• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.51 no.6
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• pp.367-375
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• 2018

Background: It is unclear whether mitral valve (MV) repair for degenerative mitral regurgitation (MR) provides the same advantages in the elderly that it does in the general population. Methods: From 1994 to 2016, 188 elderly patients (mean age, $68.3{\pm}5.50years$) underwent MV repair (n=153) or MV replacement (n=35) for primary degenerative MR. Early and long-term outcomes were compared before and after propensity score matching (PSM). Results: Before PSM, there was a significant difference in operative mortality (p=0.011). Overall survival and freedom from cardiac-related death (CRD) at 5, 10, and 15 years were significantly higher in patients who underwent MV repair (p=0.039 and p=0.007, respectively). In the multivariable analysis, MV replacement was an independent risk factor of CRD. After PSM, operative mortality was not significantly lower in patients who underwent MV repair (p=0.125). Overall survival and freedom from CRD at 5, 10, and 15 years showed no significant difference between the 2 groups in the PSM cohort (p=0.207, p=0.47, respectively). There was no significant difference in freedom from reoperation before or after PSM (p=0.963 and p=0.575, respectively). Conclusion: MV repair for primary degenerative MR might be a valid option in the elderly population if successful repair is possible.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.40 no.6 s.275
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• pp.441-444
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• 2007

Sliding annuloplasty has been used for mitral valve repair in conjunction with posterior leaflet quadrangular resection to avoid systolic anterior motion of the anterior leaflet of the mitral valve. Herein, we report on a case of successful mitral valve repair with using the annular plication technique to facilitate sliding annuloplasty and extensive quadrangular resection was also done for treating a Marfan's syndrome patient who had an extremely redundant leaflet and a severely dilated annulus.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.31 no.3
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• pp.221-225
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• 1998

From February 1996 to May 1997, 18 patients underwent mitral valve repair for mitral regurgitation. There were 9 male and 9 female patients aged from 19 to 68 years(mean, 53). Thirteen patients were in New York Heart Association(NYHA) class III and IV. The cause of mitral regurgitation was degenerative in 12 patients, rheumatic in 5 patients and infective in 1 patient. Fifteen patients were in Carpentier's functional classification II, 2 patients in Carpentier's class III and 1 patient in Carpentier's class I. Surgical procedures included prosthetic ring annuloplasty(16 cases), rectangular resection of posterior leaflet(15 cases), chordal shortening(5 cases), triangular resection of anterior leaflet(2 cases), commissurotomy(2 cases), partial transposition of posterior leaflet(1 case). These procedures were combined in most patients. There was no operative death. These patients have been followed from 1 to 15 months, mean of 6.7 months. There was one late death resulted from low cardiac output following mitral valve replacement. The function of the repaired valve in other 17 patients has remained satisfactory during the observed interval. We consider that mitral valve repair is highly satisfactory in patients with mitral regurgitation.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.26 no.3
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• pp.191-195
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• 1993

Among 25 consecutive cases having undergone mitral valve surgery between March 1991 and June 1992 in Gill General Hospital, 11 patients[44%] who had undergone mitral valve reconstruction using prosthetic rings is evaluated and presented. Patients` mean age is 43 + 19 years[range:16-72], and they are consisted with 4 males and 7 females. Mitral valve insufficiency is due to degenerative disease in 6 cases[55%] and rheumatic disease in 5 patients[45%]. Carpentier`s functional classification I is 2 cases, II is 6 cases, and III is 2 cases. Surgical techniques include prosthetic ring annuloplasty[11 patients, 100%], chorda shortening[6, 55%], leaflet mobilization[4,36%], new chorda formation[2, 18%], chorda transposition[1, 9%] commissurotomy[3, 27%], and papillary muscle splitting[3, 27%]. Average number of mitral anatomic lesions per patient are 2.7 and we used average 2.8 procedures upon mitral valve apparatus per patient. There were no surgical mortality and no late valve related admission during the mean follow up period of 17 months. The mean functional class[NYHA] is 2.81 preoperatively and improved to 1.10 postoperatively. Doppler echocardiography showed much improvement from grade II MR [1 case], grade III MR [1 case] and 9 cases of grade IV MR to 6 cases of patients showed no MR, only trace MR in 4 cases, and grade I MR was found only in one patient with NYHA functional class II postoperatively. The postoperative mean mitral valve area is $2.10+0.28cm^2$. We conclude that mitral reconstruction is a predictable and stable operation.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.26 no.12
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• pp.909-914
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• 1993

Complete and optimal visualization of the mitral apparatus is a prerequisite for accurate repair or replacement of the mitral valve. A vertical left atriotomy just posterior to the interatrial groove is the most commonly used approach. However,exposure can be difficult under certain circumstances,such as small left atrium or reoperation. Other approaches have been advocated to deal with this difficult situations. We used an extended transseptal approach in 10 patients and good clinical results and excellent educational effects were obtained. The extended transseptal approach combines two semicircular atrial incisions circumscribing the tricuspid and mitral annuli anteriorly and superiorly,allowing exposure of the mitral valve by deflecting the ventricular side using stay sutures. The right atrium is opened anteriorly along the atrioventricular sulcus. The atrial septum is incised vertically through the fossa ovalis. Right atrial and septal incisions are joined at the superior end of the interatrial septum and extended across the dome of the left atrium to the left atrial appendage. The mitral valve was replaced in all 10 patients. Four of 10 patients had other simultaneous valve procedure: one had aortic valve replacement: 2 underwent tricuspid annuloplasty: 1 had aortic valve replacement and tricuspid annuloplasty. There was no hospital death and complication. Among the 5 patients who had atrial fibrillation preoperatively,4 had atrial fibrillation postoperatively,1 converted to sinus rhythm. The five patients who were in normal sinus rhythm preoperatively remained in sinus rhythm after replacement. A review of our results with this approach confirms the efficacy and safty of this method. So we recommanded this approach for routine mitral valve procedure,especially difficult situations,such as a small left atrium or the redo operation.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.36 no.11
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• pp.820-827
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• 2003

Background: Mitral valve repair rather than replacement for mitral regurgitation (MR) offers a number of well-accepted benefits. However, the surgical results of repair for mitral valve endocarditis remain largely unknown. Material and Method: Fourteen patients who underwent mitral valve repair for MR caused by mitral valve endocarditis from April 1995 through October 2001 were reviewed retrospectively. There were 9 male patients and mean age was 32$\pm$10 years. Four patients had previous embolism and 2 had active infections. The grade of MR were III in 6 patients and IV in 8. Operatively, mitral annuloplasty was performed in 12 patients and various valvuloplasty techniques were applied in all patients. One patient had immediate valve replacement due to residual MR after weaning of cardiopulmonary bypass. Result: There was no early operative death. Early postoperative transthoracic echocardiography revealed no or grade I of MR and no or mild mitral stenosis in 13 patients. After the mean follow-up of 36 months, there was no late death, and no or grade I of MR in 11 patients (84.6%) and no or mild mitral stenosis in 12 patients (92.3%). Reoperation required in one patient (7.1%). The cumulative freedom from recurrent MR and valve-related reoperation at 5 years were 91$\pm$9% and 75$\pm$22%, respectively. Conclusion: This study suggests that mitral valve repair for mitral regurgitation caused by endocarditis offers good early and intermediate survival and functional improvement without reinfection, and it is an attractive alternative to valve replacement in selective patients with bacterial endocariditis.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.49 no.1
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• pp.70-72
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• 2016

The single-suture neochorda-folding plasty technique is a modification of existing mitral valve repair techniques. In the authors' experience, its simplicity, reliability, and versatility make it a useful technique for mitral valve repair, especially when a minimally invasive approach is used.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.40 no.12
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• pp.825-830
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• 2007

Background: Minimally invasive cardiac surgery appears to offer certain advantages such as earlier postoperative recovery and a greater cosmetic effect than that achieved through conventional sternotomy. However, this approach has not yet been widely adopted in Korea to replace complex open heart surgery such as mitral valve reconstruction. This study compared the results of robot assisted minimally invasive mitral valve repair with those results of conventional sternotomy. Material and Method: From December 1993 to December 2005, 520 consecutive patients underwent mitral valve reconstruction for mitral regurgitation in our institution. These patients were subdivided according to those whose surgery used the conventional sternotomy approach (Group S, n=432) and those who underwent minimally invasive right anterior thoracotomy (Group M, n=88); we then compared the clinical results of both groups. When we performed minimally invasive right thoracotomy, we used a robot (AESOP 3000) and made an incision less than 5 cm. Result: Our study patients in both groups were similar for their age, gender and preoperative ejection fraction. There were two hospital mortalities in group S. but there was no mortality in the group M patients. Significant reductions in the ICU stay and the postoperative hospital stay were observed in the group M patients compared with the group S patients. However, both the bypass time and the aortic cross-clamp time were significantly longer in the group M patients. In spite of the confined incision in the group M patients, there were no limitations on the mitral valve repair techniques. There was a similar frequency of postoperative significant residual mitral regurgitation in both groups. Conclusion: In this study, the minimally invasive mitral valve repair showed comparable early results with the conventional sternotomy patients. We will now need long-term follow-up of these patients who underwent minimally invasive mitral valve repair, but we anticipate that based on the results of this study, we will begin to routinely perform minimally invasive cardiac surgery as out primary approach for mitral valve reconstruction.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.29 no.1
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• pp.24-31
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• 1996

Between January 1992 and February 1995, 36 patients with mitral regurgitation were treated by a mitral repair There wert nineteen men and seventeen women whose mean age was 41.8 years, ranged from 10 to 71. Seventeenth patients had dystrophic change of mitral valve, twelve patients had rheumatic change of mitral valve, second patients had infective change of mitral valve and another fifth patients had functional change of mitral valve. Operation proced res were suture annuloplasty (35 cases), resection of leaflet (25 cases), chordal shortening(9 cases) and commisurotomy(1 cases). These procedures were combined in most patients. Two third of the patients were in New York Heart Association class III or IV and four fifth of the patients were in mitral regurgitation grade III or IV by doppler echocardiogram. After mitral valve repair, the patients were improved hemodynamic, echocardiographic data and functional class. Intraoperative TEE had been used in all most patients after weaning of bypass. If there remained MR more than grade 2, the valve was re-repaired or replacement. There were no operative death. The late mortality was 5.5% and cause of death was congestive heart failure. Patients have been followed up from 3 to 40 months, mean 15. Second patients underwant reoperation due to recurred mitral regurgitation, 4 and 19 days after the operation. During reoperation, we found that the repair suture was disrupted in both patients. Th s expierence demonstrated that intraoperative TEE is accurate and predictable and excellent immediate and mid-term results have been achieved by mitral valve repair.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.36 no.7
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• pp.463-471
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• 2003

The long-term results of combined mitral valve repair and aortic valve replacement (AVR) have not been well evaluated. This study was performed to investigate the early and long-term results of mitral valve repair with AVR. Material and Method: We retrospectively reviewed 45 patients who underwent mitral valve repair and AVR between September 1990 and April 2002. The average age was 47 years: 28 were men and 17 women. Twelve patients had atrial fibrillation and three had a previous cardiac operation. The mitral valve disease consisted of pure insufficiency (MR) in 34 patients, mitral stenosis (MS) in 3, and mixed lesion in 8. Mitral valve disease was due to rheumatic origin in 24 patients, degenerative in 11, annular dilatation in 8, and ischemia or endocarditis in 2. The functional anatomy of mitral valve was annular dilatation in 31 patients, chordal elongation in 19, leaflet thickening in 19, commissural fusion in 13, chordal fusion in 10, chordal rupture in 6, and so on. Aortic prostheses used included mechanical valve in 32 patients, tissue valve in 12, and pulmonary autograft in one. The techniques of mitral valve repair included annuloplasty in 32 patients and various valvuloplasty of 54 techniques in 29 patients. Total cardiopulmonary bypass and aortic cross clamp time were 204$\pm$62 minute and 153$\pm$57 minutes, respectively. Result: Early death was in one patient due to low output syndrome (2.2%). After follow up of 57$\pm$37 months, late death was in one patient and the actuarial survival at 10 years was 96$\pm$4%. Recurrent MR developed grade II or III in 11 patients and moderate MS in 3. Three patients required reoperation for valve-related complications. The actuarial freedom from recurrent MR, MS, and reoperation were 64$\pm$11%, 86$\pm$8%, and 89$\pm$7% respectively. Conclusion: Combined mitral valve repair with AVR offers good early and long-term survival, and adequate techniques and selection of indication of mitral valve repair, especially in rheumatic disease, are prerequisites for better long-term results.