Outcome of surgery for acute infective endocarditis: does preoperative stroke have an impact on mortality?

Surgical therapy of infective endocarditis (IE) is challenging and can be associated with high mortality. In this study, we present the early outcomes of patients who underwent cardiac surgery for IE.

From 2017 until 2019, 66 patients underwent surgical treatment for IE. Staphylococcus aureus infection was identified in 14 patients (21%). In the same period, about 813 valve replacement procedures were performed with 8% incidence of IE. Mean age was 66 ± 12 years and 32% were females. Mean ejection fraction was 55 ± 9%. Seven patients (11%) had stroke due to septic embolism preoperatively. In 20 patients (30%), prosthetic valve endocarditis was an indication for reoperation. Thirty-day postoperative mortality and impact of preoperative stroke were analyzed.

Thirty-day mortality was 17% (n = 11). Mean EuroSCORE I was 28 ± 22%. Mean cross clamp time was 63 ± 37 min. Fourty patients (61%) underwent one-valve procedure, 25 patients (38%) had double-valve, and one (1%) triple-valve operation. All seven patients with preoperative neurologic dysfunction had unremarkable postoperative course without death or neurologic deterioration. Five of them had no worsening in neurological status, while 2 patients had slight improvement in speech. The comparison between the two groups (patients without preoperative neurological vs. patients with preoperative neurological dysfunction) revealed no significance in the postoperative mortality rate (18% vs. 0% with p = 0.26). Postoperative echocardiography revealed competent valve function in all cases.

Surgical treatment for IE still remains a challenge with high morbidity and mortality. Patients with preoperative neurologic dysfunction due to septic embolism have good early postoperative results without increased mortality.