• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.28 no.2
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• pp.183-187
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• 1995

This is a report of successful management of a patient with complicated native valvular endocarditis. Initially stable patient showed sudden collapse at the end of 4th week of antibiotics coverage. Echocardiography revealed that previous vegetation at the Aorto-mitral Fibrous Skeleton[AMFS developed into a false aneurysm, perforated to left atrium and caused fistulous communication between left ventricle and left atrium. Extensive debridement was performed including part of the ascending aorta, aortic cusps, the AMFS, anterior mitral cusp and roof of the left atrium. Reconstruction of the AMFS with tailored single piece of autologous pericardium enabled the implantation of mechanical valves at the aortic and the mitral position. Ascending aorta and roof of the left atrium were repaired with autologous pulmonary artery patch graft and another autologous pericardial patch. The patient was discharged on postoperative 16th day and followed - up till now without any residuae or sequelae.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.28 no.4
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• pp.346-354
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• 1995

Records of 71 consecutive patients who had received multiple valve replacement were reviewed[34male,37female,mean age 40.5$\pm$11.2 <14-63> . The early death rate was 2.8%[2/71 . A completed follow-up rate of 95.7% was accomplished in these 69 patients who left hospital[mean 42.5 $\pm$29.5 patients-years . Five of these patients died. The late death rate was 7.2%. Four patients experienced anticoagulant-related hemorrhage[all were minor . One patient had a thromboembolic episode[permanent ,and 2 had late prosthetic valve endocarditis. There was no clinical evidence of hemolysis and structural failure of valves used. Of those patients who survived,NYHA functional class improved significantly[from 87.2% class III & IV before to 95.8% class I & II after . Linearized rates for thromboembolism and anticoagulant-related hemorrhage,and for prosthetic valve endocarditis were 0.67%/100 patient-years,2.95%/100 patient-years,1.34%/100 patient-years, respectively. The actuarial estimates of incidence free of all complications and valve-related deaths were 92.2%/patient-years.Despites the advanced heart disease involving two or more native valves, the patients who had multiple valve replacement had very good results, over a 9-year period.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.42 no.4
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• pp.447-455
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• 2009

Background: Prosthetic valve endocarditis usually presents with clinical symptoms that are more severe than native valve endocarditis, and prosthetic valve endocarditis shows the spread of infection into the surrounding tissue as well as into the superficial endocardial layers. The postoperative prognosis is especially poor for valve re-replacement for the cases of active endocarditis that are unable to receive a full-course of pre-antibiotic therapy due to complications and the ensuing clinical aggravation. The aim of this study was to evaluate the clinical profiles, laboratory findings and mid-term surgical results of active prosthetic valve endocarditis. Material and Method: Among the 276 surgically treated infective endocarditis patients who were treated during the period from January 1998 to July 2008, 31 patients were treated for prosthetic valve endocarditis. Among these patients, 24 received surgical treatment for an 'active' state, and they were selected for evaluation. Result: The most frequently encountered symptom was a febrile sensation. Eight cases (33.3%) were accompanied by systemic thromboembolism, among which 5 cases (20.8%) had an affected central nervous system. 'Vegetations' were most commonly found on transesophageal echocardiography, and the 'Staphylococcus species' were the most frequent pathogens. There were 4 deaths in the immediate postoperative period, and an additional 4 patients died during the follow-up period (Mean$\pm$SD, 42.1$\pm$36.9 months). The cumulative survival rate was 79% at 1 year, 73% at 3 years, 66% at 5 year, and 49.5% at 7 years. Conclusion: The cases of active prosthetic valve endocarditis that were unable to receive a full course of preoperative antibiotics therapy generally have a poor prognosis. Nevertheless, early surgery and extensive resection of all the infected tissue is pivotal in improving the survival rate of patients with surgically treated active prosthetic valve endocarditis.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.37 no.1
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• pp.27-34
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• 2004

Background: Infective endocarditis shows higher operative morbidity and mortality rates than other cardiac diseases. The vast majority of studies on infective endocarditis have been made on aortic endocarditis, with little attention having been paid to infective endocarditis on the mitral valve. This study attempts to investigate the clinical aspects and operative results of infective endocarditis on the mitral valve. Meterial and Method: The subjects of this study consist of 23 patients who underwent operations for infective endocariditis on the mitral valve from June 1995 to May 2003. Among them, 2 patients suffered from prosthetic valvular endocarditis and the other 21 from native valvular endocarditis. The subjects were evenly distributed age-wise with an average age of 44.8$\pm$15.7 (11∼66) years. Emergency operations were performed on seventeen patients (73.9%) due to large vegetation or instable hemodynamic status. In preoperative examinations, twelve patients exhibited congestive heart failure, four patients renal failure, two patients spleen and renal infarction, and two patients temporary neurological defects, while one patient had a brain abscess. Based on the NYHA functional classification, seven patients were determined to be at Grade II, 9 patients at Grade III, and 6 patients at Grade IV. Vegetations were detected in 20 patients while mitral regurgitation was dominant in 19 patients with 4 patients showing up as mitral stenosis dominant on the preoperative echocardiogram. Blood cultures for causative organisms were performed on all patients, and positive results were obtained from ten patients, with five cases of Streptococcus viridance, two cases of methicillin-sensitive Staphylococcus aureus, and one case each of Corynebacteriurn, Haemophillis, and Gernella. Operations were decided according to the AA/AHA guidelines (1988). The mean follow-up period was 27.6 $\pm$23.3 (1 ∼ 97) months. Result: Mitral valve replacements were performed on 43 patients, with mechanical valves being used on 9 patients and tissue valves on the other 4. Several kinds of mitral valve repair or mitral valvuloplasty were carried out on the remaining 10 patients. Associated procedures included six aortic valve replacements, two tricuspid annuloplasty, one modified Maze operation, and one direct closure of a ventricular septal defect. Postoperative complications included two cases of bleeding and one case each of mediastinitis, low cardiac output syndrome, and pneumonia. There were no cases of early deaths, or death within 30 days following the operation. No patient died in the hospital or experienced valve related complications. One patient, however, underwent mitral valvuloplasty 3 months after the operation. Another patient died from intra-cranial hemorrhage in the 31st month after the operation. Therefore, the valve-related death rate was 4.3%, and the valve-related complication rate 8.6% on mid-term follow-up. 1, 3-, and 5-year valve- related event free rates were 90.8%, 79.5%, and 79.5%, respectively, while 1, follow-up. 1, 3-, and 5-year valve- related event free rates were 90.8%, 79.5%, and 79.5%, respectively, while 1, 3-, and 5-year survival rates were 100%, 88.8%, and 88.8%, respectively. Conclusion: The findings suggest that a complete removal of infected tissues is essential in the operative treatment of infectious endocarditis of the mitral valve. It is also suggested that when infected tissues are completely removed, neither type of material nor method of operation has a significant effect on the operation result. The postoperative results also suggest the need for a close follow-up observation of the patients suspected of having brain damage, which is caused by preoperative blood contamination or emboli from vegetation, for a possible cerebral vascular injury such as mycotic aneurysm.

• Pediatric Infection and Vaccine
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• v.23 no.3
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• pp.229-235
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• 2016

Infective endocarditis (IE) caused by methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) has become a worldwide concern. We present a case of a 12-year-old child with IE of the native mitral valve due to MRSA infection after an invasive dental procedure. Based on the clinical symptoms and the presence of cerebrospinal fluid pleocytosis, the patient was initially diagnosed with presumed bacterial meningitis and treated with empiric antibiotics. On the third day of hospitalization, MRSA was cultured from the initial blood samples and vegetation was observed on the mitral valve during an echocardiogram, findings which are compatible with a diagnosis of IE. The revised guidelines for antibiotic prophylaxis for the prevention of IE advise that IE prophylaxis for dental procedures is reasonable only for patients with underlying cardiac conditions, who are at the highest risk of adverse outcomes from IE. However, in this case, the patient had no high risk factors indicative of IE prophylaxis, except for mitral valve prolapse. She had no recurrence of IE over a follow-up period of 12 months.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.30 no.4
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• pp.428-431
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• 1997

We experienced a casts of prosthetic mitral paravalvular leak after redo DVR. As far as nonstructural dysfunction is concerned, the prosthetic paravalvular leak is not the result of prosthetic valve endocarditis, but is due to technical difficulties at the time of operation, either residual calcification or poor native tissue. Occasionally paravalvular leaks, particulary around mitral prostheses, may be silent. Paravalvular leaks are usually repaired when there is significant anemia or hemodynamic compromise. At reoperation, some of theses leaks can be repaired simply by patch losure around the paravalvular leak without placing additional suture or explanting the valve.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.38 no.3 s.248
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• pp.197-203
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• 2005

Homograft aortic valve replacement (AVR) has many advantages such as excellent hemodynamic performance, faster left ventricular hypertrophy regression, resistance to infection and excellent freedom of thromboembolism. To find out the results of homograft AVR, we reviewed our surgical experiences. Material and Method: Eighteen patients (male female=16 : 2, mean age=39.3$\pm$16.2 years, range: 14$\~$68 years) who underwent homo-graft aortic valve replacement between May 1995 and May 2004 were reviewed. The number of homografts was 20 (17 aortic and 3 pulmonic homografts) including two re-operations. Ten patients had a history of previous aortic valve surgery. Indications for the use of a homograft were native valve endocarditis (n=7), prosthetic valve endocarditis (n=5), or Behcet's disease (n=8). The homograft had been implanted predominantly as a full root except in one patient in the subcoronary position. Result: Mean follow-up was 41.3 $\pm$ 26.2 months. There was one operative mortality. Postoperative complications included postoperative bleeding in 3 patients, and wound infection in 1. There was no late death. Three patients underwent redo-AVR. The etiology of the three reoperated patients was Behcet's disease (p=0.025). Freedom from reoperation was $87.5\pm8.3\%$, $78.8\pm11.2\%$ at 1, 5 years respectively, In patients with infective endocarditis, there was no recurrence of endocarditis. There was no thromboembolic complication. Conclusion: Although longer term follow-up with larger numbers of patients is necessary, the operative and mid-term results for homograft AVR was good when we took into account the operative risks of Behcet's disease or infective endocarditis. Behest's disease was a risk factor for reoperation after the homograft AVR. We think homograft AVR is the procedure of choice, particularly in patients with infective endocarditis.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.40 no.9
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• pp.600-606
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• 2007

Background: Infective endocarditis shows high surgical mortality and morbidity rates, especially for aortic endocarditis. This study attempts to investigate the clinical characteristics and operative results of isolated aortic endocarditis. Material and Method: From July 1990 to May 2005, 25 patients with isolated aortic endocarditis (Group I, male female=18 : 7, mean age $43.2{\pm}18.6$ years) and 23 patients with isolated mitral endocarditis (Group II, male female=10 : 13, mean age $43.2{\pm}17.1$ years) underwent surgical treatment in our hospital. All the patients had native endocarditis and 7 patients showed a bicuspid aortic valve in Group I. Two patients had prosthetic valve endocarditis and one patients developed mitral endocarditis after a mitral valvuloplasty in Group II. Positive blood cultures were obtained from 11 (44.0%) patients in Group I, and 10 (43.3%) patients in Group II, The pre-operative left ventricular ejection fraction for each group was $60.8{\pm}8.7%$ and $62.1{\pm}8.1%$ (p=0.945), respectively. There was moderate to severe aortic regurgitation in 18 patients and vegetations were detected in 17 patients in Group I. There was moderate to severe mitral regurgitation in 19 patients and vegetations were found in 18 patients in Group II. One patient had a ventricular septal defect and another patient underwent a Maze operation with microwaves due to atrial fibrillation. We performed echocardiography before discharge and each year during follow-up. The mean follow-up period was $37.2{\pm}23.5$ (range $9{\sim}123$) months. Result: Postoperative complications included three cases of low cardiac output in Group I and one case each of re-surgery because of bleeding and low cardiac output in Group II. One patient died from an intra-cranial hemorrhage on the first day after surgery in Group I, but there were no early deaths in Group II. The 1, 3-, and 5-year valve related event free rates were 92.0%, 88.0%, and 88.0% for Group I patients, and 91.3%, 76.0%, and 76.0% for Group II patients, respectively. The 1, 3-, and 5-year survival rates were 96.0%, 96.0%, and 96.0% for Group I patients, and foo%, 84.9%, and 84.9% for Group II patients, respectively. Conclusion: Acceptable surgical results and mid-term clinical results for aortic endocarditis were seen.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.40 no.5 s.274
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• pp.341-350
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• 2007

Background: We present here the early and midterm surgical results for infective endocarditis and we especially focus on the effect of aggressive reconstruction or root implantation after wide debridement. Material and Method: Between January 1995 and Jun 2006, we enrolled 79 adult infective endocarditis patients who underwent surgical treatment. There were 63 and 16 native and prosthetic valve endocarditis cases, respectively. They included 27 cases of culture negative endocarditis. With performing valve replacement or repair, 28 of the patient underwent a more aggressive surgical option, for example, aortic root replacement or reconstruction, or heart base reconstruction etc. Result: There were statistical relationships between the in-hospital mortality and staphylococcal infection, urgent-based operation and operation during the active phase of endocarditis. Wide debridement and aggressive reconstruction were not related to either the post operative mortality or the early morbidity. Culture negative endocarditis was not related to the postoperative mortality and morbidity. Conclusion: Physicians must pay attention to patients' medical treatment during the preoperative period of the infective endocarditis. If surgery is considered for treating infective endocarditis, it should be performed before the downhill course of the disease so that the surgical outcome is improved. Wide debridement and more aggressive reconstruction are also warranted.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.49 no.4
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• pp.250-257
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• 2016

Background: Generalization of standardized surgical techniques to treat aortic valve (AV) and aortic root diseases has benefited large numbers of patients. As a consequence of the proliferation of patients receiving aortic root surgeries, surgeons are more frequently challenged by reoperative aortic root procedures. The aim of this study was to evaluate the outcomes of redo-aortic root replacement (ARR). Methods: We retrospectively reviewed 66 patients (36 male; mean age, $44.5{\pm}9.5years$) who underwent redo-ARR following AV or aortic root procedures between April 1995 and June 2015. Results: Emergency surgeries comprised 43.9% (n=29). Indications for the redo-ARR were aneurysm (n=12), pseudoaneurysm (n=1), or dissection (n=6) of the residual native aortic sinus in 19 patients (28.8%), native AV dysfunction in 8 patients (12.1%), structural dysfunction of an implanted bioprosthetic AV in 19 patients (28.8%), and infection of previously replaced AV or proximal aortic grafts in 30 patients (45.5%). There were 3 early deaths (4.5%). During follow-up (median, 54.65 months; quartile 1-3, 17.93 to 95.71 months), there were 14 late deaths (21.2%), and 9 valve-related complications including reoperation of the aortic root in 1 patient, infective endocarditis in 3 patients, and hemorrhagic events in 5 patients. Overall survival and event-free survival rates at 5 years were $81.5%{\pm}5.1%$ and $76.4%{\pm}5.4%$, respectively. Conclusion: Despite technical challenges and a high rate of emergency conditions in patients requiring redo-ARR, early and late outcomes were acceptable in these patients.