• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.29 no.8
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• pp.889-896
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• 1996

Aggressive revascularization of the ischemic lower extremities in atherosclerotic occlusive diseases or acute embolic arterial occusion due to cardiac valvular disease by thromboembolectomy or an arterial by- pass operation has been advocated by some authors. To evaluate clinical pattern and operative outcome of the ischemic lower extremity, surgical experience in 101 patients who were admitted to Dong-A Univer- sity Hospital between March 1990 and August 1995 was analyzed. The patients were 92 males and 9 females ranging fro 25 to 87 years of age. The underlying causes of arterial occlusive disease were atherosclerotic obliterances in 54 case, Buerger's disease in 20 cases, thromboembolism in 24 cases, vascular trauma in 3 cases and pseudoaneurysm in 3 cases. - The major arterial occlusive sites of atherosclerotic obliterance were femoral artery in 30 cases, iliac artery in 23 cases, popliteal artery in 10 cases, distal aorta in 6 cases and the major arterial occlusive sites of Buerger's disease were posterior tibial artery in 14 cases, anterior tibial artery in 8 cases, popliteal artery in 5 cases. The operative procedures of arterial occlusive disease were bypass graft operation in 61 cases, thromboembolectomy in 21 cases, sympathectomy in 20 cases. Arterial bypass operations with autogenous or artificial vascular prosthesis were done in 61 cases which Included femoro-popliteal bypass in 21 cases, femoro-femoral bypass in 15 cases, axillo-bifemoral bypass in 7 cases, aorto-bifemoral with inverted Y-gr ft In 3 cases, femoro-profundafemoral bypass in 3 cases, popliteo-tibial bypass in 2 cases, aorto-iliad bypass in 1 case Over all postoperative patency rates were 83.6 oyo at 1 year, 75.5% at 3 years and limb salvage rate was 86.8 oyo . Six patients died in the hospital following vascular surgery for ischemic lower extremities, although the causes of death were not directly related to the vascular reconstructive operative proccedures. The leading causes of death were in the order of multiple organ failure, acute renal failure, and sepsis.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.29 no.8
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• pp.875-882
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• 1996

Multlvalvular heart surgery was performed In 78 cases, in the Department of Thoracic & Cardiovascu far Surgery of Chonbuk national University Hospital from november 1983 to March 1994. There Where 31 men and 47 women. whose ranged from 14 to 63 years. The causes of the valvular lesions were 57 rheumatic origin, 18 degenerative, 1 previous endocarditls, 1 prosthetic valve mal-function. There were 25 double valve replacement with or wit out tricuspid valve repair, i M VR and aortic valve repair, 18 MVR and tricuspid valve repair, 1 MVR and aortic and tricuspid valve repair, 10 AVR and mi- tral valve repair, 1 AVR and tricuspid valve repair, 8 mitral aortic valve repair, 13 mitral and tricuspid valve repair. They were improved mean New York Heart Association functional cldss, from 2.72% 121 Early deaths were 5 cases(6.4%). The cause of death wet'e low cArdiac output syndrome. veritricular tachycardia, massive bleeding and cerebral thromboembolism. All the survivors belonged to New York Heart Association functional class I or ll at discharge. The patients who had had valve replacement operation were medicated with warfarin to maintain the level of 30∼ 50% of normal prothrombin time. During follow-up(93.6%, mean 49.9 months), 2 late deaths were developed. One was due to intracranial hemorrhage and the other congestive heart failure. The pre-operative New York Heart Association Functional class IV was statistically sig ificant operat- ive risk factors(p< 0.05).

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.30 no.2
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• pp.137-145
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• 1997

From July 1983 to December 1993, total 112 consecutive mitral valve replacements in 107 patients were performed in patient with mitral valvular abnormalities. To estimate the risk factor related to operative death, all patient's perioperative data were reviewed retrospectively. Except 20 patients received concomitant aortic valve replacement and 2 patients had incomplete data, 85 patients were included in this study. Mean age were $37.3\pm$ 13.1 years ranging from 13 to 72 years. Thirty-seven patients were male and fourty-eight patients were female. Mean follow-up durations were $51.1\pm33.8$ months ranging from 6 months t 11 years. Patients in this study showed improvement in mean NYHA functional clssification, from $3.02\pm0.73$ to 1 $78\pm0.55,$ and also in cardiothoracic ratio, from 0.61 $\pm0.09$ to $0.58\pm0.08$ at 6 months follow-up after operation. Operative complications were detected in 23 patients(27.1 %) and common postoperative complications were rhythm disturbance in 7 cases, pulmonary complications in 6 cases and low cardiac output syndrome in 6 cases. Early mortality was 10.6%(n=9) and the most common cause of death was a congestive heart failure due to low cardiac output syndrome. Main cause of our higher operative mortality than other study was that operative mortality in the initial period of our mitral surgery was high(5 operative deaths among 19 mitral valve replacement from July 1983 to December 1985). Actuarial survival was 80.8% at 5 years, 71.8% at 11 years including operative deaths. Actuarial freedom from anticoagulant-related bleeding was 85.3% at 5 years, 78.3% at 11 years. 95.1% at 5 years and 88.8% at 11 years among the patient in this study were free from thromboembolism, and 97.5% at 5 years and 75.1% at 11 years were free from reoperation. Preoperative cardiothoracic ratio and patient's age were statistically significant operative risk factors.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.30 no.9
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• pp.891-898
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• 1997

Between May 1984 and January 1996, 130 patients were replaced cardiac valve using 150 St. Jude Medical prosthetic valves(42 aortic, 68 mitral, 20 aortic and mitral valve replycements). Follow-up was 97.6% complete. The early mortality rate was 5.4%, and late mortality rate was 4.9%. The valve-related late mortality rate was 3.3%. Of late complications, there were 6 anticoagulant related hemorrhages, 4 thromboembolisms and 1 paravalvular leakage. Linearized rates of late complication and valve-related late mortality were as follows: total late complications, .1.68o per patient-year: anticoagulant related hemorrhages, 0.92% per patient-year: thromboembolism, 0.61% per patient-year: paravalvular leakage, 0.15% per patient-year: reoperation, 0.15% per patient-year: and valve-related late mortalities, 0.61% per patient-year. Actuar al event free rate at 10 years was 87.4 $\pm$ 3.2%. The overall actuarial survival rate was 90.4$\pm$2.7% at 5 years, 87.5$\pm$3.3% at 10 years. Ninety eight percent of the survivors were in the New York Heart Association functional class I or II at the end of follow-up. There was significant improvement of cardiothoracic ratio. In conclusion, this study suggests the excellent durability of the St. Jude Medical Heart valve and remarkable functional benefit for the majority of the patients. However, prosthesisrelated complications are still common. Outcome is strongly related to the patient's preoperative cardiac condition and to the adequacy of anticoagulation control.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.39 no.8 s.265
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• pp.579-587
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• 2006

Background: Preoperative risk analysis for Fontan candidates is still less than optimal in that patients with apparently low risks may have poor surgical outcome; prolonged pleural drainage, protein losing enteropathy, pulmonary thromboembolism and death. We hypothesized that low pulmonary vascular compliance (PVC) is a risk factor for prolonged pleural effusion drainage after the Fontan operation. Material and Method: A retrospective review of 96 consecutive patients who underwent the Extracardiac Fontan procedures (median age: 3.9 years) was performed. Fontan risk score (FRS) was calculated from 12 categorized preoperative anatomic and physiologic variables. PVC $(mm^2/m^2{\cdot}mmHg)$ was defined as pulmonary artery index $(mm^2/m^2)$ divided by total pulmonary resistance $(W.U{\cdot}/m^2)$ and pulmonary blood flow $(L/min/m^2)$ based on the electrical circuit analogue of the pulmonary circulation. Chest tube indwelling time was log-transformed (log indwelling time, LIT) to fit normal distribution, and the relationship between preoperative predictors and LIT was analyzed by multiple linear regression. Result: Preoperative PVC, chest tube indwelling time and LIT ranged from 6 to 94.8 $mm^2/mmHg/m^2$ (median: 24.8), 3 to 268 days (median: 20 days), and 1.1 to 5.6 (mean: 2.9, standard deviation: 0.8), respectively. FRS, PVC, cardiopulmonary bypass time (CPB) and central venous pressure at postoperative 12 hours were correlated with LIT by univariable analyses. By multiple linear regression, PVC (p=0.0018) and CPB (p=0.0024) independently predicted LIT, explaining 21.7% of the variation. The regression equation was LIT=2.74-0.0158 PVC+0.00658 CPB. Conclusion: Low pulmonary vascular compliance is an important risk factor for prolonged pleural effusion drainage after the extracardiac Fontan procedure.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.12 no.4
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• pp.383-394
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• 1979

Treatment of valvular heart disease with valve replacement has been one of the most popular procedures in cardiac surgery recently. Although, first effort was directed toward the prosthetic valve, it soon became popular that bioprosthesis, the valvular xenograft, was prefered in the majority cases. Valvular xenograft has some superiority to the artificial prosthetic valve in some points of thromboembolism and hemolytic anemia, and it also has some inferiority of durability, immunologic reaction and resistance to Infection. Tremendous efforts were made to cover the inferiority with several methods of collection, preservation, and valve mounting of the porcine valve or pericardium of the calf, and also with surgical technique of the valvular xenograft replacement. Auther has collected 320 porcine aortic valves immediately after slaughter, and aortic cusps were coapted with cotton balls in the Valsalva sinuses to protect valve deformity after immersion in the Hanks' solution, and oxidation, cross-linking and reduction procedures were completed after the proposal of Carpentier in 1972. Well preserved aortic valves were suture mounted in the hand-made tissue valve frame of 19, 21, and 23 mm J.d., and also in the prosthetic vascular segment of 19 mm Ld. with 4-0 nylon sutures after careful trimming of the aortic valves. Completed valves were evaluated with bacteriologic culture, pressure tolerance test with tolerane gauge, valve durability test in the saline glycerine mixed solution with tolerance test machine in the speed of 300 rpm, and again with pathologic changes to obtain following results: 1. Bacteriologic culture of the valve tissue in five different preservation method for two weeks revealed excellent and satisfactory result in view of sterilization including 0.65% glutaraldehyde preservation group for one week bacteriologic culture except one tissue with Citobacter freundii in 75% ethanol preserved group. 2. Pressure tolerance test was done with an apparatus composed of V-connected manometer and pressure applicator. Tolerable limit of pressure was recorded when central leaking jet of saline was observed. Average pressure tolerated in each group was 168 mmHg in glutaraldehyde, 128 mmHg in formaldehyde, 92 mmHg in Dakin's solution, 48 mmHg in ethylene oxide gas, and 26 mmHg in ethanol preserved group in relation to the control group of Ringer's 90 mmHg respectively. 3. Prolonged durability test was performed in the group of frame mounted xenograft tissue valve with 300 up-and-down motion tolerance test machine/min. There were no specific valve deformity or wearing in both 19, 21, and 23 mm valves at the end of 3 months (actually 15 months), and another 3 months durability test revealed minimal valve leakage during pressure tolerance test due to contraction deformity of the non-coronary cusp at the end of 6 months (actually 30 months) in the largest 23 mm group. 4. Histopathologic observation was focussed in three view points, endothelial cell lining, collagen and elastic fiber destructions in each preservation methods and long durable valvular tolerance test group. Endothel ial cell lining and collagen fiber were well preserved in the glutaraldehyde and formaldehyde treated group with minimal destruction of elastic fiber. In long durable tolerance test group revealed complete destruction of the endothelial cell lining with minimal destruction of the collagen and elastic fiber in 3 month and 6 month group in relation to the time and severity. In conclusion, porcine xenograft treated after the proposal of Carpentier in 1972 and preserved in the glutaraldehyde solution was the best method of collection, preservation and valve mounting. Pressure tolerance and valve motion tolerance test, also, revealed most satisfactory results in the glutaraldehyde preserved group.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.29 no.4
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• pp.373-380
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• 1996

Prevention of thromboembolism is the most important task in the development of bioconpatible small caliber artificial vascular graft. In normal vessels, vascular endothelial cells maintain homeosatsis by secreting numerous factors. The aim of this study is to develope a method which Improves biocompatibility of small caliver polyurethane graft using endothelial cell culture technique, and ev luate the efTectiveness of extracelluar matrix for endothelization which was produced by cultured fibroblast. Methods ; Multiporous polyurethane tube of 3 mm diameter, 0.3 mm thickness was manufactured for vascular graft. Three mongrel dogs were intubated and internal jugular veins removed. Extracelluar matrix produced by cultured flbrobast which was obtained from dog's internal jugular vein were coated to the polyurethane graft. Then, endothelial cells extracted from Jugular vein were cultured and fixed on the extracelluar matrix layer of vascular graft. Endothelial cell coated vascular grafts were implanted to the carotid arteries of experimental dogs as interposed autograft. Implanted grafts were removed after 3 and 6 weeks. As a control, PTFE graft was interposed on carotid artery. These experiments demonstrated that extracelluar matrix produced by fibroblast can afford a base for endothelial cell linings of polyurethane graft. Although thrombosis were developed on autografted en othelial cell coated graft, 33% opening was noticed, and showed less adhesion to adjacent tissue layer. These findings suggest that fiboblast produced extracelluar matrix which can be used for edothelial cell lining vascular graft, and by improving the cultured endothelial cell function, there will be a new modality for reducing thrombosis on small vascular graft.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.39 no.12 s.269
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• pp.900-905
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• 2006

Background: Homografts and bioprostheses are most commonly used for Rastelli operation in congenital heart disease, but the limited durability is responsible for multiple reoperations associated with increased morbidity This study evaluated long-term results after Rastelli operation with a mechanical valved conduit. Material and Method: A total of 20 patients underwent Rastelli operation with mechanical valved conduit from January 1990 to July 1992. Operative mortality was 1 of 20 patients, and a retrospective review of 19 patients(10 males, 9 females) was done. Initial diagnosis was congenitally corrected transposition of great arteries(cc-TGA, n=4), complete TGA (n=2), ventricular septal defect with pulmonary atresia(VSD with PA, n=9), truncus arteriosus(n=2), double outlet right ventricle with pulmonary stenosis(DORV with PS, n=2). The mean age at Rastelli operation was $4.6{\pm}3.4$ years, and mean follow-up period was $12.8{\pm}2.7$ years. Patients underwent Rastelli opearation using 16 CarboMedics mechanical valve, and 3 Bjork-Shiley mechanical valve($17{\pm}2$ mm). Result: There were 15 reoperations for failed mechanical valved conduit. The freedom from reoperation at 5 and 10 years was 53% and 37%. Most patients were received oral anticoagulation with warfarin, and maintained the international normalized ratio(INR) of 1.5 to 2.0. There was no anticoagulation or thromboembolism related complication. There was a significant difference in the causes of a conduit failure between early(within 3 years) and late(after 3 years) failure groups. The six patients reported early prosthetic valve failure, mainly due to valvular dysfunction by thrombosis or pannus formation. The other nine patients reported late prosthetic valve failure, mainly due to dacron conduit stenosis at anastomosis sites, whereas their valvar motion was normal except 1 patient. Conclusion: To avoid early prosthetic valve failure, strict anticoagulation therapy would be helpful. About the late development of obstructive intimal fibrocalcific peels within the Dacron conduit, an improvement of conduit material is necessary to reduce late prosthetic valve failure. In selected patients, the long term results were satisfactory.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.39 no.12 s.269
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• pp.891-899
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• 2006

Background: This study is to evaluate the safety of ATS valve by examining the clinical results of ten-years experience. Material and Method: From July 1995 to March 2005, we reviewed 305 patients with ATS valve implantation. Mean age was $49.8{\pm}11.7$ years and 140(45.6%) males were included. Etiologies were rheumatic diseases in 207 cases(67.4%), degenerative changes in 57 cases(18.6%), valve dysfunction in 23 cases(7.5%) and infective endocarditis in 14 cases(4.6%). AVR was performed in 72 patients(23.5%), MVR in 156 patients (50.8%), DVR(AVR+MVR) in 63 patients(20.5%) and TVR in 16 patients(5.2%). Result: There were 9 operative mortalities(2.9%). Follow up period was $56.5{\pm}34.0(0{\sim}115)$ months and 96.4% patients were followed up with 9 late deaths. Five and ten years survival rates were $94.9{\pm}1.3%,\;91.2{\pm}2.3%$ using Kaplan-Meier's methods. Valve related event free survival rates in 5 and 10 years were $90.8{\pm}2.0%$ and $86.9{\pm}3.2%$. There were 16 anticoagulation-related hemorrhages, 6 thromboembolisms, 3 prosthetic valve endocarditis and 1 paravalvular leakage. NYHA class improved after operation(p<0.05). Postoperative echocardiography showed significant decrease in LA size, LVEDD and IVESD(p<0.01). Patients with 19 and 21 mm valve showed significantly higher transvalvular pressure gradient in aortic position(p<0.001, p<0.001). Conclusion: ATS valve showed good hemodynamic results with few valve related complications and thus can be used with acceptable risk.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.42 no.2
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• pp.193-200
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• 2009

Background: The long-term administration of oral anticoagulant to the patients with a mechanical heart valve prosthesis is mandatory. However, the appropriate intensity of oral anticoagulant therapy to prevent thromboembolic or hemorrhagic complications is still controversial. We tried to apply low intensity anticoagulant therapy for which the International Normalized Ratios ranged between 1.5 and 2.5, and we analyzed the anticoagulation-related long term outcomes. Material and Method: From January 1992 to December 2002, 144 patients who underwent a single cardiac valve replacement were included in the study, and their ages ranged from 15 to 72 years (mean age: $47.4{\pm}15.1$): there were 49 aortic valve replacements (AVR) and 95 mitral valve replacements (AVR). The patients were followed up monthly or bi-monthly at the outpatient clinic with clinical examinations and measuring the prothrombin time to adjust the International Normalized Ratios (INRs) within the low-intensity target range between 1.5 and 2.5. Result: The follow-up period was 835.3 patient-years (mean: $5.9{\pm}3.5$) and the INRs of 7,706 measurements were available for evaluation. The mean INRs of the aortic and the mitral valve replacement groups were significantly different (p<0.01). All the patients' INRs were within the target range in 61.9% of the measurements. The mean INRs $(2.16{\pm}0.23)$ of the patients with atrial fibrillation, which was found in 30.3% of the patients, were definitely higher than those $(2.03{\pm}0.27)$ measured in the patients with regular rhythm (p<0.01). Thromboembolic episodes occurred in 9 patients with an incidence of 1.08%/patient-year. Major bleeding occurred in 2 patients (MVR) with an incidence of 0.24%/patient-year. The patients who displayed better compliance showed a lower incidence of complications (p=0.000). Conclusion: The anticoagulation therapy with a low-intensity target range after MVR or AVR seems to be effective and feasible, and increasing the patients’ compliance should be done for achieving more effective anticoagulation therapy.