Early and mid-term outcomes of patients undergoing cardiac surgery for infective endocarditis

Infective endocarditis remains a serious condition with a high mortality rate. However, surgical treatment of infective endocarditis still raises some questions despite the researches. This study aimed to analyse the early- and mid-term outcomes of patients with infective endocarditis who required surgical treatment and to identify perioperative risk factors for mortality and morbidity.

Between April 2019 and January 2024, 70 patients who were diagnosed with infective endocarditis according to the Modified Duke criteria and underwent cardiac surgery in our clinic, retrospectively.

The results showed that in the preoperative period, older age, previous surgery/intervention, and chronic renal failure were associated with higher mortality in the postoperative period. Long cross-clamp and cardiopulmonary bypass times increased the mortality as the complexity of the intraoperative case increased. Patients requiring postoperative mechanical and inotropic support had a worse prognosis (p<0.05).

Regardless of whether factors can be changed at each stage of the operation, the risk of complications increases as complexity increases. It is important that surgical as well as medical management of infective endocarditis is well protocolised. Choosing the simplest option as much as possible is the best decision for this patient group.

IE: Infective Endocarditis, CT: Computed Tomography, CABG: Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting, AVR: Aortic Valve Replacement, MVR: Mitral Valve Replacement, TVR: Tricuspid Valve Replacement, PVR: Pulmonary Valve Replacement, MBVP: Mitral Balloon Valvuloplasty, ECMO: Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation, IABP: Intraaortic Balloon Pump, MAIF: Mitral-aortic intervalvular fibrosa, CPB: Cardiopulmonary Bypass, CPR: Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation.