Background and Objectives: This study aimed to analyze the outcomes of Fontan surgery in the Republic of Korea, as there were only a few studies from Asian countries. Methods: The medical records of 1,732 patients who underwent Fontan surgery in 10 cardiac centers were reviewed. Results: Among them, 1,040 (58.8%) were men. The mean age at Fontan surgery was 4.3±4.2 years, and 395 (22.8%) patients presented with heterotaxy syndrome. According to the types of Fontan surgery, 157 patients underwent atriopulmonary (AP) type; 303, lateral tunnel (LT) type; and 1,266, extracardiac conduit (ECC) type. The overall survival rates were 91.7%, 87.1%, and 74.4% at 10, 20, and 30 years, respectively. The risk factors of early mortality were male, heterotaxy syndrome, AP-type Fontan surgery, high mean pulmonary artery pressure (mPAP) in pre-Fontan cardiac catheterization, and early Fontan surgery year. The risk factors of late mortality were heterotaxy syndrome, genetic disorder, significant atrioventricular valve regurgitation (AVVR) before Fontan surgery, high mPAP in pre-Fontan cardiac catheterization, and no fenestration. Conclusions In Asian population with a high incidence of heterotaxy syndrome, the heterotaxy syndrome was identified as the poor prognostic factors for Fontan surgery. The preoperative low mPAP and less AVVR are associated with better early and long-term outcomes of Fontan surgery.

Background and Objectives: This study aimed to analyze the outcomes of Fontan surgery in the Republic of Korea, as there were only a few studies from Asian countries. Methods: The medical records of 1,732 patients who underwent Fontan surgery in 10 cardiac centers were reviewed. Results: Among them, 1,040 (58.8%) were men. The mean age at Fontan surgery was 4.3±4.2 years, and 395 (22.8%) patients presented with heterotaxy syndrome. According to the types of Fontan surgery, 157 patients underwent atriopulmonary (AP) type; 303, lateral tunnel (LT) type; and 1,266, extracardiac conduit (ECC) type. The overall survival rates were 91.7%, 87.1%, and 74.4% at 10, 20, and 30 years, respectively. The risk factors of early mortality were male, heterotaxy syndrome, AP-type Fontan surgery, high mean pulmonary artery pressure (mPAP) in pre-Fontan cardiac catheterization, and early Fontan surgery year. The risk factors of late mortality were heterotaxy syndrome, genetic disorder, significant atrioventricular valve regurgitation (AVVR) before Fontan surgery, high mPAP in pre-Fontan cardiac catheterization, and no fenestration. Conclusions In Asian population with a high incidence of heterotaxy syndrome, the heterotaxy syndrome was identified as the poor prognostic factors for Fontan surgery. The preoperative low mPAP and less AVVR are associated with better early and long-term outcomes of Fontan surgery.

Purpose: Cybersickness is a type of motion sickness induced by virtual reality (VR) or augmented reality (AR) environments that presents symptoms including nausea, dizziness, and headaches. This study aimed to investigate how cathodal transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) alleviates motion sickness symptoms and modulates brain activity in individuals experiencing cybersickness after exposure to a VR environment. Methods: This study was performed on two groups of healthy adults with cybersickness symptoms. Subjects were randomly assigned to receive either cathodal tDCS intervention or sham tDCS intervention. Brain activity during VR stimulation was measured by 38-channel functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS). tDCS was administered to the right temporoparietal junction (TPJ) for 20 minutes at an intensity of 2mA, and the severity of cybersickness was assessed pre- and post-intervention using a simulator sickness questionnaire (SSQ).Result: Following the experiment, cybersickness symptoms in subjects who received cathodal tDCS intervention were reduced based on SSQ scores, whereas those who received sham tDCS showed no significant change. fNIRS analysis revealed that tDCS significantly diminished cortical activity in subjects with high activity in temporal and parietal lobes, whereas high cortical activity was maintained in these regions after intervention in subjects who received sham tDCS. Conclusion These findings suggest that cathodal tDCS applied to the right TPJ region in young adults experiencing cybersickness effectively reduces motion sickness induced by VR environments.

Purpose: Cybersickness is a type of motion sickness induced by virtual reality (VR) or augmented reality (AR) environments that presents symptoms including nausea, dizziness, and headaches. This study aimed to investigate how cathodal transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) alleviates motion sickness symptoms and modulates brain activity in individuals experiencing cybersickness after exposure to a VR environment. Methods: This study was performed on two groups of healthy adults with cybersickness symptoms. Subjects were randomly assigned to receive either cathodal tDCS intervention or sham tDCS intervention. Brain activity during VR stimulation was measured by 38-channel functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS). tDCS was administered to the right temporoparietal junction (TPJ) for 20 minutes at an intensity of 2mA, and the severity of cybersickness was assessed pre- and post-intervention using a simulator sickness questionnaire (SSQ).Result: Following the experiment, cybersickness symptoms in subjects who received cathodal tDCS intervention were reduced based on SSQ scores, whereas those who received sham tDCS showed no significant change. fNIRS analysis revealed that tDCS significantly diminished cortical activity in subjects with high activity in temporal and parietal lobes, whereas high cortical activity was maintained in these regions after intervention in subjects who received sham tDCS. Conclusion These findings suggest that cathodal tDCS applied to the right TPJ region in young adults experiencing cybersickness effectively reduces motion sickness induced by VR environments.

Purpose: Cybersickness is a type of motion sickness induced by virtual reality (VR) or augmented reality (AR) environments that presents symptoms including nausea, dizziness, and headaches. This study aimed to investigate how cathodal transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) alleviates motion sickness symptoms and modulates brain activity in individuals experiencing cybersickness after exposure to a VR environment. Methods: This study was performed on two groups of healthy adults with cybersickness symptoms. Subjects were randomly assigned to receive either cathodal tDCS intervention or sham tDCS intervention. Brain activity during VR stimulation was measured by 38-channel functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS). tDCS was administered to the right temporoparietal junction (TPJ) for 20 minutes at an intensity of 2mA, and the severity of cybersickness was assessed pre- and post-intervention using a simulator sickness questionnaire (SSQ).Result: Following the experiment, cybersickness symptoms in subjects who received cathodal tDCS intervention were reduced based on SSQ scores, whereas those who received sham tDCS showed no significant change. fNIRS analysis revealed that tDCS significantly diminished cortical activity in subjects with high activity in temporal and parietal lobes, whereas high cortical activity was maintained in these regions after intervention in subjects who received sham tDCS. Conclusion These findings suggest that cathodal tDCS applied to the right TPJ region in young adults experiencing cybersickness effectively reduces motion sickness induced by VR environments.

Background and Objectives: This study aimed to analyze the outcomes of Fontan surgery in the Republic of Korea, as there were only a few studies from Asian countries. Methods: The medical records of 1,732 patients who underwent Fontan surgery in 10 cardiac centers were reviewed. Results: Among them, 1,040 (58.8%) were men. The mean age at Fontan surgery was 4.3±4.2 years, and 395 (22.8%) patients presented with heterotaxy syndrome. According to the types of Fontan surgery, 157 patients underwent atriopulmonary (AP) type; 303, lateral tunnel (LT) type; and 1,266, extracardiac conduit (ECC) type. The overall survival rates were 91.7%, 87.1%, and 74.4% at 10, 20, and 30 years, respectively. The risk factors of early mortality were male, heterotaxy syndrome, AP-type Fontan surgery, high mean pulmonary artery pressure (mPAP) in pre-Fontan cardiac catheterization, and early Fontan surgery year. The risk factors of late mortality were heterotaxy syndrome, genetic disorder, significant atrioventricular valve regurgitation (AVVR) before Fontan surgery, high mPAP in pre-Fontan cardiac catheterization, and no fenestration. Conclusions In Asian population with a high incidence of heterotaxy syndrome, the heterotaxy syndrome was identified as the poor prognostic factors for Fontan surgery. The preoperative low mPAP and less AVVR are associated with better early and long-term outcomes of Fontan surgery.