• 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.48 no.5
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• pp.359-363
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• 2015

The comprehensive aortic root and valve reconstruction (CARVAR) technique comprises two main procedures, which are aortic root reduction using prosthetic rings and neo-leaflet reconstruction using a pericardial patch. Although concerns about durability of the pericardial neo-leaflet have been raised in the CARVAR technique, complications related to leaflet reconstruction have not been reported to date. The present report describes two cases of complications associated with leaflet reconstruction. After resecting the reconstructed leaflets, aortic valve replacement was performed in the patients. Careful and close follow-up is required for patients who had undergone CARVAR surgery, and aortic valve surgery should be performed in a timely manner if needed.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.38 no.12 s.257
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• pp.849-851
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• 2005

Mitral stenosis was developed after Duran ring annuloplasty in two growing children during follow up period of 8 years and 5 years respectively, which may be due to pannus overgrowth and patient's growing. Only removal of pannus and prosthetic ring has resulted in complete relieving of Mitral stenosis. With time, even adult-sized an-nuloplasty ring may induce stenosis in growing children.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.41 no.2
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• pp.216-222
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• 2008

Background: Prosthetic annuloplasty rings are used for the reconstruction of the mitral valve annulus. However, there is controversy over the best ring to use for reconstruction. In this study, we evaluated the long term result of using a Teflon felt strip as an alternative to commercial rings. Material and Method: From 1996 to 2007, we enrolled 47 patients with pure mitral regurgitation greater than grade III. All patients had an ejection fraction of 40% or more. Patients with congenital heart disease or other valvular heart disease were excluded from this study. They were divided into two groups; the commercial ring group (Group CR) and the Teflon felt ring group (Group TF). Result: There was no mortality. The postoperative echocardiography showed no significant change in the overall ejection fraction (from $58.0{\pm}11.2%\;to\;42.8{\pm}8.4%$). There were no significant differences between the two groups with regard to morbidity, the reoperation rate and recurrence of mitral regurgitation greater than grade II. Conclusion: The long term results from this study showed that posterior mitral annuloplasty using Teflon felt had similar results compared to annuloplasty using commercial rings.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.30 no.6
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• pp.598-606
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• 1997

Among 136 patients having undergone mitral valve surgery from September of 1994 through August of 1995 in Sejong Heart Institute, forty four patients(18 males, 26 females) underwent mitral valve reconstruction using prosthetic rings and their clinical results were evaluated. Patients'ages ranged from 5 to 63 years(mean age 38.2 years). Mitral valvular diseases were due to rheumatic origin in 30 patients(68%), degenerative in 13(30%), and congenital in one patient(2%). Mitral regurgitation(MR) was in 33 patients(76%), mitral stenosis 2(5%), and mitral stenoinsufaciency 9 patients(19%). The patients were divided into Carpentier's functional groups : type I, 5 patients(11%) : type I, 24 patients(55%) ; type III, 4 patients (9%) i and mixed(II + III), 11 patients(25%). Average number of anatomic lesions of mitral valve per patient was 3.7. The techniques included prosthetic ring amluloplasty(44 patients, 32 Carpentier ring and 12 Duran ring), leaflet mobilization(24, 55%), chordae shortening(23, 52%), chordae transposition(23, 52%), commissurotomy(16, 35%), leaflet resection(9, 20%), papillary muscle splitting(8, 18%), and chordae reimplantation(1, 2%). Average 3.4 surgical procedures were applied on mitral valve per patient. There were two hospital mortality and one reoperation due to development of MR(grade III) after 2 weeks. During the mean follow up of 12 months, patients improved in terms of functional class of the New York Heart Association, which was mean 3.0 preoperatively and 1.3 postoperatively. Doppler echocardiographic studies showed adequate valve area(2.07$\pm$0.11 cm2 mean $\pm$standard error), improved ventricular contractiliy in 41 patients(93%), ab ence of MR in 23(53%), trace MR in 18(42%), and garde II MR in 2 patients(5%).

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.18 no.2
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• pp.305-313
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• 1985

Surgical therapy for dissection of the aorta has had a high mortality. One contributing factor has been hemorrhage from the prosthesis and the suture lines. Recently, a new method of treatment with an intraluminal graft that requires no end-to-end anastomosis has been developed. Of the four patients with dissecting aneurysm of the aorta treated by inserting sutureless ringed intraluminal graft at the Department of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, S.N.U.H., three were DeBakey type I [one with associated aortic insufficiency] and the other was DeBakey type III. Suspected etiology of the dissection was Marfan`s syndrome in one and hypertension in the others. Total cardiopulmonary bypass was utilized in repairing dissecting aneurysms of the ascending aorta [type A] and simple aortic crossclamping was used for the patient with dissecting aneurysm of the descending aorta. The basic technique consists of inserting the whole ringed graft into the true lumen of the dissected aorta and circumferentially ligating the aorta against the groove in the rings. The proximal ring of the graft effectively stabilized the flail aortic valve in patient with aortic insufficiency associated with dissection of the ascending aorta. There were no hospital deaths and one patient with type III dissecting aneurysm developed postoperative paraparesis and renal insufficiency which was resolved. Follow-up has been from 1 month to 16 months with no evidence of prosthetic problems, such as erosion, migration, or thrombosis.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.30 no.8
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• pp.739-746
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• 1997

A variety of experiments concerning the development of ideal prosthetic grafts for correcting circumferential tracheal defects have been performed. The requirements for an ideal tracheal prosthesis are impermeability to air, consistency to prevent collapse, and acceptance by the host tissue causing a minimum inflammatory reaction, allowing fibroblastic infiltration and epithelialization. The synthetic material, polyurethane(PU), is known as a biocompatible polymer with an inert component. In this study, the tracheal prosthesis was made from microporous PU(30 micrometer in diameter) coated with gelatin and reinforced with isoplastic rings. This procedure provides the prosthesis with a compression strength. The out side diame er of the prosthesis was 20 mm with a length of 30 mm. The gelatin used in the study was obtained from pig skin and immobilized and cross-linked by irradiation(60 Co gamma ray) to promote host tissue incorporation and render the prosthesis epithelization after implantation. Animal experiments using 10 mongrel dogs were performed to compare three kinds of prosthesis; gelatin coated polyurethane graft, uncoated polyurethane graft, and prosthesisf pericadium complex graft. After 6 weeks of implantation, the epithelialization of implants was seen on the gelatin-coated and prosthesisfpericadium complex grafts. Implanted prosthesis were complicated by airway obstruction due to anastomosis granuloma. Early tracheal stenosis was found in the uncoated graft group. Two kind of anastomosis techniques were tested on the gelatin-coated prosthesis. Everted anastomosis resulted severe granuloma than the inverted anastomosis. In the prosthesislpericadium complex graft, bacteria and inflammation at a anastomotic site was found. Based on these results, gelatin coated porous polyurethane trachea prosthesis is biocompatible and may be useful in clinical application with further investigation.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.41 no.3
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• pp.320-328
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• 2008

Background: Numerous surgical devices for mitral repair have been used in the past with good results. In this study we describe a simple annuloplasty technique with using a new device ($Mitracon^{(R)}$). The aim of this study was to assess its efficacy and surgical results with using $Mitracon^{(R)}$. Material and Method: From May 2003 to October 2005, 46 patients (21 women and 25 men (mean age of $51.4{\pm}17.8$ years) with mitral regurgitation from various causes were treated with either the $Mitracon^{(R)}$ (the $Mitracon^{(R)}$ group) or the Capentier Edward rigid ring (the CE group). The median follow-up duration was 18.9 months. Result: The mean grade of mitral regurgitation before and immediately after surgery in the $Mitracon^{(R)}$ group and the CE group decreased from $3.2{\pm}0.8$ to $0.6{\pm}0.7$ and $3.4{\pm}0.7$ to $0.3{\pm}0.5$, respectively. There were no significant changes in the ejection fraction either between the two groups or before and immediately after surgery. No deaths were seen in either group. Early postoperative echocardiography of all 46 patients showed only trivial mitral regurgitation or none at all. Echocardiography at a median of 18.9 months also showed no progression in mitral regurgitation. The mean grade of mitral regurgitation in the $Mitracon^{(R)}$ group at this time point decreased from $3.2{\pm}0.8$ to $0.8{\pm}0.7$ (p<0.05). The CE group also showed a similar degree of decrease from $3.4{\pm}0.7$ to $0.3{\pm}0.6$ (p<0.05). The mitral valve area in the $Mitracon^{(R)}$ group at 1 year follow-up was $3.3{\pm}0.9cm^2$. The mitral valve area in the CE group was $2.7{\pm}0.6cm^2$. The mean mitral pressure gradient in the $Mitracon^{(R)}$ group at 1 year follow-up was $3.1{\pm}1.3$ mmHg. The mean pressure gradient in the CE group was $4.5{\pm}2.1$ mmHg, although any statistical significant difference for this between the groups was not reached. Conclusion: The present study showed the described technique to be safe and effective in the intermediate term. Because long term results are unavailable, a more extensive prospective randomized multicenter trial may be warranted to determine whether this procedure should be generally applied for repair of mitral valve disease.