• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.47 no.4
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• pp.333-343
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• 2014

Background: A preclinical study was conducted for evaluating a valved conduit manufactured with a glutaraldehyde (GA)-fixed bovine pericardium treated using an anticalcification protocol. Methods: Bovine pericardia were decellularized, fixed with GA in an organic solvent, and detoxified. We prepared a valved conduit using these bovine pericardia and a specially designed mold. The valved conduit was placed under in vitro circulation by using a mock circulation model, and the durability under mechanical stress was evaluated for 2 months. The valved conduit was implanted into the right ventricular outflow tract of a goat, and the hemodynamic, radiologic, histopathologic, and biochemical results were obtained for 6 months after the implantation. Results: The in vitro mock circulation demonstrated that valve motion was good and that the valved conduit had good gross and microscopic findings. The evaluation of echocardiography and cardiac catheterization demonstrated the good hemodynamic status and function of the pulmonary xenograft valve 6 months after the implantation. According to specimen radiography and a histopathologic examination, the durability of the xenografts was well preserved without calcification at 6 months after the implantation. The calcium and inorganic phosphorus concentrations of the explanted xenografts were low at 6 months after the implantation. Conclusion: This study demonstrated that our synergistic employment of multiple anticalcification therapies has promising safety and efficacy in the future clinical study.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.46 no.2
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• pp.117-123
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• 2013

Background: We examined perioperative predictors of sustained sinus rhythm (SR) in patients undergoing the Cox maze operation and concomitant cardiac surgery for structural heart disease. Materials and Methods: From October 1999 to December 2008, 90 patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) underwent the Cox maze operation and other concomitant cardiac surgery. Eighty-nine patients, all except for one postoperative death, were followed-up with serial electrocardiographic studies, 24-hour Holter monitoring tests, and regular echocardiographic studies. Results: Eighty-nine patients undergoing the maze operation were divided into two groups according to the presence of SR. At the time of last follow-up (mean follow-up period, $51.0{\pm}30.8$ months), 79 patients (88.8%) showed SR (SR group) and 10 patients (11.2%) had recurrent AF (AF group). Factors predictive of sustained SR were the immediate postoperative conversion to SR (odds ratio, 97.2; p=0.001) and the presence of SR at the 6th month postoperatively (odds ratio, 155.7; p=0.002). Duration of AF, mitral valve surgery, number of valves undergoing surgery, left atrial dimension, and perioperative left ventricular dimensions and ejection fractions were not predictors of postoperative maintenance of SR. Conclusion: Immediate postoperative SR conversion and the presence of SR at the 6th postoperative month were independent predictors of sustained SR after the maze operation.

• Journal of Biomedical Engineering Research
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• v.14 no.4
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• pp.307-314
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• 1993

Plasma protein adsorption is the first event in the blood-material interaction and influenc- es subsequent platelet adhesion towards thlㅈombus formation. Thiㅈomboembolic events are strongly influenced by surface characteristics of materials and fluid dynamics inside the blood pump. In vitro flow visualizaion and an amimal experiment with the moving actuator type TAH were Performed in order to investigate fluid dynamic effects on the protein adsorption. The diffel'encl level, j of shear rate inside the ventricle Lvere determined by consid- ering the direction of the major opening of four healt valves in the implanted TAH and the visualized flow patterns as well. Each ventricle of the explanted TAH was sectionalized into 12 segments according to the shear rate level. The adsorbed protein on each segment was quantified using the ELISA method after soaking in 2% (wye)SDS/PBS for two days. Adsorbed protein layer thicknesses Itvere measured by the Immunogotd method under TEM. The SEM observation show that right ventricle (RV) , immobilized with albumin, displayed different degrees of platelet adhesion on each segment, whereas the left ventricle (LV), grafted by PEO-sulronate, indicated nearly , iame platelet adhesion behavior, regardless of shear rates. The surface concentrations of adsorbed proteins in the low shear rate region are hlghel'than those in the high region, which was confirmed statistically. A modified adsorption model of plasma protein onto polyurethane surface was suggested by considering the effect of the fluid dynamic characteristics.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.49 no.3
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• pp.195-198
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• 2016

We report a 72-year-old male with known myelodysplastic syndrome who presented to the emergency department with a 7-day history of fever and dyspnea. Echocardiography revealed a round echogenic mass $13{\times}16mm$ in size attached to the atrial side of the tricuspid valve. Considering the high risk of infective endocarditis in the patient with a low absolute neutrophil count ($130/mm^3$), emergency surgery was performed. Intraoperatively, a single gelatinous neoplasm was resected, and subsequent reconstruction of the involved leaflet was accomplished using autologous pericardium. The tumor was pathologically confirmed as papillary fibroelastoma with no evidence of infective endocarditis. Papillary fibroelastoma is a rare cardiac neoplasm that occurs in either the mitral or aortic valves. Interestingly, a few cases of tricuspid valve papillary fibroelastoma have been reported so far. Similar echocardiographic findings between vegetation and tricuspid valve neoplasm make it difficult to distinguish these two disease entities.

• The Journal of Internal Korean Medicine
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• v.33 no.2
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• pp.160-171
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• 2012

Background and Objective : Warfarin is the standard anticoagulation treatment for atrial fibrillation, venous thromboembolism (VTE), and mechanical heart valves. Close monitoring of the International Normalized Ratio (INR) is required due to the drug's very narrow therapeutic window. Many factors can affect INR levels. Drug and food interactions are frequently cited as causes of adverse events with warfarin. We discussed interactions between herbs and warfarin studied in this research. Methods : In this review, PubMed was used to search medical journals. Keywords "warfarin AND interaction" were applied. Results : 55 articles were included. The possibility of correlation between warfarin and single herbal medicines such as Salviae Miltiorrhizae Radix, Angelicae Gigantis Radix, Ginseng Radix Alba, Lycii Fructus, Ginkgo Folium, Menthae Herba, Trigonellae semen was suggested. Furthermore, some herbal compounds interacting with warfarin were reported. The conclusion of studies reporting the effect of herbal medicine on warfarin were controversial due to small size or quality of research. Conculsions : We suggest that we should prescribe therapeutic herbal medicines to patients using warfarin more carefully and do INR follow-up regularly.

• Journal of Biomedical Engineering Research
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• v.13 no.3
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• pp.225-234
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• 1992

In order to use a low cost polymer valve in our total artificial heart and ventricular assist device, we have developed a slit-type bileaflet polymer valve[BPV 1. The aim of this study is to determine the hydrodynamic effectiveness of the newly-designed BPV and its feasibility for temporary use in the blood pumps. For hydrodynamic comparison, we investigated in-vitro the pressure drop across the valve, the leakage volume, the flow rate and the flow pattern of the BPV, two mechanical valves and a trileaflet polymer valve. We employed the ventriculo-pulmonary bypassing method for in-vivo tests of the BPV's together vilh our electrohydraulic left venIn ricular assist device in mongrel dogs. The BPV showed adquate gydrodynamic performances and in the preliminary animal bests, there was no xvi dence of thrombus formation on the valve leaflets and around the struts. Detailed results obtained from the animal tests will be separately reported. This report involves the design criteria, fabrication and hydrodynamic charateristics of she BPV, and the basic merits and demerits of the valve are dis- cussed from the hydrodynamic point of view.

• Transactions of the Korean Society of Mechanical Engineers B
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• v.35 no.11
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• pp.1191-1198
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• 2011

The use of a ventricular assist device (VAD) can raise the one-year survival rate without cardiac transplantation from 25% to 52%. However, malfunction of the VAD system causes 6% of VAD patients' deaths, which could possibly be avoided through the development of new VADs in which VAD malfunctions do not affect the patient's heart movement or hemodynamic state. A conventional VAD has an impeller or vane for propelling blood that can allow blood to regurgitate when the propelling force is weaker than the aortic pressure. In this paper, we developed a new pulsatile conduit-shaped VAD that has two valves. This device removes the possibility of blood regurgitation and has a small stationary area even when the pumping force is extremely weak. We estimated the characteristics of the device by measuring the outflow and the pressure of the pump in in-vitro and in-vivo experiments.

• Journal of Yeungnam Medical Science
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• v.31 no.2
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• pp.113-116
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• 2014

A 52-year-old man was referred to our hospital due to fever and myalgia that occurred 2 weeks earlier. He showed a complete atrioventricular block on his electrocardiogram, and his vital signs were unstable. On his transthoracic echocardiograph, the 1.5 cm vegetation in the aortic valve with severe aortic regurgitation suggested infective endocarditis. His transesophageal enchocardiograph showed abscess in his mitral-aortic intervalvular fibrosa and vegetation was suspected on his anterior mitral valve leaflet. The patient underwent an emergent operation for valve replacement with temporary epicardial pacing. Intraoperatively, the septal leaflet of his tricuspid valve was injured during the debridement of the abscess pocket that was extended to the membranous septum. The aortic, mitral, and tricuspid mechanical valves were replaced with annular reconstruction without complications. After 14 days of intravenous antibiotics, we successfully changed the epicardial pacemaker into a transvenous DDD-type permanent pacemaker by placing a left ventricular lead via the coronary sinus and an atrial lead in the right atrium appendage. The patient was discharged in a tolerable state and was examined uneventfully in our hospital's outpatient clinic for 8 months.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.24 no.7
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• pp.663-668
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• 1991

To evaluate risks, complications and mortality of reoperations on heart valve prosthesis, we reviewed clinical records of 53 patients who underwent reoperation because of prosthetic valve failure[PVF], from Jan 1959 through Jun. 1991. They had undergone 48 mitral, 10 aortic valve rereplacement Primary tissue failure was the main cause of reoperation : it occurred in 51 valves at a mean postoperative interval of 58 months. Calcification and collagen disruption of prosthesis were main causes of primary tissue failure in macro and micropathology, In 3 failing mechanical prostheses, paravalvular leak was in 2 cases, another one case had the thrombi at the hinge portion. If conditions such as emergency operation with or without endocarditis, thromboembolism and advanced NYHA functional class are prevented, we think that reoperative valve replacement has similar morbidity and mortality to initial valve replacement surgery. But our sturdy represents higher mortality [22.6%] because of late surgical intervention failing the prevention of conditions leading to myocardial damage. In conclusion if the tearing, calcification, and a new murmur were detected the early reoperation should be considered to increase late survival.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Radiology
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• v.85 no.2
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• pp.308-326
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• 2024

A comprehensive evaluation of cardiac function includes information in relation to cardiac output and systemic venous return. The heart is composed of four chambers: two atria and two ventricles, each with its own unique mechanical function. These four cardiac chambers, their valves, and the pulmonary circulation system are inter-related as they preload or afterload on each other. Cardiac dysfunction is a failure of global cardiac function, resulting in typical clinical manifestations. To investigate the underlying cause of cardiac dysfunction, a step-by-step evaluation of cardiac blood flow tracks is necessary. In this context, imaging markers showing details of the cardiac structures have an important role in assessing cardiac function. An image-based evaluation allows for investigation of function in terms of individual cardiac components. Evaluation of cardiac function using cardiac CT has recently been validated. This review aimed to discuss cardiac CT-based imaging markers for comprehensive and detailed cardiac function assessment.