Renal function, hemolysis and hematologic parameters after transfusion using a cell-separation (CS) device were retrospectively evaluated during abdominal aortic aneurysm repair. Fifty-eight patients were divided into two groups, that is, the CS group (n=39) who received autologous retransfusion using the CS device and the non-CS group (n=19) who were operated before 1989, when we started to use CS device in our operating theater. Hematologic parameters and levels of GOT, GPT, LDH, BUN and creatinine were assessed before and 1, 2, 3, 4 and 7 days after the operation. Mean transfused homologous blood was 1.3±1.8 units in the CS groups and 4.9±3.1 units in the non-CS group (p<0.05). Peak levels of LDH and GPT were significantly higher in the CS group than the non-CS group (p<0.05) after the operation (GOT, CS group: 60.4±29.1IU/l vs non-CS group: 34.8±12.3IU/l, LDH, CS group: 643±324IU/l vs non-CS group: 446±108IU/l). There was no significant difference in the levels of BUN and creatinine levels between the two groups. Hemoglobin levels decreased gradually after the operation in CS group patients who did not receive a homologous blood transfusion. These data suggested that mild hemolysis occurred after retransfusion of autologous blood, but that the hemolysis due to the CS device had no effect on the renal function of the patients.

We performed entry closure for the chronic type B dissecting aneurysms by open surgical procedure or endovascular stent-graft placement. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the mid-term results of these patients with respect to mortality, morbidity, change of aneurysm diameter and outcome of the false lumen. From 1996 to 2003, entry closure was performed on 8 patients with chronic dissecting aortic aneurysm with an entry site in the descending aorta and visceral arteries that originated from the true lumen. The study population consisted of 4 men and 4 women with a mean age of 63.8±10.9 years. One patient had a DeBakey type III a and 7 patients had a DeBakey type III b dissecting aneurysm. Five patients underwent surgical entry closure and 3 patients underwent endovascular stent-graft placement. The mean follow-up period was 40±29 months. No operative mortalities, complications of paraplegia or visceral ischemia occurred. A leak was identified in 3 patients, 1 patient underwent an open repair with descending aortic replacement and 1 patient required additional stent-grafting. In the follow-up period, 1 patient died of cancer, but there were no dissection-related mortalities or re-operations for increase in size. With the exception of 1 case with a graft replacement, complete thrombosis of the thoracic aortic false lumen was achieved in 6 cases. There were no significant differences in the pre- and postoperative aortic diameter. Overall, complete thrombosis of the thoracic aortic false lumen was achieved with a high rate of success without a dissection-related mortality. Long-term follow-up, however, is necessary because a reduction in size did not occur in some cases.

Although the pressure gradient (PG) and the effective orifice area (EOA) have been used as indices of prosthetic valve function, these values show correctly neither energy loss, nor increased workload. This study aimed to evaluate the prosthetic valve function using echocardiography and PG, EOA and energy loss index, a new index advocated by Garcia et al. These were calculated for 40 patients with aortic prosthetic valve replacement by SJM valve (19HP, 6 cases; 21mm, 16 cases; 23mm, 14 cases; 25mm, 4 cases). Preoperative and postoperative echocardiographic measurements and their variations were analyzed and compared according to the size of implanted valve. In the comparison before and after aortic valve replacement, left ventricular mass (383±151g vs 288±113g, p<0.01), SV1+RV5 on ECG (5.07±1.73mV vs 3.83±1.5mV, p<0.01), and diastolic left ventricular posterior wall thickness (14.4±3.7mm vs 12.9±2.8mm, p<0.05) decreased significantly after the operation. However, there was no significant difference according to the size of the prosthetic valve in these reduction rates caluculated by (preoperative value-postoperative value)/preoperative value. Small size prosthetic valves were used for patients with small diameter of left ventricular outflow tract (LVOT) (19HP, 18±2mm; 21mm, 21±2mm; 23mm, 23±4mm; 25mm, 27±3mm; p<0.01) and small body surface area (19HP, 1.5±0.2m²; 21mm, 1.5±0.2m²; 23mm, 1.7±0.1m²; 25mm, 1.8±0.1m²; p<0.01) in our study. There was a signifcant difference in EOA (19HP, 1.2±0.4cm²; 21mm, 1.9±0.7cm²; 23mm, 2.2±0.9cm²; 25mm, 3.5±1.1cm²; p<0.01), but not in ELI (19HP, 1.01±0.41cm²/m²; 21mm, 1.87±1.03cm²/m²; 23mm, 1.83±1.09cm²/m²; 25mm, 3.08±1.21cm²/m²; p=0.055) according to the size of the prosthetic valve. Small size prosthetic valves had small EOA, but showed satisfactory valve function in decreasing left ventricular hypertrophy and reducing LVM and ELI of small size was similar to that of large size.