Surgical intervention for infective endocarditis in a veteran population

Surgical management of infective endocarditis can be challenging. Veteran patients are unique because they often have significant comorbidities, and surgical management of endocarditis in this population has not been well described.

Using a prospective database, 46 consecutive patients who underwent valve surgery for acute infective endocarditis between 1987 and 2009 were identified. Survival was assessed using the Kaplan-Meier method.

All patients were men (mean age, 56 ± 9 years). The most common indication for surgical intervention was congestive heart failure (60%). The aortic valve was the only valve infected in most patients (65%). Operative morbidity and mortality were 33% and 9%, respectively. The 1-year, 3-year, 5-year, and 10-year unadjusted survival rates were 72%, 57%, 51%, and 30%, respectively.

Although acceptable short-term outcomes can be achieved in veterans undergoing surgical treatment for endocarditis, unadjusted long-term survival may be poor.