Vegetation Length is Associated with Long-term Survival in Patients Treated Surgically for Infective Endocarditis

Area of Science:

• Cardiology
• Infectious Diseases
• Surgical Outcomes

Background:

• Infective endocarditis poses significant risks to long-term patient survival.
• Vegetation size is a critical factor influencing treatment strategies and prognosis.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine the impact of vegetation length (≥10 mm) on long-term survival in surgically treated infective endocarditis patients.
• To inform therapeutic decision-making and improve survival prediction.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective analysis of 814 patients surgically treated for infective endocarditis with successful follow-up.
• Patients were categorized by vegetation length: <10 mm (n=432) and ≥10 mm (n=382).
• Multivariate Cox regression analysis was used to assess mortality predictors.

Main Results:

• Vegetation length ≥10 mm was associated with increased 1-year, 5-year, and all-time mortality.
• Factors associated with longer vegetation included male gender, delayed surgery, higher LVEF, and greater aortic regurgitation.
• Average follow-up was 75.1 months.

Conclusions:

• Vegetation length ≥10 mm is a significant predictor of reduced long-term survival in infective endocarditis patients undergoing surgery.
• This finding underscores the importance of vegetation size in risk stratification and treatment planning.