[Surgical treatment of active infective endocarditis]

Between August 1980 and December 1995, 29 patients have undergone valve replacement for active infective endocarditis (IE) at our institute. Twenty five patients had native valve endocarditis (NVE) and 4 had prosthetic valve endocarditis (PVE). The indication for surgery in 29 patients was congestive heart failure, septicemia or systemic embolization. Twenty six patients had vegetation. Eleven patients had AVRs, including one modified Bentall operation, 10 had MVRs and four had DVRs with mechanical prosthetic valve. There were eleven early death (38%) and one late death. Operative mortality rate has reduced to 24% after 1991. We conclude that early surgical intervention should be taken according to the hemodynamic state of the patients irrespective of the presence of septicemia.