[Proceedings: Results of early surgery in infectious endocarditis]

23 patients with infective endocarditis have been treated surgically during the period 1965 to 1975. 20 patients underwent operation for intractable heart failure, complicated in 4 instances by systemic embolization and in 4 others by intractable infection. Two patients were operated upon only for intractable infection and one patient for severe hemolysis. There were 5 early deaths within 12 days and 2 late deaths 2 and 21 months after operation. Four months to 9 1/2 years after operation 16 patients were alive, only one of whom had mild heart failure. The best prognosis (1 death) was apparent in the 12 patients who underwent operation for intractable heart failure only.