No abstract available.
Anemia, Aplastic*

No abstract available.
Neuroblastoma*

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Many studies have shown that coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery prolongs the life of patients with left main coronary artery disease (LMCD). Recently, percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) has been applied to treat LMCD, with good clinical results. However, a significant portion of patients decline any revascularization therapy, so receive medical treatment only. The aim of this study was to evaluate the long term clinical outcome in these patients with LMCD, according to the treatment strategies. SUBJECTS AND MEHTODS: The clinical outcomes of 281 consecutive patients, with significant LMCD, between January 1997 and December 2000, were evaluated. The patients were divided into three groups, according to their initial treatment strategies;1) CABG, 2) PCI and 3) medical treatment. The mean follow-up duration was 37.4+/-14.9 months. RESULTS: The 1- and 3-year survival rates in the CABG group (97.4+/-1.5% and 95.6+/-1.9%) were significantly higher than those of the medical group (89.8+/-3.9% and 76.1+/-5.9%;p=0.03). The survival rates in the PCI group (one year and 3-year survival rate, 98.1+/-1.3% and 93.8+/-2.5%) were similar to those of the CABG group (p=0.93). The incidence of 3-year MACE in the medical group (40.7%) was higher than those of the CABG (10.5%, p<0.001) and PCI groups (20.4%, p=0.007). There was no significant difference between the CABG and PCI groups (p=0.06). CONCLUSION: In patients with LMCD, a CABG remains the standard therapy for prolonging survival and lowering the incidence of MACE. PCI offers similar survival benefits in selected patients. Medical treatment is associated with a significantly higher mortality and MACE. Active revascularization therapy should be the treatment of choice for the patients with LMCD.
Angioplasty ; Coronary Artery Bypass ; Coronary Artery Disease ; Coronary Disease* ; Follow-Up Studies* ; Humans ; Incidence ; Mortality ; Percutaneous Coronary Intervention ; Survival Rate ; Transplants

BACKGROUND: The purpose of this study was to investigate the mechanism of endothelium-dependent and independent responses to endothelins (ETs) in porcine coronary artery. METHODS: The vascular rings of left anterior descending artery or left circumflex artery from 7 pigs were suspended in conventional organ chambers for the measurement of isometric force. To evaluate relaxation responses, vascular rings with endothelium were exposed to ET-1 and ET-3. To evaluate contraction responses, vascular rings with and without endothelium were exposed to ET-1 and ET-3 in the presence or absence of BQ 123 (ET(A) receptor antagonist) or TAK-044 (ET(A) and ET(B) receptor antagonist). RESULTS: Transient relaxation responses of vascular rings occurred after exposure of ET-1 and ET-3. These transient responses disappeared after preincubation with N-nitro-L arginine. There was an increased contractions of vascular rings according to increasing concentration of ET-1 and ET-3. The initial responses were enhanced in vascular rings without endothelium in ET-1 and ET-3. In vascular rings with endothelium, the contraction responses were more reduced in vascular rings with preincubation of BQ 123 than in vascular rings without BQ 123 in ET-1. In vascular rings without endothelium, the contraction responses were more reduced in vascular rings with preincubation of TAK-044 than in vascular rings without TAK-044 in ET-1. CONCLUSION: ET(B) receptor on the endothelium might mediate the transient vasodilator responses to ET-1 and ET-3 through release of nitric oxide in porcine coronary artery. ET(A) and ET(B) receptor on vascular smooth muscle cells might mediate vasoconstrictor responses to ETs.
Arginine ; Arteries ; Coronary Vessels* ; Endothelins* ; Endothelium ; Muscle, Smooth, Vascular ; Nitric Oxide ; Receptors, Endothelin ; Relaxation ; Swine

To assess the efficacy of 2 different mitral balloon valvotomy (PMV) techniques, PMV was performed using Inoue balloon (I) in 35 pts and double balloon (D) in 33 pts with mitral stenosis (male 27, female 41, mean age 42+/-12 years). The success rate of PMV was 89%(31/35 pts) in I group and 97%(33/33 pts) in D group. Mitral valve area after dilation increased equally effectively in both groups (I and D) from 0.9+/-0.2 and 0.8+/-0.2 to 1.9+/-0.2 and 1.9+/-0.3cm2 respectively (p<0.0001). There were no differences in degree of improvement of cardiac output, mitral gradient, left atrial pressure, pulmonary artery pressure and various doppler echocardiographic findings in both groups, but EF slope was more improved from 13+/-7 to 48+/-16 mm/sec in D group than those (from 15+/-6 to 39+/-15mm/sec) of I group. Increments of long and short diameters of mitral valve orifice by 2D-echocardiogram were 1.1+/-0.6 and 0.3+/-0.3cm in D group and 0.9+/-0.5, 0.4+/-0.3cm in I group. The ratio of long and short diameter increase was significantly larger in D than that of I group (long/short 2.8+/-0.7 vs 2.4+/-0.7, p<0.05) and short diameter of orifice after dilation was more improved in I than that of D group (1.1+/-0.2 vs 1.0+/-0.2cm p<0.05). Complications included deflation failure of Inoue balloon in 2, and cerebral embolic episode in 1 (D). Incidence of increased mitral regurgitation was 50% in D and 45% in I, development of ASD (Qp/Qs>1.2) was 20% in D, 13% in I group respectively and mean amount of left to right shunt (Qp/Qs) was 1.7+/-0.3 in D and 1.5+/-0.1 in I group. Total procedure and fluoroscopic time were 84+/-24 and 25+/-11 min. in D and 56+/-20 and 16+/-6 min. In I, which had statistically significant differences (p<0.002). Thus we concluded PMV using Inoue or double balloons was equally effective in selected patients. Total procedure and fluoroscopic time of Inoue balloon technique were significantly shorter than those of double balloons. Double balloon technique had more tendency of longitudinal splitting of the commissures.
Atrial Pressure ; Balloon Valvuloplasty* ; Cardiac Output ; Echocardiography ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies* ; Humans ; Incidence ; Mitral Valve ; Mitral Valve Insufficiency ; Mitral Valve Stenosis ; Pulmonary Artery

No abstract available.
Heart Septal Defects, Atrial* ; Hemodynamics*

No abstract available.
Extremities* ; Sarcoma*

Buoy flap was useful method for soft tissue defect, bone defect or bone and soft tissue defect. Also the buoy flap could use monitoring for blood flow. The advantages of the buoy flap were long length of perforating cutaneous branch, large diameter of Peroneal vessel, transposition in same leg and the another advantage was that the fibula is the long, straight and mainly cortical bone. To obtain successful result of buoy flap, one must have the anatomic concept for vascular pattern (straight branch, proximal oblique branch, branch from muscular branch, distal oblique branch), relationships with surrounding muscles (between Peroneus m. and Soleus m., Through Peroneus m., through Soleus m.) and length of perforating branch. So, we studied total 19 person, 22 cases of buoy flap, who were admitted and took the operation at Kyung Hee University College hospital, from October 1985 to March 1987.
Clinical Study ; Fibula ; Humans ; Leg ; Methods ; Muscles

The shoulder fusion is one of the good method to relieve pain, improve the function and stabilize the flail shoulder joint. But recent advance of arthroplasty, the procedure is less popular. Authors studied and analized 23 patients who received shoulder arthrodesis from Aug. 1978 to Aug. 1986 and reported functional outcome after shoulder arthrodesis. Among twenty three patients, brachial plexus palsy were eighteen, upper extremity residual poliomyelitis in three and shoulder joint turberculosis in two respectively. Postoperative follow up was 12 months to 9 years and 6 months, average being 2 years and 6 months. It took 14.4 weeks in average for shoulder arthrodesis. The postoperative abduction fusion angle was 33.8 degrees in average(20 degrees to 50 degrees). The active abduction after shoulder fusion was mean 51.8 degrees(20 degrees to 85 degrees). The abduction fusion angle between 20 degrees and 40 degrees was presented satisfactory results in the point of pain relief, functional assessment and patients satisfaction. High abduction fusion angle(more than 40 degrees) revealed pain around the fused shoulder area. The combined extra and intraarticular arthrodesis revealed better results. The Saber-cut approach was more valuable for secondary elbow reconstruction than Henry approach.
Arthrodesis ; Arthroplasty ; Brachial Plexus ; Elbow ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Methods ; Paralysis ; Poliomyelitis ; Shoulder Joint ; Shoulder ; Upper Extremity

Authors analysed 36 cases(33 patients) of Peroneal Buoy Flap to investigate branching pattern, course, length of vascular pedicle, and perforating level of the perforating cutaneous branches from Oct. 1985 to July 1988. The results were as follows. 1. The perforating cutaneous branchea were classified into four types, the Straight Branch (18 cases), the Proximal Oblique Branch (8 cases), the Branch from Muscular Artery (8 cases), the Distal Oblique Branch(2 cases) respectively. The most common patten was Straight Branch. 2. There were 3 pathways of these branches, the most common one passed between the Soleus and Peroneus muscles(23 cases, 64%), and second one passed through the snterior part of Soleus muscle(8 cases, 22%), the third one passed through the posterior part of Peroneus muscle(5 cases, 14%). 3. The length of vascular pedicle in Buoy Flap was variable from 3cm to 15cm, but 27 cases(75%) were distributed between 4cm and 6cm. 4. The perforating level of branches were 6.3cm in average from Fibular Neck, 88% of them were distributed within 10cm. 5. Peroneal Buoy Flap in possible to reconstruct both seperated bone and skin defect in some distance by One-Stage Operation.
Arteries ; Neck ; Skin