Acute Pulmonary Thromboembolism: 14 Years of Surgical Experience

BACKGROUND@#Pulmonary thromboembolism (PTE) is a life-threatening disease with high mortality. This study aimed to assess the outcomes of surgical embolectomy and to clarify the sustained long-term effects of surgery by comparing preoperative, postoperative, and long-term follow-up echocardiography outcomes. Of 22 survivors, 21 were followed up for a mean (median) period of 6.8±5.4 years (4.2 years).@*METHODS@#We retrospectively reviewed 27 surgical embolectomy cases for massive or submassive acute PTE from 2003 to 2016. Immediate and long-term follow-up outcomes of surgical embolectomy were assessed on the basis of 30-day mortality, long-term mortality, postoperative complications, right ventricular systolic pressure, and tricuspid regurgitation grade.@*RESULTS@#The 30-day and long-term mortality rates were 14.8% (4 of 27) and 4.3% (1 of 23), respectively. Three patients had major postoperative complications, including hypoxic brain damage, acute kidney injury, and endobronchial bleeding, respectively (3.7% each). Right ventricular systolic pressure (median [range], mm Hg) decreased from 62.0 (45.5–78.5) to 31.0 (25.7–37.0, p<0.001). The tricuspid valve regurgitation grade (median [range]) decreased from 1.5 (0.63–2.00) to 0.50 (0.50–1.00, p<0.05). The improvement lasted until the last echocardiographic follow-up.@*CONCLUSION@#Surgical embolectomy revealed favorable mortality and morbidity rates in patients with acute massive or submassive PTE, with sustained long-term improvements in cardiac function.

Acute Pulmonary Thromboembolism: 14 Years of Surgical Experience / 대한흉부외과학회지

BACKGROUND: Pulmonary thromboembolism (PTE) is a life-threatening disease with high mortality. This study aimed to assess the outcomes of surgical embolectomy and to clarify the sustained long-term effects of surgery by comparing preoperative, postoperative, and long-term follow-up echocardiography outcomes. Of 22 survivors, 21 were followed up for a mean (median) period of 6.8±5.4 years (4.2 years). METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed 27 surgical embolectomy cases for massive or submassive acute PTE from 2003 to 2016. Immediate and long-term follow-up outcomes of surgical embolectomy were assessed on the basis of 30-day mortality, long-term mortality, postoperative complications, right ventricular systolic pressure, and tricuspid regurgitation grade. RESULTS: The 30-day and long-term mortality rates were 14.8% (4 of 27) and 4.3% (1 of 23), respectively. Three patients had major postoperative complications, including hypoxic brain damage, acute kidney injury, and endobronchial bleeding, respectively (3.7% each). Right ventricular systolic pressure (median [range], mm Hg) decreased from 62.0 (45.5–78.5) to 31.0 (25.7–37.0, p<0.001). The tricuspid valve regurgitation grade (median [range]) decreased from 1.5 (0.63–2.00) to 0.50 (0.50–1.00, p<0.05). The improvement lasted until the last echocardiographic follow-up. CONCLUSION: Surgical embolectomy revealed favorable mortality and morbidity rates in patients with acute massive or submassive PTE, with sustained long-term improvements in cardiac function.

Vanishing Venous Coronary Artery Bypass Grafts after Sepsis

The dehiscence of saphenous vein grafts (SVGs) is a rare, often fatal, complication of coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG). We present the case of a 57-year-old man who underwent hemiarch graft interposition and CABG for a Stanford type A aortic dissection. Five months after discharge, the patient developed streptococcal sepsis caused by a hemodialysis catheter. Complete rupture of the proximal anastomoses of the saphenous veins and containment by the obliterated pericardial cavity was observed 25 months after the initial operation. The patient was successfully treated surgically. This report describes a patient who developed potentially fatal dehiscence of SVGs secondary to infection and outlines preventive and management strategies for this complication.

Use of a Valved-Conduit for Exclusion of the Infected Portion in the Prosthetic Pulmonary Valve Endocarditis

A 51-year-old male was admitted to the hospital with complaints of fever and hemoptysis. After evaluation of the fever focus, he was diagnosed with pulmonary valve infective endocarditis. Thus pulmonary valve replacement and antibiotics therapy were performed and discharged. He was brought to the emergency unit presenting with a high fever (>39degrees C) and general weakness 6 months after the initial operation. The echocardiography revealed prosthetic pulmonary valve endocarditis. Therefore, redo-pulmonary valve replacement using valved conduit was performed in the Rastelli fashion because of the risk of pulmonary arterial wall injury and recurrent endocarditis from the remnant inflammatory tissue. We report here on the successful surgical treatment of prosthetic pulmonary valve endocarditis with an alternative surgical method.

Use of a Valved-Conduit for Exclusion of the Infected Portion in the Prosthetic Pulmonary Valve Endocarditis

A 51-year-old male was admitted to the hospital with complaints of fever and hemoptysis. After evaluation of the fever focus, he was diagnosed with pulmonary valve infective endocarditis. Thus pulmonary valve replacement and antibiotics therapy were performed and discharged. He was brought to the emergency unit presenting with a high fever (>39degrees C) and general weakness 6 months after the initial operation. The echocardiography revealed prosthetic pulmonary valve endocarditis. Therefore, redo-pulmonary valve replacement using valved conduit was performed in the Rastelli fashion because of the risk of pulmonary arterial wall injury and recurrent endocarditis from the remnant inflammatory tissue. We report here on the successful surgical treatment of prosthetic pulmonary valve endocarditis with an alternative surgical method.

Successful Surgical Treatment of a Right Atrial Myxoma Complicated by Pulmonary Embolism

A 76-year-old woman with hypertension was admitted to the hospital with complaints of chest pain and dyspnea. An echocardiogram and pulmonary computed tomography angiography showed right atrial myxoma complicated with pulmonary thromboembolism. An operation to resect the right atrial myxoma and pulmonary embolism was recommended; however, the patient refused and was discharged with anticoagulation therapy. Two years later, she developed dyspnea. Radiological studies and echocardiography showed similar results with the previous findings. The patient underwent mediastinotomy with resection of the right atrial myxoma and pulmonary embolectomy. As there are few reports on right atrial myxoma complicated with pulmonary embolism, we report a successful case of surgical removal of right atrial myxoma and pulmonary embolism.

Risk factors affecting graft stenosis and occlusion after coronary artery bypass graft surgery / 대한내과학회지

BACKGROUND: Coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery has been a main treatment modality of ischemic heart disease since Sabiston reported the first CABG operation using a saphenous vein graft in 1963. However, graft stenosis that happens after CABG surgery is one of the main limitations of the procedure. We investigated risk factors that are related to graft stenosis and occlusion in patients that needed a coronary angiogram after CABG surgery. METHODS: From May 1995 to April 2004, we performed 348 CABG surgeries. Among them, we performed follow up coronary angiogram for 45 patients because of clinical indications, corresponding to 146 graft vessels. According to the angiography findings, patients with 27 graft vessels that showed stenosis or occlusion were defined as group S and patients with 119 graft vessels that showed no stenosis or occlusion were defined as group P. RESULTS: The mean patient age of group S is 59.44 (+/-8.549) years and the mean patient age of group P is 57.99 (+/-8.676) years. Group P patients had more stenotic native coronary arteries than group S patients, which is statistically significant (80.0+/-7.2% vs. 68.0+/-11.9%, p=0.005). Group S patients had a statistically significant lower postoperative HDL level than the level of the group P patients (40.4+/-15.9 mg/dL vs. 50.5+/-4.4 mg/dL, p=0.002). CONCLUSIONS: When performing CABG surgery and postoperative patient management, the severity of native coronary artery stenosis and the postoperative HDL level should be considered for better patient outcome.

Innominate Artery Injury by Blunt Chest Trauma: A case report / 대한흉부외과학회지

Innominate artery injury by blunt chest trauma is rarely reported. This report describes a 40-year-old male who had innominate artery dissection and pseudoaneurysm caused by blunt chest trauma and was treated successfully by ascending aorta to innominate artery bypass graft. The patient recovered without any complications and was discharged one week after the operation.

Postoperative Echocardiographic Hemodynamic Comparison between Recently Available Bileaflet Mechanical Valves / 대한흉부외과학회지

BACKGROUND: There was no difference between the bileaflet mechanical valves on the midterm and longterm clinical outcome. We reviewed the hemodynamic comparison between recently available mechanical valves by Doppler Echocardiography. MATERIAL AND METHOD: We retrospectively reviewed 396 postoperative hemodynamic datas (EOA, MDPG, and MSPG) by doppler echocardiography in 345 patients. Mechanical valves from 5 venders (Sorin Bicarbon, SJM, ATS, On-X, and Edward MIRA) were compared. There were 232 valves in mitral position, 162 in aortic, and 2 in tricuspid. RESULT: There were 178 men (mean age; 50.6+/-13.9 years old) and 167 women (52.6+/-14.6). MDPG/EOA of 27 mm in mitral position was Sorin; 4.2+/-1.5 mmHg/3.0+/-0.9 cm2, SJM; 2.3+/-1.2/3.5+/-0.6. In 29 mm, Sorin, SJM, ATS, On-X, MIRA revealed 3.4+/-1.2/3.1+/-0.6, 3.3+/-1.1/2.7+/-0.4, 3.8+/-0.8/3.2+/-0.6, 4.0+/-3.0/3.1+/-0.9, 2.9+/-0.9/3.0+/-0.8. In 31 mm, Sorin, SJM, ATS, MIRA revealed 3.9+/-1.9/2.9+/-0.6, 3.5+/-1.2/3.0+/-0.6, 3.4+/-0.8/2.8+/-0.2, 3.7+/-1.5/2.7+/-0.7. In 33 mm, Sorin, SJM, MIRA revealed 4.4+/-0.9/2.5+/-0.4, 3.4+/-1.5/3.3+/-0.5, 4.7+/-2.4/3.0+/-0.3. MSPG/EOA of 19 mm aortic position was Sorin, SJM, ATS, On-X, MIRA 18.0 mmHg/1.2 cm2, 25.6+/-8.7/1.1+/-0.3, 25.9+/-12.6/1.2+/-0.3, 23.0/1.3, 27.9+/-7.1/1.2+/-0.1 in that order. In 21 mm, SJM, ATS, On-X, MIRA revealed 18.3+/-6.7/1.5+/-0.5, 13.7+/-2.1/1.7+/-0.3, 17.0/1.4, 17.1+/-5.5/1.8+/-0.5. In 23 mm Sorin, SJM, ATS, On-X, MIRA revealed 14.0+/-4.6/1.7+/-0.6, 12.8+/-3.2/2.0+/-0.2, 16.8+/-12.2/2.1+/-0.9, 14.0/1.5, 15.0+/-5.5/1.8+/-0.5. In 25 mm, SJM and MIRA revealed 14.0+/-5.1/1.8+/-1.0, 11.0/2.3. There was no statistically significant difference in these values between the venders given the same position and size. 2 redo valve replacements were performed, 1 due to severe hemolysis in ATS and 1 due to leaflet immobilization in SJM. CONCLUSION: Postoperative hemodynamic comparison by doppler echocardiography shows no statistically significant difference between recently available mechanical valves in this country.

Effectiveness of MDCT for the Followup of CABG Patients with LIMA to LAD and Saphenous Veins to Others / 대한흉부외과학회지

BACKGROUND: There are several options for choosing a graft in CABG, we routinely chose LIMA for LAD and great saphenous vein for other target vessels. To evaluate the posoperative graft patency, we have studied the results using a 16 slices multi-detector computed tomography. MATERIAL NAD METHOD: From 1995 to 2003, 80 CABG patients who did not complain any event of MACE have been examined by 16-MDCT, mostly in an out patient clinic. RESULT: There were 61 men and 19 women. MDCT was used as early as 7 days to 9 years postoperatively with a median follow-up period of 6.5 years, and mean follow-up peiod of 31.5+/-25.4 months. Mean age was 58.4+/-12.6 years old in men and 61.5+/-17.2 years old in women. 72/80 patients received LIMA to LAD, and all other patients received vein grafts for bypass. The target vessel of vein grafts were 8 in LAD, 47 in RCA, 60 in diagonals, and 61 in obtuse marginals. Among them 42 sequential anastomoses were performed. The mean graft number was 3.1+/-1.8 grafts. 5 year graft patency rate of each grafts was as followings; 93.1% in LIMA to LAD, 94.9% in vein to diagonals, 92.1% in vein to obtuse marginals, and 79.2% in vein to RCA. Sequential grafting showed better graft patency than the isolated grafting (95.2% vs 78.7~95.0%). CONCLUSION: In this study, CABG with LIMA and saphenous veins showed satisfactory longterm results. 16-MDCT provided good images for follow-up study after CABG. Additionally, as radiologic tools (64-MDCT, MRI) improve more in the future, they can be used for diagnosing preoperative anatomical coronary disease as well as cardiac functions.

Surgical Management of Traumatic Cardiac Injury / 대한흉부외과학회지

BACKGROUND: Traumatic cardiac injury is very rare but mortality is very high when the diagnosis and management are delayed. We reviewed our case retrospectively. MATERIAL AND METHOD: From March 1995 to July 2003, 17 patients were diagnosed as having traumatic cardiac rupture. Five patients were stabbed, seven patients were motor vehicle accidents, four patients had fallen down, and the cause was unknown in one patient. Emergency operations were done and six patients were operated under CPB. RESULT: Four patients died during or after operation. The mean ICU stay period was 3.86+/-3.35 days and the mean hospital stay was 18.27+/-14.99 days. No mortality was observed in those whose vital signs were stable in the operating room. CONCLUSION: Preoperative vital status was very important and thoracic traumatic patient should be suspected as having cardiac injury.

Surgical Management of Primary Cardiac Tumor: Early and Late Results / 대한흉부외과학회지

BACKGROUND: Primary cardiac tumors are rare disease and they present nonspecific symptom. They are divided in benign and malignant tumors and require surgical therapy and/or additional therapy. MATERIAL AND METHOD: From March 1995 to March 2003, twenty one patients were diagnosed as having primary cardiac tumors. We analysed them retrospectively in terms of various perioperative factors and early and late results. RESULT: 6 men and 15 women and their average age was 45.44+/-18.76. Pathology revealed eighteen benign (fourteen myxoma, two fibroelastoma, one hemangioma and one paraganglioma) disease and three malignant (one angiosarcoma, one mesothelioma and one myxofibrosarcoma) disease. There was one (myxoma) operative mortality and three late death (hemangioma, angiosarcoma and mesothelioma) during additional therapy and follow up. CONCLUSION: Surgical treatment of primary cardiac tumor is important and sometimes additional therapy is required but the prognosis of malignant cardiac tumor is still very poor.

Leiomyosarcoma of the Bronchus: A case report with long-term follow-up / 대한흉부외과학회지

Primary leiomyosarcomas are rare tumors of the lungs. No typical roentgenographic findings of unusual complex of symptoms distinguish this tumor. The most common therapy is surgical resection. Prognosis and significant survivorship are related to the size, grade, metastasis of the lesion. A 25-year-old female patient with chest pain and cough was admitted. In chest X-ray and CT scan, there was a pulmonary nodule in left upper lung field. She was taken a percutaneous needle aspiration biopsy. The result: was a spindle cell tumor. Left upper lobe lobectomy was done, and pathologic diagnosis was a low grade leiomyosarcoma arising from left bronchus. During 5 years of follow-up period, she has not shown any metastasis or local recurrence.

May-Thurner Syndrome Treated with Endovascular Wall Stent / 대한흉부외과학회지

Deep vein thrombosis (DVT) is a common disease. However, May-Thurner syndrome, which is the cause of DVT, is an uncommon processes in which there is an impaired venous return due to compression of the left iliac vein by the overlying right common artery. This condition results in a left iliofemoral deep thrombosis and severe leg edema. It is, therefore, called iliac compression syndrome. Catheter-directed thrombolytic therapy of acute extensive iliofemoral DVT and balloon angioplasty with venous stenting are recommended. Two cases with history of left leg swelling are diagnosed as May-Thurner syndrome, which was demonstrated by venography. We successfully treated the patients with thrombolysis, balloon angioplasty, and stent insertion at the site of common iliac vein compression. Therefore, we report the cases with overall review of the literature.

Primary Left Atrial Myxofibrosarcoma: A case report / 대한흉부외과학회지

Primary cardiac tumor has very low incidence, especially in cases of malignancy. A 29 year old male patient visited our cardiologic clinic for recent aggrevation of dyspnea on exertion and palpitation. Echocardiography showed a large tumor in the left atrium, which suggested the left atrial myxoma. Urgent open heart surgery was taken. The operative finding was fossa ovalis based a large tumor (35 x 90 x 50 mm) that invaded the posterior wall of LA and right superior pulmonary vein directly. The tumor was excised well by simple dissection, and the final pathologic report was malignant myxofibrosarcoma. His postoperative course was smooth and he was discharged in good health. Postoperative radiation and chemotherapy had taken with satisfactory clinical outcome.

Short Term Effect of Neoadjuvant Therapy with Docetaxel and Adriamycin in Advanced Breast Cancer / 한국유방암학회지

PURPOSE: The objective of this study was to test the efficacy and toxicity of adriamycin plus docetaxel as primary chemotherapy for women with locally advanced breast carcinoma, including patients with inflammatory breast cancer. METHODS: From 2001, April to 2003, July, 18 patients with locally advanced breast cancer were treated with Adriamycin (50 mg/m2; intravenous bolus) followed by docetaxel (75 mg/m2; 1-hour intravenous infusion) on day of each cycle for four cycles. RESULTS: Two of 18 patients (11.8%) had inflammatory breast carcinoma. 17 (94.4%) patients underwent surgery. 14 (82.4%) patients had clinical responses, of them, two (11.8%) patients had complete clinical response in primary tumor. One case showed a pathologic complete response. In the lymph node response, four (23.6%) patients had clinical complete responses and 11 (64.7%) patients had partial clinical responses. Grade 3 or 4 neutropenia was recorded in 21.7% (21/97 cycles) and febrile neutropenia was recorded in 13.4% (13/97 cycles). Grade 3 or 4 anemia was recorded in 4.2% (4/97 cycles), but there was no severe thrombocytopenia. Other side effects were diarrhea, oral mucositis and mild emesis. CONCLUSION: Neoadjuvant chemotherapy with adriamycin plus docetaxel was a feasible and effective threatment in an unfavorable series of patients with locally advanced breast cancer including patients with inflammatory breast cancer.

Hypoxia Delays the Intracellular Ca2+ Clearance by Na+ - Ca2+ Exchanger in Human Adult Cardiac Myocytes

Transient myocardial ischemia during cardiac surgery causes a loss of energy sources, contractile depression, and accumulation of metabolites and H+ ion resulting in intracellular acidosis. The reperfusion following ischemic cardioplegia recovers intracellular pH, activates Na+-H+ exchange and Na+-Ca2+ exchange transports and consequently produces Ca2+ overload, which yields cell death. Among the various Ca2+ entry pathways, the Na+-Ca2+ exchanger is known to play one of the major roles during the ischemia/reperfusion of cardioplegia. Consequently, information on the changes in intracellular Ca2+ activities of human cardiac myocytes via the Na+-Ca2+ exchanger is imperative despite previous measurements of Ca2+ current of human single myocytes. In this study, human single myocytes were isolated from the cardiac tissues obtained during open-heart surgery and intracellular Ca2+ activity was measured with cellular imaging techniques employing fluorescent dyes. We report that the Na+-Ca2+ exchanger of adult cardiac myocytes is more susceptible to hypoxic insult than that of young patients.

Giant Coronary Artery Aneurysm Presenting as a Calcified Mediastinal Mass & Coronary Artery Fistula: A case report / 대한흉부외과학회지

Coronary artery aneurysm is a rare disorder. It is defined as abnormal dilatation of coronary artery with diameter exceeding 1.5 times the adjacent normal segments. The incidence of coronary aneurysm is 2.6% in Caucasians and 0.25% in Asians. Over half of the former were associated with atherosclerotic coronary artery disease. However, 70 percents of the latter were nonobstructive coronary artery aneurysms. Coronary artery fistula is a rare disorder. It has been identified in only 0.2% of routine cardiac angiographic studies conducted over a 10-year period. The clinical spectrums are various, asymtomatic, asymptomatic murmur, dyspnea on exertion, fatigue, and congestive heart failure. The right coronary artery (56%) and left coronary artery(36%) are mainly involved in the origin site of congenital coronary artery fistula. The draining site of fistula are right ventricle(39%), right atrium(33%), and pulmonary artery(20%) and so on. This 54 years-old woman had intermittent chest tightness and an abnormal mediastinal shadow on chest roentgenogram and chest C-T examination, which was diagnosed as a mediastinal mass such as teratoma. We performed the operation under left anterolateral thoracotomy for mass excision. However, we knew the mass had the pulsating arterial blood flow through a fine needle puncture of the mass and that it was attached to the left ventricle. We believed the excision of mass on beating heart would be very dangerous. Therefore, we closed the wound without excising the mass. After several days, we performed an echocardiography and coronary angiography, We knew it was cardiac tumor. Incidentally, the patient had a tortuous coronary fistula from the right coronary artery to pulmonary trunk. Using cardiopulmonary bypass with moderate systemic hypothermia, the mass was resected and the fistula was clipped with surgical clips. Pathology of the specimen was a giant coronary arterial aneurysm.

Papillary Fibroelastoma Causing Neurologic Symptoms in Patients with Valvular Heart Disease / 대한흉부외과학회지

A 43 years old female patient who had been diagnosed as having valvular heart disease but had not received any treatment invited and admitted due to progressive dyspnea. She was diagnosed as having aortic and mitral valve stenosis and regurgitation. Neurologic symptoms developed suddenly therefore, surgery was performed. In the operation field, there were many fungating tissue around the mitral valve annulus and left atrial wall. After operation, no neurologic symptoms were observed and pathologist revealed that fungating tissue was papillary fibroleastoma. The patient recovered and was followed in outpatients department.

Anterior Transcervical Approach to Superior Sulcus Tumor / 대한흉부외과학회지

Superior sulcus or pancoast tumor refers to any primary lung cancer locating in thoracic inlet and causing pain in the periscapular region or arm. These originate in peripheral, and involve the extrapulmonary structures more than arenchyma of the lung. We experienced 1 case of superior sulcus tumor radically resected via anterior transcervical approach, which provided more safe exposure of cervical structures of thoracic inlet than classic posterolateral thoracotomy. Therefore we report this case with review of literature.