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Chiung-Lun Kao

Publications and source records attributed to Chiung-Lun Kao.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2006

Mediastinal hematoma and left main dissection following blunt chest trauma.

A 40-year-old man sustained blunt chest trauma resulting in sternal fracture, mediastinal hematoma, and dissection of the left main coronary artery. Because of associated injury, the coronary angiogram was performed 7 days after the accident and off-pump coronary bypass surgery was performed immediately. Two months later, follow-up angiogram revealed completely healed left main dissection. The patient continues to do well 4 months postoperatively.

Accidents, Traffic↗
PubMed2006

Role of the simultaneous sequential strategy for failed acute sinus restoration after modified left maze procedure for persistent atrial fibrillation with concomitant mitral surgery.

BACKGROUND: We assessed whether the simultaneous sequential strategy could (1) achieve additional sinus restoration for those patients who were not in sinus rhythm while coming off bypass after modified left maze procedure and (2) attain the same long-term success rates as the bi-atrial maze procedure in patients with persistent atrial fibrillation (AF) and mitral valve disease. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Twenty-seven consecutive patients - ten men and 17 women with a mean age of 52 +/- 13 years, all with persistent AF and mitral valve disease - underwent the modified maze procedure with the simultaneous sequential strategy. In the first phase, the modified left atrial maze operation was carried out with concomitant valvular surgery; the right side maze operation was subsequently carried out as a second phase of the sequential strategy only if AF re-appeared following the spontaneous restoration of heart beats during the operation. RESULTS: Twenty patients (74.1%) underwent the left atrial maze procedure only, and seven patients (25.9%) required the subsequent right atrial maze procedure as part of the sequential strategy. At a mean follow-up of 15.1 +/- 7.7 months, six of the 27 patients (22.2%) who underwent additional right atrial maze procedure had restored sinus rhythm. At a mean follow-up of 17.8 +/- 7.3 months, 24 of the 27 patients (88.9%) had restored sinus rhythm and 22 patients (81.5%) had restored bi-atrial transport function (right atrial filling fraction: 40.8 +/- 11.7%; left atrial filling fraction: 22.9 +/- 8.1%) after application of the sequential strategy. CONCLUSIONS: Compared with modified left atrial maze procedure, the application of the simultaneous sequential strategy successfully restored sinus rhythm in an additional 22.2% of patients with persistent AF. The overall sinus conversion rate of 88.9% was comparable with that of the standard bi-atrial maze procedure.

Adult↗
PubMed2005

Structural allograft implantation for thoracic spinal impalement.

Impalement injury is uncommon, with only occasional reports. Thoracic impalement injuries from falls are rarely seen in the emergency department, because most patients die at the scene of injury. We present an unusual case in which a patient survived a bilateral thoracic impalement injury and was successfully treated for the bleeding thoracic spinal defect with a method that used a structural ulnar allograft implantation.

Accidental Falls↗
PubMed2005

Less-invasive surgical extraction of problematic or infected permanent transvenous pacemaker system.

BACKGROUND: The best management of problematic or infected transvenous permanent pacemaker system is complete surgical or percutaneous intravascular extraction of the pacemaker leads and removal of the generator. We present our experiences in 13 such patients in whom the leads were removed with the less-invasive technique. METHODS: From 1996 to 2003, 13 patients, from 31 to 83 years of age (mean, 66.9 +/- 14.0 years), with problematic or infected transvenous permanent pacemaker systems were referred to our department for surgical treatment. In 6 patients, the original pacemakers were dual-chamber. A subxiphoid pericardiotomy was used as the monitoring port during the ventricular lead extraction. In addition, a right parasternal pericardiotomy through the third intercostal space was used as the monitoring port during the atrial lead extraction. RESULTS: Pacemaker systems were completely removed in all patients. Three bleeding episodes (23%), including two right atrial tears and one right ventricular rupture, were successfully circumvented through these monitoring ports. Concomitantly, a new epicardial single-chamber device was implanted through the subxiphoid pericardiotomy whenever indicated in 9 patients. All patients recovered and were discharged uneventfully. At a mean follow-up of 24.8 months (range, 1 to 90 months), no recurrent infections were observed. CONCLUSIONS: A less-invasive technique for explantation of the complete pacemaker system is feasible. This is a reliable method to eradicate infection. Neither cardiopulmonary bypass nor specific intravascular lead extraction devices, such as locking stylets or laser-assisted sheath, are needed.

Adult↗
PubMed2004

Pseudoaneurysm formation 12 years after ringed intraluminal graft replacement for type B aortic dissection.

A sutureless ringed intraluminal graft has been used as a substitute for the diseased aorta with the advantage of decreasing the aortic cross-clamp time and blood loss. Concerns remain about implications of anecdotal accounts of late complications with this graft. We report on the experience of a 68-year-old man, successfully treated for type B aortic dissection using the sutureless technique, who developed a pseudoaneurysm and aortobronchial fistula over the distal anastomosis of the intraluminal graft 12 years after the operation.

Aged↗
PubMed2003

Conduit-on-valve replacement of a degenerated mitral bioprosthesis with a bioprosthesis.

Explantation of a degenerated mitral bioprosthesis with reimplantation of a new bioprosthesis is time-consuming and can be associated with several life-threatening complications. We developed a technique to simplify this procedure and avoid the complications by attaching a new bioprosthesis supported by a pericardium-covered Dacron tube to the intact stent.

Bioprosthesis↗
PubMed2003

Mitral valve repair in uremic congestive cardiomyopathy.

BACKGROUND: There is limited reported experience on mitral valve repair in patients with chronic renal failure. This study was designed to evaluate the outcomes of mitral valve repair in patients suffering from congestive heart failure as a result of uremic cardiomyopathy and severe mitral regurgitation requiring chronic hemodialysis. METHODS: From 1995 to 2002, 5 women, ages 41 to 64 years (53 +/- 8 years), with uremic congestive cardiomyopathy and end-stage renal disease on chronic hemodialysis who underwent mitral valve repair for severe mitral regurgitation were identified retrospectively and followed for clinical and echocardiographic outcomes. The preoperative New York Heart Association functional class was 3.8 +/- 0.45. RESULTS: All patients had good results immediately after surgical mitral valve repair with no more than mild mitral regurgitation. During the follow-up at an average of 22.4 +/- 14.9 months (range, 3 to 41 months) postoperatively, all patients returned to New York Heart Association functional class I. Neither mitral calcification nor increasing peak transmitral gradient (or decreasing mitral valve orifice area) was notable by two-dimensional echocardiography. No reoperation was required. CONCLUSIONS: Although accelerated calcification of the repaired mitral valve and high incidence of failure of the reconstruction had been reported in patients with end-stage renal disease, based on our experience we advocate mitral valve repair when this can be safely performed, especially in patients with uremic congestive cardiomyopathy, in view of the added advantage of retaining the native valve in such patients.

Adult↗
PubMed2003

Large extracranial vertebral aneurysm with absent contralateral vertebral artery.

The extracranial segment of the vertebral artery is well protected, and the rate of occurrence of extracranial vertebral aneurysms is very low. We describe the case of a 40-year-old woman who presented with a large aneurysm of the left vertebral artery in the angiographic absence of a right vertebral artery. Her medical history included a motorcycle accident at the age of 20, at which time a neck sprain had been diagnosed. Computed tomography of the chest and neck revealed a 6- x 4-cm aneurysm with mural thrombus in the left thoracic outlet and in the first portion of the left vertebral artery before the entrance of the transverse foramen of the 6th cervical vertebra. Angiography of the arch vessels confirmed both the presence of an aneurysm of the left vertebral artery and the absence of a right vertebral artery. Due to the lack of contralateral vertebral flow, we planned to perform a graft interposition under deep hypothermic circulatory arrest, for cerebral protection. Unfortunately, the patient refused the operation and was lost to follow-up. To our knowledge, there has been no previous report of an extracranial vertebral artery aneurysm in the absence of a contralateral vertebral artery. We believe that deep hypothermic circulatory arrest with graft interposition is the best treatment strategy, although we did not, in this case, have opportunity to treat the patient.

Adult↗
PubMed2003

Perigraft-to-right atrial shunt for aortic root hemostasis.

We have modified the technique of perigraft-to-right atrial shunt to control hemorrhage after aortic root replacement. We have performed this operation in 2 patients, including one who had acute aortic dissection and another who underwent aortic root replacement and single-vessel coronary artery bypass. Neither patient required re-exploration for bleeding, and both shunts closed spontaneously during the follow-up period without any related complications. With this modification, even in the presence of concomitant coronary artery bypass grafting, hemostasis was achieved with preservation of the proximal vein graft.

Adult↗
PubMed2003

Aortic graft pseudoaneurysm secondary to fracture of sternal wires.

A 74-year-old man with a previously placed ascending aortic graft was admitted to our hospital with a pulsating sternal mass, 2 days after an episode of severe coughing. Six months earlier, computed tomographic scanning had shown an intact aortic graft and no sternal wire fracture, but the wires had cut through the sternum. Computed tomographic scans at the current admission showed the patient to have 2 perforations of the ascending aortic graft, which led to 2 pseudoaneurysms and a large subcutaneous hematoma. In another view, a fractured sternal wire could be seen leading to one of the pseudoaneurysms. We performed emergent surgery and found sternal separation, as well as 2 holes in the graft that coincided with the location of the fractured sternal wires. We successfully patched the graft; however, the patient had a cerebral ischemic stroke and died 2 weeks postoperatively. This case emphasizes the importance of early removal of loosening sternal wires.

Aged↗
PubMed2002

Brown tumor of the sternum.

The skeletal changes of severe hyperparathyroidism, known as osteitis fibrosa cystica, are now rarely encountered, because hyperparathyroidism is currently being diagnosed and treated at an early stage. Herein, a case of brown tumor of the sternum is reported; our report adds histologic data on this type of tumor to the literature.

Adenoma↗
PubMed2002

Double-switch Ross procedure.

Aortic root replacement with pulmonary autograft (Ross procedure) is a valuable technique. However, the best material for right ventricular outflow tract reconstruction remains controversial. We report on the experience with use of an aortic autograft with reimplantation of the diseased aortic valve for right ventricular outflow tract reconstruction in 3 patients with satisfactory result.

Adolescent↗