BACKGROUND: Infective endocarditis is a disease of difficult and multidisciplinar treatment that frequently needs the surgical participation. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Between January 1987 and January 1999, 159 patients were operated on in our Service for infective endocarditis. Male group represented 64.7%. The mean age was 39.2 yr. (2 to 78 yr.) and the mean weight 57.1 kg. The aortic valve was affected most frequently (66 patients), the native valve was affected in 47 cases and the prostheses in 19 (11 bioprostheses and 8 mechanic valves). The mitral valve was affected in 53 patients, most commonly in prostheses (28 bioprostheses and 2 mechanical). Aortic and mitral valves were together affected in 28 cases. The other patients had congenital defects or definitive pacemaker. Surgical treatment was indicated in cases of heart failure, refractory to medical treatment, valvar or prosthesis dysfunction secondary to infection, leak or arrhythmia. RESULTS: Cultures revealed that Streptococcus viridans and Staphilococcus aureus were the most prevalent microorganisms. Valve repair was possible in 3 patients of mitral group and one of aortic group. For the others, prostheses were used (mechanical for aortic valve and bioprostetic for mitral valve in the majority of the cases). Reoperation was frequent. Ventricular septal defect was the most common congenital pathology (3 cases) and 4 patients presented infective endocarditis in pacemaker wire. The global mortality was 16.3%. Abscess as a complication was presented in 18.2% of the patients. We used bovine pericardium for reconstruction with a surgical mortality of 17.2%. CONCLUSION: We concluded that the treatment for infective endocarditis represents a surgical challenge, in spite of the progress added to the diagnostic and therapeutic armamentarium of this pathology.
Heart valve diseases; Heart valve prosthesis implantation; Heart valve prosthesis implantation; Heart valve prosthesis implantation; Endocarditis; Endocarditis
