• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.29 no.3
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• pp.263-270
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• 1996

Twenty two patients underwent total anatomic correction of complete atrioventricular septal defect associated with other cardiac anomalies between July 1986 and December 1994. Age ranged from 6 months to 11 years(mean 49.6 $\pm$ 35.8 months), and they were composed of 7 males and 15 females. Combined major cardiac anomalies were tetralogy of Fallot(TOF) in 11 cases, double outlet of right ventricle (DORV) in 6 ca es, and transposition of great arteries (TGA) in 5 cases. Down's syndrome was associated in 5 patients with TOF and 1 patient with DORV. They were classified as Rastelli type A in 3 patients, B in 2 patients, and C in 17 patients. Modified Blalock-Taussig shunt was performed.in 5 patients and Waterston shunt in 1 patient as a palliative procedure. There were 7 perioperative deaths(31.8%) and the causes were pump weaning failure, low cardiac output, acute renal failure, persistant pulmonary hypertension and hypertensive crisis, and sepsis. Reoperations were performed in 4 cases to repair atrioventricular valvular regurgitation or to relieve the right ventricular outflow tract (RVOT) or pulmonary arterial stenosis. One late death was due to aspiration pneumonia. Second reoperation was necessary for progressive worsening of left atrioventricular regurgitation and RVOT stenosis in one patient. Fourteen survived patients were followed up for a mean of 66.0 $\pm$ 26.7months and all of them w re NYHA functional class I or II.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.22 no.2
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• pp.220-224
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• 1989

In candidates for aortic valve replacement [AVR]it is our primary intention to implant the largest possible vale prosthesis of at least 23 mm in diameter in patients with severe valvular aortic stenosis. However, in many patients there is an additional subvalvular asymmetric septal hypertrophy which in some cases may cause an postextrasystolic increase of the LV-aortic gradient. Another component of the aortic stenosis syndrome is a narrow valvular ring, or a combination of both. After complete removal of the diseased valve and decalcification the narrow aortic ring [< 23 mm] can be widened firstly by transaortic subvalvular septal myectomy- [TSM] thus unfolding the left ventricular outflow tract[LVOT]and secondly by extending the oblique aortic incision into the aortic valve ring or further down into the anterior leaflet of the mitral valve. The sub-and supra-valvular defect will be closed by patch enlargement of the aortic root [PEAR] using autologous pericardium. These techniques allow a considerable enlargement of the valvular ring of about 4 to 10 mm in circumference. In a retrospective study using a computerized program, 847 patients with AVR [1980-1984]were reviewed to evaluate the intraoperative hemodynamic results mainly concerning relief of the transvalvular gradient. In 626 patients AVR was performed, 151 patients had double valve replacement [AVR+MVR], and 70 patients had AVR plus additional surgical procedures. Concentrating on the AVR-group [n=626] there were 103 patients with TSM, 24 patients with PEAR and 20 patients with TSM+PEAR which demonstrated that in a total, of 147 patients of this groups [23.5%] an additional procedure was necessary. The Statistical evaluation of the intraoperative pressure measurements before and after AVR in relation to the size of the implanted prostheses indicated the lowest preoperative mean gradient in patients with AVR alone, the highest in patients who afforded TSM plus PEAR. However, after AVR the mean gradients in all three groups were very low [mean 5 to 10 mmHg]. These data indicate that in patients with a narrow aortic ring and additional considerable ASH, TSM and PEAR are suitable techniques to enlarge the aortic root to enable the implantation of an adequate aortic valve prosthesis. Long-term controls have shown that autologous pericardium is a qualified graft material for the ascending aorta.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.37 no.4
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• pp.313-321
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• 2004

Excellent clinical results of the arterial switch operation and the limited availablity of the intraventricular rerouting has recently made an arterial switch operation to become the therapeutic method of choice for the repair of double-outlet right ventricle (DORV) with subpulmonary ventricular septal defect (VSD). The early and midterm outcomes of arterial switch operation for this anomaly were evaluated. Material and Method: Between August 1994 and July 2002, 13 patients underwent an arterial switch operation for the correction of double-outlet right ventricle with subpulmonary VSD at Dong-A university hospital.. The 50% rule was used to define DORV. Median age and mean body weight were 27 days (range, 3-120 days) and 3.8$\pm$0.7kg (range, 2.92-5.3kg) respectively. Aortic arch anomalies were associated in 6 cases (46.2%), which were all repaired through one-stage operation. The relationship of the great arteries were side-by-side in 8 cases (61.5%) and anteroposterior in 5 (38.5%). Coronary artery patterns were 1 LCx-2R in 6 cases, retropulmonary left coronary artery (LCA) in 6, and intramural LCA in 1 respectively. The enlargement of VSD was required in 1 patient and the patch enlargement of right ventricular outflow tract was performed in another one patient. The Lecompte maneuver was used in all but 3 patients with a side by side relationship of the great arteries. Result: Overall postoperative hospital mortality was 23.1 % (3/13). All operative deaths were occurred in the patients with aortic arch anomalies. There was one late death related to the postoperative complication of the central nerve system during the mean follow-up of 41.3$\pm$30.7 months. Pulmonary valvar stenosis (＞30mmHg of pressure gradient) developed in 1 patient (10%) and left pulmonary artery stenosis in 2 (20%), among them, one required reoperation 52 months after repair. There was an asymptomatic patient with moderate aortic regurgitation. 5-year survival rate including operative deaths was 68.3%. Conclusion: Although the operative mortality is high in the patients with aortic arch anomaly, the arterial switch operation for DORV with supbpulmonary VSD can be performed with low operative mortality and low reoperation rate in the patients Without arch anomaly. The arterial switch operation can be considered a good option for this complex anomaly.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.46 no.6
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• pp.846-855
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• 1999

Background : Secondary pulmonary hypertension is an important final endpoint in patients with chronic hypoxic lung disease, accompanied by deterioration of pulmonary hemodynamics. The clinical diagnosis of pulmonary hypertension and/or cor pulmonale could be difficult, and simple noninvasive evaluation of pulmonary artery pressures has been an relevant clinical challenge for many years. Doppler echocardiography might to be a more reliable method for evaluating pulmonary hemodynamics in such patients in terms of the accuracy, reproducibility and easiness for obtaining an appropriate echocardiographic window than M-mode echocardiography. The aim of this study was to assess echocardiographic parameters associated with pulmonary arterial hypertension, defined by increasing right ventricular systolic pressure(RVSP), calculated from trans-tricuspid gradient in patients with chronic hypoxic lungs. Method : We examined 19 patients with chronic hypoxic lung disease, suspected pulmonary hypertension under the clinical guidelines by two dimensional echocardiography via the left parasternal and subcostal approach in a supine position. Doppler echocardiography measured RVSP from tricuspid regurgitant velocity in continuous wave with 2.5MHz transducer and acceleration time(AT) on right ventricular outflow tract in pulsed wave for the estimation of pulmonary arterial pressure. Results : On echocardiography, moderate to severe degree of pulmonary arterial hypertension was defined as RVSP more than 40mmHg, presenting tricuspid regurgitation. Increased right ventricular endsystolic diameter and shortened AT were noted in the increased RVSP group. Increased RVSP was correlated negatively with the shortening of AT. Other clinical data, including pulmonary functional parameters, arterial blood gas analysis and M mode echocardiographic parameters were not changed significantly with the increased RVSP. Conclusion : These findings suggest that shortened AT on pulsed doppler can be useful when quantifying pulmonary arterial pressure with increased RVSP in patients with chronic lung disease with hypoxemia. Doppler echocardiography in pulmonary hypertension of chronic hypoxic lungs is an useful option, based on noninvasiveness under routine clinical practice.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.32 no.7
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• pp.621-627
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• 1999

Background: Sixty five cases with congenitally corrected transposition of the great arteries (CCTGA) indicated for biventricular repair were operated on between 1984 and september 1998. Comparison between the results of the conventional(classic) connection(LV-PA) and the anatomic repair was done. Material and Method: Retrospective review was carried out based on the medical records of the patients. Operative procedures, complications and the long-term results accoding to the combining anomalies were analysed. Result: Mean age was 5.5$\pm$4.8 years(range, 2 months to 18years). Thirty nine were male and 26 were female. Situs solitus {S,L,L} was in 53 and situs inversus{I,D,D} in 12. There was no left ventricular outflow tract obstruction(LVOTO) in 13(20%) cases. The LVOTO was resulted from pulmonary stenosis(PS) in 26(40%)patients and from pulmonary atresia(PA) in 26(40%) patients. Twenty-five(38.5%) patients had tricuspid valve regurgitation(TR) greater than the mild degree that was present preoperatively. Twenty two patients previously underwent 24 systemic- pulmonary shunts previously. In the 13 patients without LVOTO, 7 simple closure of VSD or ASD, 3 tricuspid valve replacements(TVR), and 3 anatomic corrections(3 double switch operations: 1 Senning+ Rastelli, 1 Senning+REV-type, and 1 Senning+Arterial switch opera tion) were performed. As to the 26 patients with CCTGA+VSD or ASD+LVOTO(PS), 24 classic repairs and 2 double switch operations(1 Senning+Rastelli, 1 Mustard+REV-type) were done. In the 26 cases with CCTGA+VSD+LVOTO(PA), 19 classic repairs(18 Rastelli, 1 REV-type), and 7 double switch operations(7 Senning+Rastelli) were done. The degree of tricuspid regurgitation increased during the follow-up periods from 1.3$\pm$1.4 to 2.2$\pm$1.0 in the classic repair group(p<0.05), but not in the double switch group. Two patients had complete AV block preoperatively, and additional 7(10.8%) had newly developed complete AV block after the operation. Other complications were recurrent LVOTO(10), thromboembolism(4), persistent chest tube drainage over 2 weeks(4), chylothorax(3), bleeding(3), acute renal failure(2), and mediastinitis(2). Mean follow-up was 54$\pm$49 months(0-177 months). Thirteen patients died after the operation(operative mortality rate: 20.0%(13/65)), and there were 3 additional deaths during the follow up period(overall mortality: 24.6%(16/65)). The operative mortality in patients underwent anatomic repair was 33.3%(4/12). The actuarial survival rates at 1, 5, and 10 years were 75.0$\pm$5.6%, 75.0$\pm$5.6%, and 69.2$\pm$7.6%. Common causes of death were low cardiac output syndrome(8) and heart failure from TR(5). Conclusion: Although our study could not demonstrate the superiority of each classic or anatomic repair, we found that the anatomic repair has a merit of preventing the deterioration of tricuspid valve regurgitations. Meticulous selection of the patients and longer follow-up terms are mandatory to establish the selective advantages of both strategies.