Retrospective analysis of surgically treated infective endocarditis cases

Prosthetic valve endocarditis (PVE) and native valve endocarditis (NVE) both cause high rates of morbidity and mortality and are significant health problems in our community. Optimal timing of the surgical intervention depends on the hemodynamic stability of the patient. In the present study, we retrospectively evaluated the clinical status, bacteriology, morbidity, and mortality parameters of infective endocarditis cases that were treated surgically.

Thirty patients (20 male and 10 female) who underwent cardiac valve surgery between April 2001 and December 2006 were included in the study. The mean (SD) age of the patients was 36.5 +/- 5.42 years. Thirty-five surgical operations were conducted on 30 patients. We evaluated the patient demographic, etiologic, and surgical data retrospectively with respect to mortality and morbidity.

The mean time to develop PVE was 13 months. We recorded a mortality rate of 16.6% (2 deaths in NVE operations and 3 deaths in PVE operations). Repeat surgeries were performed in 2 aortic valve cases and 3 mitral valve cases in which paravalvular leakage was noticed in the prosthetic valves.

Despite significant medical and surgical advances, both NVE and PVE still continue to be causes of high mortality and morbidity rates in cardiac surgery.