). Nine patients (65%) had pulmonary TB and five (35%) had extrapulmonary TB. The leukopenia and positive HbeAg at the baseline, post-transplant diabetes mellitus, and chronic rejection were associated with the development of TB in the liver transplant recipients. Ten patients were treated with a 4-drug standard regimen for a mean duration of $7.8{\pm}3.5$ months. One patients died of TB. Conclusion: The incidence of TB in liver or heart transplant recipients was similar to that reported in other countries with a similar TB-burden.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.23 no.5
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• pp.844-853
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• 1990

We have performed 27 cases of orthotopic homologous cardiac transplantation using Korean mongrel dogs and one case of sham operation for the evaluation of harmful effect of cardiopulmonary bypass itself on the dog from April, 1989 to June, 1990. Our previous reports have already demonstrated basal hemodynamic and hematologic data on the canine homologous heart transplantation and the fundamental principles of transplantation of the heart. The mean body weight of recipients was 13.2$\pm$1.2kg with a rage of 11 ~ 15kg, and the hemodynamic and hematologic pictures were almost same as the result of previous reports from our hospital, except marked decrease in postoperative platelet count[from 3.18 $\pm$0.80x106/mm3 to 1.41$\pm$0 37x 106/mm3]. Mean survival time was 24.82$\pm$49.40 hours with the longest survival of 264 hours. Donor cardiectomy included coronary vasodilatation with diltiazem, potassium arrest, and the rapid cooling of the heart suspending in the specially designed ice-bath. Median sternotomy provided excellent exposure of the surgical field. 6 \ulcorner0 prolene suture was used for the anastomosis of both atrial cuffs and the great arteries, and we found the fact that stenosis, bleeding, thrombus formation around the anastomotic site could be decreased with the use of everted horizontal mattress suture techniques. Immunosuppression was done with a combination of lower dose Cyclosporin-A, Azathioprine, methyl-prednisolone, but our cases still showed too short survival to worry about graft rejection. Still poor was our quality control of experimental animal, we had much difficulties in postmortem evaluation of the dogs. Low cardiac output due to biventricular failure, intractable supraventricular or ventricular tachyarrhythmia, postoperative massive bleeding, sepsis were most frequent findings that could be thought as a cause of death. A few cases showed subendocardial patch hemorrhage in both ventricular cavity or atrial septum at autopsy, suggesting acute subendocardial infarction. Although our team overcome most of the technical problems of orthotopic heart transplantation, we should pile up further knowledges about donor heart preservation, quality control of animal, infection, rejection, the effect of the cardiopulmonary bypass to improve the results.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.69 no.3
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• pp.201-206
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• 2010

Nontuberculous mycobacterial (NTM) diseases are increasing worldwide. However NTM lung disease in organ transplant recipients has been rarely reported. Here, we report 2 cases of NTM lung disease in heart transplant recipients. A 37-year-old man, who had undergone a heart transplant one year previous, was admitted to hospital due to a cough. Chest CT scan showed multiple centrilobular nodules in both lower lungs. In his sputum, M. abscessus was repeatedly identified by rpoB gene analysis. The patient improved after treatment with clarithromycin, imipenem, and amikacin. An additional patient, a 53-year-old woman who had undergone a heart transplant 4 years prior and who suffered from bronchiectasis, was admitted because of purulent sputum. The patient's chest CT scan revealed aggravated bronchiectasis; M. intracellulare was isolated repeatedly in her sputum. Treatment was successfully completed with clarithromycin, ethambutol, and ciprofloxacin. NTM lung disease should be considered as a potential opportunistic infection in organ transplant recipients.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.82 no.4
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• pp.348-356
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• 2019

Background: Recently, the number of lung transplants in South Korea has increased. However, the long-term outcome data is limited. In this study, we aimed to investigate the long-term outcomes of adult lung transplantation recipients. Methods: Among the patients that underwent lung transplantation at a tertiary referral center in South Korea between 2008 and 2017, adults patient who underwent deceased-donor lung transplantation with available follow-up data were enrolled. Their medical records were retrospectively reviewed. Results: Through eligibility screening, we identified 60 adult patients that underwent lung (n=51) or heart-lung transplantation (n=9) during the observation period. Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (46.7%, 28/60) was the most frequent cause of lung transplantation. For all the 60 patients, the median follow-up duration for post-transplantation was 2.6 years (range, 0.01-7.6). During the post-transplantation follow-up period, 19 patients (31.7%) died at a median duration of 194 days. The survival rates were 75.5%, 67.6%, and 61.8% at 1 year, 3 years, and 5 years, respectively. Out of the 60 patients, 8 (13.3%) were diagnosed with chronic lung allograft dysfunction (CLAD), after a mean duration of $3.3{\pm}2.8years$ post-transplantation. The CLAD development rate was 0%, 17.7%, and 25.8% at 1 year, 3 years, and 5 years, respectively. The most common newly developed post-transplantation comorbidity was the chronic kidney disease (CKD; 54.0%), followed by diabetes mellitus (25.9%). Conclusion: Among the adult lung transplantation recipients at a South Korea tertiary referral center, the long-term survival rates were favorable. The proportion of patients who developed CLAD was not substantial. CKD was the most common post-transplantation comorbidity.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.46 no.6
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• pp.426-432
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• 2013

Background: Heart transplantation has become a widely accepted surgical option for end-stage heart failure in Korea since its first success in 1992. We reviewed early postoperative complications and mortality in 239 patients who underwent heart transplantation using bicaval technique in Asan Medical Center. Methods: Between January 1999 and December 2011, a total of 247 patients aged over 17 received heart transplantation using bicaval technique in Asan Medical Center. After excluding four patients with concomitant kidney transplantation and four with heart-lung transplantation, 239 patients were enrolled in this study. We evaluated their early postoperative complications and mortality. Postoperative complications included primary graft failure, cerebrovascular accident, mediastinal bleeding, renal failure, low cardiac output syndrome requiring intra-aortic balloon pump or extracorporeal membrane oxygenation insertion, pericardial effusion, and inguinal lymphocele. Follow-up was 100% complete with a mean follow-up duration of $58.4{\pm}43.6$ months. Results: Early death occurred in three patients (1.3%). The most common complications were pericardial effusion (61.5%) followed by arrhythmia (41.8%) and mediastinal bleeding (8.4%). Among the patients complicated with pericardial effusion, only 13 (5.4%) required window operation. The incidence of other significant complications was less than 5%: stroke (1.3%), low cardiac output syndrome (2.5%), renal failure requiring renal replacement (3.8%), sternal wound infection (2.0%), and inguinal lymphocele (4.6%). Most of complications did not result in the extended length of hospital stay except mediastinal bleeding (p=0.034). Conclusion: Heart transplantation is a widely accepted option of surgical treatment for end-stage heart failure with good early outcomes and relatively low catastrophic complications.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.57 no.2
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• pp.184-194
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• 2024

Background: Left ventricular assist devices (LVADs) are widely employed as a therapeutic option for end-stage heart failure. We evaluated the outcomes associated with centrifugal-flow LVAD implantation, comparing 2 device models: the Heartmate 3 (HM3) and the Heartware Ventricular Assist Device (HVAD). Methods: Data were collected from patients who underwent LVAD implantation between June 1, 2015 and December 31, 2022. We analyzed overall survival, first rehospitalization, and early, late, and LVAD-related complications. Results: In total, 74 patients underwent LVAD implantation, with 42 receiving the HM3 and 32 the HVAD. A mild Interagency Registry for Mechanically Assisted Circulatory Support score was more common among HM3 than HVAD recipients (p=0.006), and patients receiving the HM3 exhibited lower rates of preoperative ventilator use (p=0.010) and extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (p=0.039). The overall early mortality rate was 5.4% (4 of 74 patients), with no significant difference between groups. Regarding early right ventricular (RV) failure, HM3 implantation was associated with a lower rate (13 of 42 [31.0%]) than HVAD implantation (18 of 32 [56.2%], p=0.051). The median rehospitalization-free period was longer for HM3 recipients (16.9 months) than HVAD recipients (5.3 months, p=0.013). Furthermore, HM3 recipients displayed a lower incidence of late hemorrhagic stroke (p=0.016). In the multivariable analysis, preoperative use of continuous renal replacement therapy (odds ratio, 22.31; p=0.002) was the only significant predictor of postoperative RV failure. Conclusion: The LVAD models (HM3 and HVAD) demonstrated comparable overall survival rates. However, the HM3 was associated with a lower risk of late hemorrhagic stroke.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.51 no.5
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• pp.328-332
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• 2018

Background: Extracorporeal life support (ECLS) can be applied in brain-dead donors for organ perfusion before donation, thereby expanding the donor pool. The aim of this study was to examine the benefits and early clinical outcomes of ECLS for organ preservation. Methods: Between June 2012 and April 2017, 9 patients received ECLS with therapeutic intent or for organ preservation. The following data were collected: demographics, purpose and duration of ECLS, cause of death, dose of vasoactive drugs, and need for temporary dialysis before organ retrieval. The early clinical outcomes of recipients were studied, as well as survival and graft function at 1 month. Results: ECLS was initiated for extracorporeal cardiopulmonary resuscitation in 5 patients. The other patients needed ECLS due to hemodynamic deterioration during the assessment of brain death. We successfully retrieved 18 kidneys, 7 livers, and 1 heart from 9 donors. All organs were transplanted and none were discarded. Only 1 case of delayed kidney graft function was noted, and all 26 recipients were discharged without any significant complications. Conclusion: The benefits of protecting the vital organs of donors is significant, and ECLS for organ preservation can be widely used in the transplantation field.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.22 no.1
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• pp.1-9
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• 1989

We have performed one case of autotransplantation and 11 cases of orthotopic homotransplantation using Korean mongrel dogs, and have scrutinized the hematologic and hemodynamic results. The mean weight of recipients was 15.42*1.2kg and varied from 14kg to 20kg. During the operation, anesthesia and other technical procedures including cardiopulmonary bypass were similar to the usual methods in human cardiac transplantation. It was found that the hematologic values were similar to those of human beings although there was wide variance. Hemodynamically the mean systolic and diastolic arterial pressures were 165.0* 12.9 mmHg and 100.0 *11.8 mmHg respectively, and the mean heart rate was 155.5*23.5/min. All cases died within 24hrs, and the mean survival in all but 6 cases where operative death occurred was 6.83*8.01 hrs[range 2-21 hrs]. The major causes of deaths were bleedings in 7 cases, failure to protect myocardium during the procedure in 2 cases, pulmonary edema in 1 case and multiorgan failure in 2 cases. From the above results we concluded that the most frequent complication was bleeding, and the cardiopulmonary bypass flow of 50-500ml/kg min was not suitable to the dog in CPB. In further experiment after this study, the technical and the bypass flow was increased. Bleeding was not significant. And the immunosuppresion during operation and postoperative period was tried.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.32 no.3
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• pp.215-223
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• 1999

Background: The replacement of the narrowed long-segment trachea with various prosthetic materials or tissue grafts remains a difficult and unsolved surgical problem. Homologous cryopreserved tracheal transplantation has been considered to treat the irreversibly-damaged organs, such as in the lung or heart transplantation and also to overcome the limited supply of donor organs. We examined the morphological changes and the immunosuppressive effects of the cryopreserved trachea after the heterotopic transplantation in the rats. Material and Method: Sixty tracheal segments harvested from 30 donor Wistar rats were heterotopically implanted into the peritoneal cavity of 20 recipient Wistar rats and 40 Sprague Dawley rats. The 60 recipient rats were divided into 6 groups(10 rats/ group). In groups I, II, and III, 30 tracheal segments were implanted immediately after the harvesting and in groups IV, V, and VI, the segments were implanted 28 days after the cryopreservation. Groups I and IV were Wistar syngeneic controls. Groups II and V were Sprague Dawley recipients receiving no immunosuppression and Groups III and VI, were Sprague Dawley recipients receiving immunosuppressive agents. At 28 days all rats were sacrificed and the tracheal segments were evaluated grossly and histologically. Result: Immunosuppression of the tracheal segments had a significant influence on the changes of the tracheal lumen and tracheal epithelial cells, irrespective of the cryopreservation of the trachea(p<0.001). In groups III and VI receiving immunosuppressive agents, the tracheal lumen was patent and the normal epithelial cells were observed, however in the other groups not receiving the immunosuppressive agents, there were almost luminal obliteration by the proliferation of the fibrous tissues and a loss of the epithelial cells, the findings were similar to those in the case of obliterative bronchiolitis after a lung and a heart-lung transplantation. Conclusion: With the appropriate immunosuppressive agents, the lumen and the respiratory epithelium of the transplanted tracheal segment were well preserved, even after the cryopreservation of the tracheal segment, which shows the possibility of the long-term preservation and homologous transplantation of the trachea. But fibroproliferative obliteration of the tracheal lumen and the loss of the normal respiratory epithelial cells, characteristic findings of obliterative bronchiolitis, were observed in the groups without the immunosuppression. This experiment using the rat trachea may be useful in studying the pathogenesis, treatment, and prevention of obliterative bronchiolitis after a lung and a heart-lung transplantation.