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Updated: Aug 25, 2025

Interventional Diagnostic Procedure: A Practical Guide for the Assessment of Coronary Vascular Function
Published on: March 15, 2022
Invasive Coronary Angiography in Patients with Native or Prosthetic Aortic Valve Endocarditis
Tim Berger1, Dominik Dees2, Matthias Siepe1
1Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, University Hospital Freiburg, Heart Centre, Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany.
Insights
Preoperative invasive coronary angiography (ICA) is safe for patients with infective aortic valve endocarditis, revealing significant coronary artery disease (CAD) and lowering in-hospital mortality. This procedure offers valuable insights for surgical planning.
Area of Science:
- Cardiology
- Cardiac Surgery
- Infectious Diseases
Background:
- Invasive coronary angiography (ICA) is crucial for diagnosing coronary artery disease (CAD) but is typically contraindicated in patients with infective aortic valve endocarditis.
- This study investigates the safety and clinical utility of preoperative ICA in patients undergoing aortic valve replacement for infective endocarditis.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess the risks and benefits of performing preoperative ICA in patients with infective aortic valve endocarditis before aortic valve replacement.
- To determine the incidence of CAD and its impact on surgical management and patient outcomes.
Main Methods:
- A retrospective analysis of 232 patients treated for infective aortic valve endocarditis between March 2008 and September 2020.
- Comparison of 67 patients who underwent preoperative ICA with those who did not, analyzing baseline characteristics, echocardiograms, ICA data, intraoperative details, and clinical outcomes.
Main Results:
- ICA identified significant CAD in 54% of patients, including one- (28%), two- (9%), and three-vessel disease (16%).
- No adverse events, including thromboembolic complications like stroke, were observed following preoperative ICA.
- Patients with preoperative ICA had significantly lower in-hospital mortality (12% vs. 18%) but a higher incidence of postoperative bleeding (27% vs. 13%). New-onset stroke occurred in 5% of both groups.
Conclusions:
- Preoperative ICA is a safe procedure in selected patients with infective aortic valve endocarditis when performed with a multidisciplinary team approach.
- ICA provides crucial information for surgical planning, leading to improved clinical outcomes, including reduced mortality, despite a potential increase in bleeding complications.
Background:
Invasive coronary angiography (ICA) is essential to detect significant coronary artery disease (CAD) but is generally not recommended in patients with infective aortic valve endocarditis. This study aimed to evaluate the risks and benefits of preoperative ICA in patients before aortic valve replacement.
Methods:
Between March 2008 and September 2020, 232 patients were surgically treated for infectious endocarditis of the aortic valve. Sixty-seven (29%) of them underwent preoperative diagnostic ICA and were compared with the patients without preoperative ICA. We collected their baseline characteristics, including the neurological status, previous cardiac surgical procedures, and reviewed the preoperative echocardiograms and the ICA data. The intraoperative data and clinical outcomes after ICA and after surgery were evaluated.
Results:
ICA revealed a CAD in the majority of our patients (n = 36; 54%): One-vessel disease n = 19 (28%), two-vessel disease n = 6 (9%), and three-vessel disease n = 11 (16%). We observed no adverse events following preoperative diagnostic ICA, particularly no thromboembolic complications, including stroke, visceral, or lower body ischemia were detected. During surgical aortic valve replacement, concomitant coronary artery bypass grafting was performed in 20 patients (30%). In patients with preoperative ICA, postoperative in-hospital mortality was significantly lower (n = 8 [12%] vs. n = 30 [18%]; p < 0.001), while the incidence of postoperative bleeding was higher (n = 18 [27%] vs. n = 22 [13%]; p = 0.022). The new-onset stroke incidence was 5% in each group.
Conclusion:
Taking a multidisciplinary team approach, ICA is safe in selected patients with aortic valve infectious endocarditis with no adverse clinical outcomes, but significant clinical implications.
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