• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.31 no.10
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• pp.939-944
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• 1998

Background: The sugical results of the Cox-Maze procedure (CMP) for lone atrial fibrillation(AF) have proven to be exellent. However, those for AF associated with mitral valve(MV) disease have been reported to be a little inferior. Materials and methods: To assess the efficacy and safety of the CMP as a combined procedure with MV operation, we studied retrospectively our experiences. Between April 1994 and October 1997, we experienced 70 (23 males, 47 females) cases of CMP concomitantly with MV operation. Results: The etiologies of MV disease were rheumatic in 67 and degenerative in 3 cases. The mean duration of AF before sugery was 66$\pm$70 months. Fifteen patients had the past medical history of thromboembolic complications, and left atrial thrombi were identified at operation in 24 patients. Twelve cases were reoperations. Aortic cross clamp (ACC) time was mean 151$\pm$44 minutes, and cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) time was mean 246$\pm$65 minutes. Concomitant procedures were mitral valve replacement (MVR) in 19, MVR and aortic valve replacement (AVR) in 14, MVR and tricupid annuloplasty (TAP) in 8, MVR with AV repair in 3, MV repair in 11, MVR and coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) in 2, MVR and AVR and CABG in 1, redo-MVR in 10, redo-MVR and redo-AVR in 2 patients. The rate of hospital mortality was 1.4%(1/70). Perioperative recurrence of AF was seen in 44(62.9%), and atrial tachyarrhythmias in 10(14.3%), low cardiac output syndrome in 4(5.7%), postoperative bleeding that required mediastinal exploration in 4(5.7%) patients. Other complications were acute renal failure in 2, aggravation of preoperative hemiplegia in 1, and transient delirium in 1 patient. We followed up all the survivors for 16.4 months(3-44months) on an average. Sinus rhythm has been restored in 65(94.2%) patients. AF has been controlled by operation alone in 73.9% and operation plus medication in 20.3%. Two patients needed permanent pacemaker implantation; one with sick sinus syndrome, and the other with tachycardia- bradycardia syndrome. Only two patients remained in AF. We followed up our patients with transthoracic echocardiography to assess the atrial contractilities and other cardiac functions. Right atrial contractility could be demonstrated in 92% and left atrial contractility in 53%.We compared our non-redo cases with redo cases. Although the duration of AF was significantly longer in redo cases, there was no differences in ACC time, CPB time, postoperative bleeding amount and sinus conversion rate. Conclusions: In conclusion, the CMP concomitant with MV operation demonstrated a high sinus conversion rate under the acceptable operative risk even in case of reoperation.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.39 no.4 s.261
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• pp.269-274
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• 2006

Background: Tetralogy of Fallot (TOF) with pulmonary atresia and major aortopulmonary collateral arteries (MAPCAS) is complex lesion with marked heterogeneity of pulmonary blood supply and arborization anomalies. Patients with TOF with PA and MAPCAS have traditionally required multiple staged unifocalization of pulmonary blood supply before undergoing complete repair. In this report, we describe recent change of strategy and the results in our institution. Material and Method: We established surgical stratagies: early correction, central mediastinal approach, initial RV-PA conduit interposition, and aggressive intervention. Between July 1998 and August 2004, 23 patients were surgically treated at our institution. We divided them into 3 groups by initial operation method; group I: one stage total correction, group II: RV-PA conduit and unifocalization, group III: RV-PA conduit interposition only. Result: Mean ages at initial operation in each group were $13.9{\pm}16.0$ months (group 1), $10.4{\pm}15.6$ months (group II), and $7.9{\pm}7.7$ months (group III). True pulmonary arteries were not present in f patient and the pulmonary arteries were confluent in 22 patients. The balloon angioplasty was done in average 1.3 times (range: $1{\sim}6$). There were 4 early deaths relating initial operation, and 1 late death due to incracranial hemorrhage after definitive repair. The operative mortalities of initial procedures in each group were 25.0% (1/4: group I), 20.0% (2/10: group II), and 12.2% (1/9: group III). The causes of operative mortality were hypoxia (2), low cardiac output (1) and sudden cardiac arrest (1). Definitive repair rates in each group were 75% (3/4) in group I, 20% (2/10, fenestration: 2) in group II, and 55.0% (5/9, fenestration: 1) in group III. Conclusion: In patients of TOF with PA and MAPCAS, RV-PA connection as a initial procedure could be performed with relatively low risk, and high rate of definitive repair can be obtained in the help of balloon pulmonary angioplasty. One stage RV-PA connection and unifocalization appeared to be successful in selected patients.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.40 no.5 s.274
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• pp.351-355
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• 2007

Background: Postinfarction ventricular septal rupture is associated with mortality as high as $85\sim90%$, if it is treated medically. This report documents our experience with postinfarction ventricular septal rupture that was treated surgically, Material and Method: We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of 11 patients who were operated on due to postinfarction ventricular septal rupture between August 1996 and August 2006. There were 4 men and 7 women, with a mean age of $70{\pm}11$ years (age range: $50\sim84$ years). The location of the rupture was anterior in 7 cases and posterior in 4 cases. The interval between the onset of acute myocardial infarction and the occurrence of the ventricular septal rupture was $2.0{\pm}1.3$ days (range: $1\sim5$ days). Operation was performed at an average of $2.4{\pm}2.7$ days (range: $0\sim8$ days) after the diagnosis of septal rupture. Preoperative intraaortic balloon pump therapy was performed in 10 patients. Result: The infarct exclusion technique was used in all cases. Coronary artery bypass grafting was done in 8 cases, with the mean number of distal anastomosis being $1.0{\pm}0.8$. There was one operative death. In 2 patients, reoperation was performed due to a residual septal defect. The postoperative morbidities were transient atrial fibrillation (n=7), paroxysmal supraventricular tachycardia (n=1), low cardiac output syndrome (n=3), bleeding reoperation (n=2), delayed sternal closure (n=2), acute renal failure (n=2), pneumonia (n=1), intraaortic balloon pump-related thromboembolism (n=1), and transient delirium (n=2). Nine patients have been followed up for a mean of $38{\pm}40$ months except for one follow-up loss. There have been 3 late deaths. At the latest follow-up, all 6 survivors were in a good functional class. Conclusion: We demonstrated satisfactory operative and midterm results with our strategy of preoperative intraaortic balloon pump therapy, early repair of septal rupture by infarct exclusion and combined coronary revascularization.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.38 no.2 s.247
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• pp.110-115
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• 2005

Background: The aims of this paper were to review the mid term clinical results and to analyze the preoperative risk factors of isolated aortic valve replacement (AVR). Material and Method: Between January 1992 and February 2003, 80 patients underwent isolated AVR. 58 were male and 22 were female patients, raging from 12 to 75 years of age (mean :$46.8{\pm}13.0$ years). 74 patients except one early death and 5 follow-up loss were contacted by OPD or by telephone. The mean duration of follow-up was $44.2{\pm}29.7$ months and the total cumulative period was 272.8 patient-year. Result: The complications in hospital occurred in 35 cases : 12 wound problems (11 superficial, 1 deep), 11 arrhythmias (9 temporary, 2 persistent), 3 low cardiac output, and so forth. The late deaths were 4 cases : the heart-related deaths were 2 cases ($0.7\%$ patient-year). Conclusion: The risk factors that influenced the early mortality and morbidity were older age (> 60 years)(p=0.04), poor preoperative NYHA functional class (> 3) (p=0.048), high preoperative serum creatinin level (> 1.2 mg/100 ml)(p=0.031), long operation time (aortic clamping time>90 min)(p=0.042). The same factors influenced the late mortality and morbidity. Freedom from valve-related complication was $86.4{\pm}5.3\%,$ actuarial survival rate were $96.8{\pm}2.3\%$ at 3 years and $90.8{\pm}4.6\%$ at 10 years.