BACKGROUND: Valvular heart disease is still the most common health problem i n Korea.By the end of the year 1999,there has been 94,586 cases of open heart surgery since the first case in 1958.Among them,36,247 cases were acquired heart diseases and 20,704 of those had valvular heart disease.But there was no database system and every surgeon and physician had great difficulties in analysing and utilizing those tremendous medical resources. Therefore,we developed a valve registry database program and utilize it for risk factor analysis and so on. MATERIAL AND METHOD: Personal computer-based multiuser database program was created using Microsoft AccessTM.That consisted of relational database structure with fine-tuned compact field variables and server-client architecture.Simple graphic user interface showed easy-to-use accessability and comprehensibility.User-oriented modular structure enabled easier modification through native AccessTM functions.Infinite application of query function aided users to extract, summarize,analyse and report the study result promptly. RESULT: About three-thousand cases of valve replacement procedure were performed in our hospital from 1968 to 1999.Total number of prosthesis replaced was 3,700.The numbers of cases for mitral,aortic and tricuspid valve replacement were 1600,584,76, respectively. Among them,700 patients received prosthesis in more than two positions. Bioprosthesis or mechanical prosthesis were used in 1,280 and 1,500 patients respectively. Redo valve replacements were performed in 460 patients totally and 40 patients annually. CONCLUSION: Database program for registry of valvular heart disease was successfully developed and used in personal computer-based multiuser environment.This revealed promising results and perspectives in database management and utilization system.
Bioprosthesis ; Heart ; Heart Diseases ; Heart Valve Diseases ; Humans ; Prostheses and Implants ; Risk Factors* ; Thoracic Surgery ; Tricuspid Valve

From Feb. 1985 to Aug. 1996, 450 patients underwent open heart surgery with hypothermic cardiopulmonary bypass. In 450 cases of open heart surgery, 222 cases(49.3%) were congenital heart diseases and 228 cases(50.7%) were acquired heart diseases. In 222 cases of congenital heart diseases, there were 201 cases of acyanotic heart disease and 21 cases of cyanotic heart diseases. Among the 228 cases of acquired heart diseases, most cases were valvular heart diseases in which 206 valves were implanted. There were 32 cases of ischemic heart disease and the average graft anastomoses were 2.37 sites per operation. The operative mortality of congenital and acquired disease was 9.0% and 10.1% respectively and then overall mortality rate was 9.6%.
Cardiopulmonary Bypass ; Heart Diseases ; Heart Valve Diseases ; Heart* ; Humans ; Mortality ; Myocardial Ischemia ; Thoracic Surgery* ; Transplants

Pheochromocytoma is a rare tumor of childhood, arising from adrenal medullary and chromaffin tissue. Because chronic hypoxia may induce pheochromocytoma, there have been several reports of pheochromocytoma development in cyanotic patients after corrective or palliative cardiac surgery. The variable clinical presentation of pheochromocytoma is obscured by both underlying heart disease and medications. If sudden hypertension, aggravation of a heart condition, or unusual symptoms such as diabetes mellitus develops in a cyanotic patient with congenital heart disease, pheochromocytoma must be ruled out. We report two patients presenting with cyanotic single-ventricle heart disease with pheochromocytoma.
Anoxia ; Diabetes Mellitus ; Heart ; Heart Defects, Congenital ; Heart Diseases ; Humans ; Hypertension ; Pheochromocytoma ; Thoracic Surgery

The correlation of ventilatory support with sex, age, operation time, aortic cross clamp time was studied in 274 patients undergone open heart surgery after dividing them into total, congenital heart disease, acquired heart disease groups. 1) Ventilatory support time was not significantly different between male and female. 2) In total group, ventilatory support time increased significantly with an increase of pump time, aortic cross clamp time (p<0.05) and age (p<0.01). 3) In congenital heart disease group, ventilatory support time increased significantly with an increase of operation time (p<0.05), pump time, aortic cross clamp time (p<0.001). 4) In acquired heart disease group, ventilatory support time increased significantly with an increase of age (p<0.001).
Anesthesia* ; Female ; Heart Defects, Congenital ; Heart Diseases ; Heart* ; Humans ; Male ; Thoracic Surgery*

OBJECTIVE: To summarize the outcome of tricuspid valve replacement.
 METHODS: A total of 28 patients (15 males and 13 females) underwent tricuspid valve replacement from March 2000 to February 2015 in the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University were recruited. Among them, 16 patients were Ebstein's anomaly, 7 had rheumatic valve heart disease, 3 and 2 suffered from infective endocarditis and degenerative tricuspid lesions, respectively.
 RESULTS: One patient died of multiple organ failure. Four patients were implanted permanent cardiac pacemaker because of third degree atrioventricular block occurring in the 5th day (2 patients) and in the 9th day (2 patients) after the operation, respectively. Twenty-seven patients were followed up from 1 month to 15 years. The prosthetic valves and permanent pacemakers worked well.
 CONCLUSION Third degree of atrioventricular block, mostly appearing in early postoperative period, is the most common and severe complication of tricuspid valve replacement. The key point for prevention of damage is to accurately identify the anatomical relationship among the tricuspid valve, atrioventricular node, and conduction bundle.
Ebstein Anomaly ; surgery ; Female ; Heart Valve Diseases ; surgery ; Heart Valve Prosthesis ; Heart Valve Prosthesis Implantation ; Humans ; Male ; Pacemaker, Artificial ; Rheumatic Heart Disease ; surgery ; Tricuspid Valve ; pathology ; surgery

During 1986, 111 cases of open heart surgery were performed at Yeungnam University Hospital consisting 88 cases of congenital heart disease and 23 cases of acquired heart disease. Among 88 congenital heart disease, 72 were acyanotic group and 16 were cyanotic. Common congenital heart diseases were ventricular septal defect (51%), atrial septal defect (18%) and Tetralogy of Fallot (16%). Among 23 acquired heart disease, 22 cases were valvular heart disease and one was dissecting aortic aneurysm. Three cases of the postoperative death were present resulting 2.7% of surgical mortality rate.
Aortic Aneurysm ; Heart Defects, Congenital ; Heart Diseases ; Heart Septal Defects, Atrial ; Heart Septal Defects, Ventricular ; Heart Valve Diseases ; Heart* ; Mortality ; Tetralogy of Fallot ; Thoracic Surgery*

Postoperative intractable arrhythmia can result in high morbidity and mortality. This report describes our experiences using mechanical circulatory support (MCS) to control medically intractable arrhythmias in three pediatric patients with congenital heart disease (CHD), after palliative or total corrective open-heart surgery.
Arrhythmias, Cardiac ; Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation ; Heart Diseases ; Humans ; Thoracic Surgery

QT prolongation is an electrocardiographic change that can lead to lethal arrhythmia. Acquired QT prolongation is known to be caused by drugs and electrolyte abnormalities. We report three cases in which the prolonged QT interval was improved at the time of operation by briefly discontinuing the drugs suspected to have caused the QT prolongation observed on preoperative electrocardiography. The QTc of cases 1, 2, and 3 improved from 518 to 429 ms, 463 to 441 ms, and 473 to 443 ms on discontinuing the use of a gastrointestinal prokinetic agent, a proton pump inhibitor, and a molecular targeted drug, respectively. These cases were considered to have drug-induced QT prolongation. We reaffirmed that even drugs administered for conditions unrelated to cardiac diseases can have adverse side effect of QT prolongation. In conclusion, our cases indicate that dental surgeons should be aware of the dangerous and even potentially lethal side effects of QT prolongation. For safe oral and maxillofacial surgery, cooperation with medical departments in various fields is important.
Arrhythmias, Cardiac ; Electrocardiography ; Heart Diseases ; Proton Pumps ; Surgeons ; Surgery, Oral

Chylothorax is a rare complication following cardiac surgery for congenital heart diseases. Although conservative management is successful in the majority of cases, surgical intervention is required in a refractory one. Recently, subcutaneous or intravenous infusion of octreotide has been used as a safe treatment that helps avoiding surgical intervention. Herein, we report two cases of postoperative chylothorax treated with parenteral octreotide and conservative therapy.
Chylothorax* ; Heart Diseases ; Infusions, Intravenous ; Octreotide* ; Postoperative Complications ; Thoracic Surgery

Antiphospholipid syndrome (APS) is a rare disease in which patients display prolonged coagulation test results in vitro, but usually develop thrombotic symptoms in vivo. Patients with APS are at increased risk of valvular heart disease or coronary vascular disease, conditions that often necessitate cardiac surgery via bypass. The management of anticoagulation during cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) is particularly challenging in these patients because of the unique features of APS. Patients with APS are constantly at risk of arterial and venous thrombotic events. Therefore it is very important to maintain proper anticoagulation perioperatively, especially during CPB. In this paper, we present three successful cases of APS patients who underwent cardiac surgery with CPB.
Antiphospholipid Syndrome* ; Cardiopulmonary Bypass ; Heart Valve Diseases ; Humans ; Rare Diseases ; Thoracic Surgery* ; Vascular Diseases