BACKGROUND: In an effort t enhance long term patency of coronary bypass grafts, utilization of arterial conduits have been on an icrease. With the same objective, we have been using the right gastroepiploic artery (RGEA) in coronary artery bypass procedures since 1998. The current paper has been undertaken with the aim of assessing the apropriateness, problems, and short term results of using the RGEA as an arterial graft conduit by studying the postoperative clinical results of 100 patients than received coronary artery bypass grafting (CARG) with this artery. MATERIAL AND METHOD: Between May of 1998 and May of 1999, an analysis of the mortality, postoperative myocardial infarction, and the need for IABP insertion as a result of low cardiac output were made between 100 consecutive patients undergoing CABG with the RGEA. There was one postoperative death due to cerebral infarction. Postoperative complications/morbidity comprised myocardial infarction in 2, cerebral infarct in 3, reoperation due to bleeding in 1, mediastinitis in 1, and low cardiac output syndrome necessitating IABP in 3 patients. Complicatons related to harvesting of the arterial grafts were not experienced in any of the patients. CONCLUSION: The results of the current data show that utilization of the RGEA in CABG is not associated with increased mortality/morbidity and demonstrates satisfactory short term results suggesting the usefulnessof this conduit as an arterial graft.
Arteries ; Cardiac Output, Low ; Cerebral Infarction ; Coronary Artery Bypass* ; Coronary Vessels* ; Gastroepiploic Artery* ; Hemorrhage ; Humans ; Mediastinitis ; Mortality ; Myocardial Infarction ; Reoperation ; Transplants

A 27 year-old female presented with dyspnea on exertion, and was diagnosed using transthoracic and transesophageal echocardiography as congenital double-orifice mitral valve and mitral valve prolapse resulting in severe mitral regurgitation. This finding was confirmed by open heart surgery, and her mitral valve was successfully repaired with lateral commissural repair and ring annuloplasty using da Vinci system. We report this case with review of literature.
Dyspnea ; Echocardiography, Transesophageal ; Female ; Humans ; Mitral Valve ; Mitral Valve Insufficiency ; Mitral Valve Prolapse ; Thoracic Surgery

PURPOSE: There have been several comparative studies that have focused on elderly groups of patients with gastric cancer. However, new criteria are needed for this elderly group because of the longer life span of Korean people. The diagnosis of gastric cancer has sometimes been missed in the young age group. The perioperative risk is high in the elderly age group because of their combined diseases. This study was designed to determine the differences of the clinicopathologic features and the prognosis between young and elderly patients with gastric cancer. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Eighty patients were divided in two groups and these patients were selected for making comparison between young and elderly groups of patients with gastric cancer. The young age group consisted of 31 patients who were aged 35 years old or less. The elderly age group was made up of 49 patients who were aged 75 years old or above. RESULTS: For the clinicopathologic features, the young age group was characterized by a high incidence of the poorly differentiated type of adenocarcinoma and the diffuse type too, according to the Lauren classification. On the other hand, the elderly group was characterized by a high incidence of poorly to moderate differentiated adenocarcinoma and also the intestinal type according to the Lauren classification. The other clinical differences were unremarkable. Additionally, there was no survival advantage in the young age group compared to the elderly group. CONCLUSION: There were no clinicopathologic and prognostic differences between both extreme age groups. So, active surgical treatment is recommended even for the elderly patients group.
Adenocarcinoma ; Adult ; Aged ; Classification ; Diagnosis ; Hand ; Humans ; Incidence ; Prognosis* ; Stomach Neoplasms*

Tuberculosis of the breast is an extremely rare disease. That needs to be differentiated from inflammatory breast cancer, acute or subacute breast abscess and actinomycosis of the breast in order for it to be treated effectively. However, tuberculosis of the breast is difficult to diagnose because of the diagnostic methods used. In addition, significant time is needed to identify tuberculosis by culture. We experienced a case of tuberculosis of the breast that developed during the anti-tuberculous medication. The patient was diagnosed quickly using tuberculosis PCR and treated with a combination of a surgical excision and anti-tuberculous medication.
Abscess ; Actinomycosis ; Breast* ; Humans ; Inflammatory Breast Neoplasms ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Rare Diseases ; Tuberculosis*

The patients with prolonged air leak after lung resection surgery were generally treated by pleurodesis with sclerosing agents such as talc, tetracyclin, doxycyclin, bleomycin, vibramycin, and OK432. However, for the case like dead space resulted by incomplete reexpansion of the remaining lung, chemical pleurodesis has shown to be not as effective as expected. If the patients keep the chest tube for long period of time, the risk of thoracic empyema would increase. Most thoracic surgeons have experienced prolonged airleak which developed after lung resection. Pleurodesis with autoblood was reported as an effective method in treatment of patients with prolonged airleak. The mechanism of blood pleurodesis may be direct obliteration of BPF and reduction of dead space by clot. Therefore we successfully treated the two patients with prolonged airleak using the autoblood plus OK432 or vibramycin.
Bleomycin ; Chest Tubes ; Doxycycline ; Empyema, Pleural ; Humans ; Lung ; Picibanil ; Pleurodesis* ; Pneumothorax ; Sclerosing Solutions* ; Talc

BACKGROUND: To secure a rapid and safe approach which is at the same time cosmetically appealing, we employed the right anterolateral thoracotomy incision for repair of atrial septal defects and valvular heart diseases in the adult. MATERIAL AND METHOD: Between October 1989 and June 1998, 44 adult patients underwent open heart surgery through right anterolateral thoracotomy at our institution. Operative time, cardiopulmonary bypass time, aortic cross clamp time, blood loss until chest tube removal, length of ICU stay, days to discharge, and survival were compared with those that received cardiac surgery via conventional sternotomy. RESULT: No significant differences were observed between the two groups. There was no death and no additional morbidity directly related to this approach. Cosmetically satisfying results were obtained with safety using the right anterolateral thoracotomy approach. CONCLUSION: Our data show that the right anterolateral thoracotomy approach is a safe alternative to conventional median sternotomy as it offers excellent exposure and aesthetically more acceptable wounds while not adding on to the operative risks.
Adult* ; Cardiopulmonary Bypass ; Chest Tubes ; Heart Septal Defects, Atrial ; Heart Valve Diseases ; Humans ; Operative Time ; Sternotomy ; Thoracic Surgery* ; Thoracotomy* ; Wounds and Injuries

BACKGROUND: Hypertension is the most common cause of left ventricular hypertrophy(LVH). Increased left ventricular mass(LVM) carries independent risk for congestive heart failure, coronary artery disease, sudden death, reduction of coronary reserve. The importance of treatment in systemic hypertension for cardiovascular morbidity and mortality has been estabilished. Regression of LVM occurs with a number of antihypertensive drugs. This study was designed to explore the relation between blood pressure control, LVM and left ventricular filling dynamics. METHODS: Twenty five patients (12 men, 13 women) with estabilished hypertension were studied. No patients had a previous history of antihypertensive therapy. We obtained the basal echocardiography at the diagnosis which were disclosed no definite LVH, and the follow-up echocardiography after 6 months antihypertensive therapy with angiotension converting enzyme inhibitor, fosinopril, in patients with untreated essential hypertension. RESULTS: 1) Baseline blood pressure was 150/125mmHg and fell to 104/85mmHg (p<0.001). There was no siginificant reduction in heart rate. LVM were reduced from 153gr/m2 to 129gr/m2. 2) Peak E velocity and Peak A velocity was 82.9cm/sec, 74.9cm/sec and reduced to 67.2cm/sec, 62.3cm/sec, (p<0.001). 3) Time velocity integral dimension E (Ei) and time velocity integral dimension A (Ai) was 13.0cm, 9.0cm and reduced to 8.6cm, 4.5cm respectively. But there was no significant inteval change in peak E/A velocity. Ei/Ai was increased from 1.7 to 2.1 (p<0.01). CONCLUSIONS: These results suggested that antihypertensive therapy with ACE inhibitor for 6 months reduced significantly the left ventricular mass in patients with untreated essential hypertension.
Antihypertensive Agents ; Blood Pressure ; Coronary Artery Disease ; Death, Sudden ; Diagnosis ; Echocardiography ; Follow-Up Studies ; Fosinopril ; Heart Failure ; Heart Rate ; Humans ; Hypertension* ; Male ; Mortality

From June 1990 to December 1998, 792 kidney transplantations were performed at Asan Medical Center. 436 cases(55M) were from living-related donors, 139 cases(17.6%) were from living-unrelated donors and 217 cases(27.4%) were from cadaveric donors. The results of the trasnplantation were analyzed according to the various factors known to influence the outcome of transplantation. In living transplants, the overall patients survival rate was 98.2% at 1 year and 95.8% at 5 years, the corres-ponding allograft survival rate was 96.9 and 86.1N. In cadaveric transplants, the overall patients survival rate was 94.3% at 1 year and 94.3% at 5 years, the corresponding allograft survival rate was was 90.296 and 84.8%. In living transplants, donor age(>50yrs), recipient age(>50yrs), ABO compatability, pretrans-plant blood transfusion, diabetic history had no effect on allograft survival rate. But HLA DR cornpa-tability, serum creatinine(2.5mg/dL) at discharge and rejection history had effect on allograft survival(p<0.05). In living-related transplants, 5 year allograft survival rate was 100% at HLA identical group and 86% at HLA haplomatched group. But the statistical significance was not found(p=0.052). In cadaveric transplants, donor age(>50yrs), recipient age(>50yrs), ABO compatability, HLA DR match, diabetic history, pretransplant transfusion had no effect on allograft survival. But serum creatinine at discharge(>2.5mg/dL) and posttransplant rejection had effect on allograft survival.
Allografts ; Blood Transfusion ; Cadaver ; Chungcheongnam-do* ; Creatinine ; Humans ; Kidney Transplantation ; Survival Rate ; Tissue Donors

Bronchogenic cyst is an uncommon congenital lesion which is derived from the primitive foregut. Most bronchogenic cyst may develope at the tracheal bifurcation, both main bronchi, the lung parenchymeand the mediastinum. A 40-year old male was evaluated for dyspnea and chest tightness. Computed tomography revealed a well dermarcated, 7.2 x 7.9 cm sized, homogeneous mass compressing the left atrium. 2D-echo showed grade III mitral regurgitation. We completely removed the cystic mass and then confirmed the bronchogenic cyst in the pathological diagnosis. During the follow up period, the patient progressed well without any symptoms and showed grade I mitral regurgitation on the 2D-Echo. Therefore, we report a case of the bronchogenic cyst causing grade III mitral regurgitation.
Adult ; Bronchi ; Bronchogenic Cyst* ; Diagnosis ; Dyspnea ; Follow-Up Studies ; Heart Atria ; Humans ; Lung ; Male ; Mediastinum ; Mitral Valve Insufficiency* ; Thorax

OBJECTIVES: To analyze factors associated with elderly falls in a community dwelling, a comparatively important, but somewhat neglected, health matter. METHODS: Data came from personal interview surveys using a questionnaire of 552 people aged 65 or older living in a community. Socioeconomic, and health related characteristics were investigated as independent variables and experiences of falling in the previous year as the dependent variable. RESULTS: 118(21.4%) of the elderly subjects experienced a fall in the previous year. 24 subjects experienced more than two falls, accounting for 20.3% of the elderly fall victims studied. Factors affecting the falls were families living together, level of daily activity, heart disease, and aconuresis;, therefore an elderly person who lives alone, lives independently, has heart disease, or suffers urinary incontinence had a demonstrated increased chance of falling. CONCLUSION: Groups at risk for falling included elderly persons living alone, living independently, suffering heart disease, or experiencing urinary incontinence. When an elderly fall prevention program is developed and implemented, these results should be considered.
Accidental Falls ; Aged* ; Heart Diseases ; Humans ; Prevalence* ; Questionnaires ; Urinary Incontinence