• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.54 no.6
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• pp.554-557
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• 2021

Surgeons are increasingly using the right mini-thoracotomy approach to perform aortic valve surgery. This approach has shown better results in terms of blood loss and length of hospital stay than the sternotomy approach. For selected patients requiring aortic root and ascending aorta surgery, a right mini-thoracotomy approach may prove beneficial. In our technique, we placed a 5-cm horizontal skin incision in the right second intercostal space. Femoro-femoral cardiopulmonary bypass was established. A valved aortic conduit was used for aortic root replacement. The patient's postoperative course was uneventful, with a short hospital stay. This technique offers a minimally invasive approach to aortic root and ascending aorta surgery with easy adaptability and reduced costs.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.56 no.1
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• pp.42-48
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• 2023

Background: With recent advances in cardiac surgery through minimal access, mini-thoracotomy has emerged as an excellent alternative for cardiac myxoma resection. This study analyzed the surgical results of this approach, focusing on postoperative cerebral embolism and tumor recurrence. Methods: We retrospectively reviewed 64 patients (mean age, 56.0±12.1 years; 40 women) who underwent myxoma resection through mini-thoracotomy from October 2008 to July 2020. We conducted femoral cannulation and antegrade cardioplegic arrest in all patients. Patient characteristics and perioperative data, including brain diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging (DWI) findings, were collected. Medium-term echocardiographic follow-up was performed. Results: Thirteen patients (20.3%) had a history of preoperative stroke, and 7 (11.7%) had dyspnea with New York Heart Association functional class III or IV. Sixty-one cases (95.3%) had myxomas in the left atrium. The mean cardiopulmonary bypass and cardiac ischemic times were 69.0±28.6 and 34.1±15.0 minutes, respectively. Sternotomy conversion was not performed in any case, and 50 patients (78.1%) were extubated in the operating room. No early mortality or postoperative clinical stroke occurred. Postoperative DWI was performed in 32 (53%) patients, and 7 (22%) showed silent cerebral embolisms. One patient underwent reoperation for tumor recurrence during the study period; in that patient, a genetic study confirmed the Carney complex. Conclusion: Mini-thoracotomy for cardiac myxoma resection showed acceptable clinical and neurological outcomes. In the medium-term echocardiographic follow-up, reliable resection was proven, with few recurrences. This approach is a promising alternative for cardiac myxoma resection.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.52 no.2
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• pp.105-108
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• 2019

Right heart failure is a relatively common complication after left ventricular assist device (LVAD) implantation. Severe right heart failure can be managed by temporary right ventricular assist device (RVAD) implantation. However, trans-sternal RVAD insertion requires a subsequent third sternotomy for cannula removal. Herein, we present a case of RVAD insertion via a left anterior mini-thoracotomy after LVAD implantation in a patient with alcohol-induced cardiomyopathy.

• Journal of Yeungnam Medical Science
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• v.41 no.2
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• pp.96-102
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• 2024

Background: The aim of this study was to compare the early outcomes of octogenarians undergoing minimally invasive right anterior mini-thoracotomy aortic valve replacement (RAT-AVR) with those undergoing transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) for aortic valve disease. Methods: In this single-center retrospective study, data were collected from octogenarians before and after RAT-AVR and TAVI between January 2021 and July 2022. Short-term outcomes, including the length of hospital stay, in-hospital mortality, all-cause mortality, and other major postoperative complications, were compared and analyzed. Results: There were no significant differences in in-hospital mortality, stroke, acute kidney dysfunction requiring renal replacement therapy, length of intensive care unit stay, or length of hospital stay. However, the TAVI group had a higher incidence of permanent pacemaker insertion (10% vs. 0%, p=0.54) and paravalvular leaks (75% vs. 0%, p<0.001). Conclusion: In the present study on octogenarians, both TAVI and RAT-AVR showed comparable short-term results. Although both procedures were considered safe and effective in the selected group, RAT-AVR had a lower incidence of complete atrioventricular block and paravalvular regurgitation.

• Journal of Yeungnam Medical Science
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• v.41 no.3
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• pp.213-219
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• 2024

Background: Aortic valve replacement (AVR) has recently been performed at many centers using a minimally invasive approach to reduce postoperative mortality, morbidity, and pain. Most previous reports on minimally invasive AVR (MiAVR) have mainly focused on aortic stenosis, and those exclusively dealing with aortic regurgitation (AR) are few. The purpose of this study was to investigate early surgical results and review our experience with patients with chronic severe AR who underwent AVR via right anterior mini-thoracotomy (RAT). Methods: Data were retrospectively collected in this single-center study. Eight patients who underwent RAT AVR between January 2020 and January 2024 were enrolled. Short-term outcomes, including the length of hospital stay, in-hospital mortality, postoperative complications, and echocardiographic data, were analyzed. Results: No in-hospital mortalities were observed. Postoperative atrial fibrillation occurred temporarily in three patients (37.5%). However, none required permanent pacemaker implantation or renal replacement therapy. The median values of ventilator time, length of intensive care unit stay, and hospital stay were 17 hours, 34.5 hours, and 9 days, respectively. Preoperative and postoperative measurements of left ventricular ejection fraction were similar. However, the left ventricular end systolic and diastolic diameters significantly decreased postoperatively from 42 mm to 35.5 mm (p=0.018) and 63 mm to 51 mm (p=0.012), respectively. Conclusion: MiAVR via RAT is a safe and reproducible procedure with acceptable morbidity and complication rates in patients with chronic severe AR. Despite some limitations such as a narrow surgical field and demanding learning curve, MiAVR is a competent method for AR.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.55 no.1
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• pp.98-100
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• 2022

Unilateral pulmonary edema after minimally invasive cardiac surgery is a rare, but potentially life-threatening condition. However, the exact causes of unilateral pulmonary edema remain unclear. We experienced aggressive unilateral pulmonary edema followed by redo-resection of recurrent left atrial myxoma through a right mini-thoracotomy. Intraoperative veno-venous extracorporeal membrane oxygenation was applied after the termination of cardiopulmonary bypass, and separate mechanical ventilation using a double-lumen endotracheal tube was applied after surgery. The patient was successfully treated and discharged uneventfully.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.51 no.2
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• pp.146-148
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• 2018

Left atrial appendage (LAA) aneurysm is a rare, pathologic condition that may lead to atrial tachyarrhythmia or thromboembolic events. A 49-year-old man presented with aggravated palpitation and dizziness. He suffered from refractory atrial fibrillation despite a previous history of radiofrequency catheter ablation. Echocardiography revealed a 57-mm LAA aneurysm. Surgical ablation was performed through a right mini-thoracotomy, and the LAA aneurysm was obliterated with a 50-mm AtriClip (Atricure Inc., Westchester, OH, USA). However, follow-up computed tomography showed residual communication, so the patient is still taking warfarin. We report that a minimally invasive strategy for treating LAA aneurysm can be considered, but incomplete closure may occur; thus, caution is needed.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.56 no.1
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• pp.56-58
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• 2023

Untreated severe tricuspid regurgitation (TR) is associated with poor outcomes. Functional TR occurs secondary to dilatation of the annulus and tethering of the leaflets. Ring annuloplasty alone can correct most cases, but is insufficient in cases of severe annular dilatation due to severe leaflet tethering. In such cases, a tricuspid edge-to-edge technique may be an option. However, stitching of the leaflet tips alone is likely to result in tearing of the leaflets. Approximation of the durable chordae tendineae is considered helpful for this problem. Herein, we present the case of a 39-year-old man who had undergone open-heart surgery for acute type A aortic dissection 13 months earlier. A right mini-thoracotomy approach with a beating-heart strategy was used, which did not require unnecessary pericardial adhesiolysis and dissection. This technique had the advantage of reducing the operation time and the risk of bleeding. To summarize, we present a case of tricuspid valve repair in a high-risk patient with severe leaflet tethering that was successfully managed using these methods.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.41 no.5
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• pp.568-572
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• 2008

Background: Minimally invasive surgery is currently popular, but this has been applied very sparingly to cardiac surgery because of some limitations. Our study evaluated the safety and efficacy of atrial septal defect (ASD) closure through a video-assisted mini-thoracotomy. Material and Method: Fifteen patients were analyzed. Their mean age was $31{\pm}6$ years. The mean ASD size was $24{\pm}5mm$ and there were 3 cases of significant tricuspid regurgitation. The working window was made through the right 4th intercostal space via a $4{\sim}5cm$ inframammary skin incision, CPB was conducted with performing peripheral cannulation. After cardioplegic arrest, the ASDs were closed with a patch (n=11) or direct sutures (n=4), and the procedures were assisted by using a thoracoscope. There were 3 cases of tricuspid repair and 1 case of mitral valve repair. The mean CPB time and aortic occlusion time were $160{\pm}47\;and\;70{\pm}26 $minutes, respectively. Result: There was no mortality, but there were 3 minor complications (one pneumothorax, one wound dehiscence and one arrhythmia). The mean hospital stay was $5.9{\pm}1.8$ days. The mean follow-up duration was $10.7{\pm}6.4$ months. The follow-up echocardiogram noted no residual ASD or significant tricuspid regurgitation. Three patients suffered from pain or numbness. Conclusion: This study showed satisfactory clinical and cosmetic results. Although the operative time is still too long, more experience and specialized equipment would make this technique a good option for treating ASD.