Surgical management for active infective endocarditis: A single hospital 10 years experience

Objective  Surgical treatment of active infective endocarditis (IE) requires not only homodynamic repair, but also, special emphasis on the eradiation of the infection to prevent recurrence. This study was undertaken to examine the outcome of surgery for active infective endocarditis. Methods  One hundred sixty-four consecutive patients (pts) underwent valve surgery for active IE in Madani Heart Centre (Tabriz, Iran) from 1996 to 2006. Patients presenting with IE diagnosis (according to Duke Criteriaset) were eligible for study. Results  The mean age of patients was 36.3±16 years overall: 34.6±17.5 years for native valve endocarditis and 38.6±15.2 years for prosthetic valve endocarditis (p=0.169). Ninety one (55.5%) of patients were men. The infected valve was native in 112 (68.3%) of patients and prosthetic in 52 (31.7%). In 61 (37%) patients, no predisposing heart disease was found. The aortic valve was infected in 78 (47.6%), the mitral valve in 69 (42.1%), and multiple valves in 17 (10.3%) of patients. Active culture-positive endocarditis was present in 81 (49.4%) whereas 83 (50.6%) patients had culture-negative endocarditis. Staphylococcus aureus was the most common isolated microorganism. Ninety patients (54.8%) were in NYHA classe III and IV. Mechanical valves were implanted in 69 patients (42.1%) and bioprostheses in 95 (57.9%), including homograft in 19 (11.5%). There were 16 (9%) operative deaths, but there was only 1 death in patients that underwent aortic homograft replacement. Reoperation was required in 18 (10.9%) of cases. On multivariate logistic regression analysis, Staphylococcus aureus infection (p=0.008), prosthetic valve endocarditis (p=0.01), paravalvular abscess (p=0.001) and left ventricular ejection fraction less than 40% (p=0.04) were independent predictors of inhospital mortality. Conclusions  Surgery for infective endocarditis continues to be challenging and associated with high operative mortality and morbidity. Prosthetic valve endocarditis, impaired ventricular function, paravalvular abscess and Staphylococcus aureus infection adversely affect in-hospital mortality. Also we found that aortic valve replacement with an aortic homograft can be performed with acceptable in hospital mortality and provides satisfactory results.     

Heart valve operations in patients with active infective endocarditis

Sixty-two consecutive patients underwent heart valve operation for active infective endocarditis. There were 42 men and 20 women whose mean age was 49 years (range, 21 to 79 years). The infection was in the aortic valve in 37 patients, the mitral valve in 18, the aortic and mitral valves in 5, and the tricuspid valve in 2. Twenty-four patients had prosthetic valve endocarditis. Staphylococcus and Streptococcus were responsible for 86% of the infections. Annular abscess was encountered in 33 patients. Complex valve procedures involving reconstruction of the left ventricular inflow or outflow tract or both were performed in 31 patients. There were three operative deaths (4.8%). Predictors of operative mortality were prosthetic valve endocarditis, preoperative shock, and annular abscess. Patients were followed for 1 month to 130 months (mean follow-up, 43 months). Only 1 patient required reoperation for persistent infection. There were ten late deaths. Most survivors (96%) are currently in New York Heart Association class I or II. The 5-year actuarial survival was 79% +/- 7%. These data demonstrate excellent results in patients with native valve endocarditis, and support the premise that patients with prosthetic valve endocarditis should have early surgical intervention.     

Candida parapsilosis tricuspid native valve endocarditis: 3-year follow-up after surgical treatment

In non-addicted patients, several states such as alcoholism, previous valvular heart disease or prosthetic valve replacement, immunodeficiency states, prolonged intravenous hyperalimentation, permanent pacemakers, and some congenital heart diseases can provide the predisposing factors for tricuspid valve endocarditis. It is an extremely rare occurrence in patients with normal native cardiac valves. In this report, we present a case of a 67-year-old woman with tricuspid native valve endocarditis related to Candida parapsilosis which is a very rare cause of infective endocarditis and carries a high mortality risk. An operation was indicated for the patient due to persistent enlarging vegetation on tricuspid valve, severe tricuspid regurgitation, septic pulmonary emboli and finally uncompensated respiratory and heart failure. She underwent tricuspid valve replacement with bioprothesis three years ago and now she is in a satisfactory condition without any medical treatment.     

Recent donation and clinical results of homograft tissue

Between August 1995 and July 1999, we have experienced 14 donors for allografts (mean age: 39.8 +/- 15.8, M/F = 10/4, mean warm ischemic time: 359 minutes). Donated tissues were included 12 aortic valves and 12 pulmonary valves, respectively. Since February 1994, clinical diagnoses of 14 patients included 7 congenital heart disease, 5 infective heart disease, 1 artificial graft infection, and 1 thrombosed valve. There was no graft-transmitted disease. In congenital heart disease, 3 patients (HLHS: 1, Truncus: 1, TOF + PA: 1) died (early mortality, 42%) and 1 with TGA had residual conduit stenosis. However, in infective heart disease, all patients survived without recurrent infection and did not need reoperation (early mortality, 0%). Our clinical results of homograft implantation for infective heart disease were excellent, but more careful consideration will be needed for congenital heart disease in neonates and/or patients with poor preoperative condition.     

先心病并发细菌性心内膜炎的外科治疗

对１８例先天性心脏畸形并发细菌性心内膜炎病人进行直视心脏手术，其中１３例在感染控制后手术，５例于感染活动期行限期或急症手术。感染病灶主要在左心系统者５例，其中３例主动脉瓣叶破坏行瓣膜替换，２例二尖瓣大瓣腱索断裂行腱索移植和瓣环成形。病灶主要在右心系统者１３例，剔除或切除病变组织和赘生物并行三尖瓣修复５例，带单瓣人工血管片加宽右室流出道１例。所有先天性心脏畸形均同期处理。手术死亡１例，死亡率５．６％。本组资料表明：先心病并发细菌性心内膜炎者感染病灶多在右心系统，常伴肺部感染，应积极控制感染和尽早手术，于彻底清除病灶同时矫治先天性心脏畸形；对损毁瓣膜尽可能采用修复术。术后选用抗生素的种类和疗程应根据不同病情而区别对待。     

Surgery for infective endocarditis—analysis of factors affecting outcome

PurposeDespite advances in medical care, infective endocarditis (IE) has high mortality. Surgery for IE though recommended for complications of the disease is still not commonly offered due to conflicting reports in the literature. We reviewed our results of surgery for IE from the last 5 years to assess their outcome.MethodsA retrospective review from a single center of consecutive patients who underwent surgery for infective endocarditis from September 2014 to December 2019 was done. Data was collected from hospital records and follow-up done up to May 2020. Outcomes evaluated were mortality, follow-up survival, and postoperative complications. Factors affecting mortality and survival were analyzed.ResultsNinety-seven patients underwent surgery for IE during this period. Seventy-nine had native valve endocarditis (NVE) and 18 had prosthetic valve endocarditis (PVE). The overall postoperative mortality was 13%, with mortality for native valve endocarditis being 11% and that for prosthetic valve endocarditis being 22%, which was not statistically significant. Three-year survival for the overall group was 88.7% with 88.1% for NVE and 91.7% for PVE. Multivariate predictors of operative mortality were a high EuroSCORE II, diabetes mellitus, and the presence of Staphylococcus organism.ConclusionSurgery for infective endocarditis has a very acceptable early outcome and intermediate-term survival.     

Surgical management of infective endocarditis in children.

Infective endocarditis occurs infrequently in the general pediatric population, occurring mostly in patients with congenital heart disease. This study reviews our surgical experience with infective endocarditis based on a policy of aggressive intervention, conservative operative debridement, and creative reconstruction options using pericardium and prosthetic heart valves. From 1982 to 1989, 16 patients, 3 weeks to 16 years of age, underwent 19 intracardiac operations for infective endocarditis therapy at Kosair Children's Hospital. Eight (42%) were for resection of vegetations alone; an additional 11 operations (58%) involved more extensive debridements requiring either valve replacement or valvuloplasty using pericardium for exclusion of an abscess cavity, closure of a fistula, or for valve repair. Operative mortality was 25% (4 patients) and related to preoperative disease severity. There was one late death. Offending organisms included Staphylococcus species (31%), Haemophilus influenzae (13%), pneumococcus (5%), gram-negative organisms (13%), and Candida (13%); no organism grew on culture in 25%. We conclude that aggressive surgical exploration in patients with infective endocarditis is indicated and often requires resection of vegetations alone. More extensive procedures should preserve as much valvular tissue as possible. Pericardium is useful for reconstruction after debridement.     

Right-sided valvular infective endocarditis. A clinicopathological study of 29 patients

Out of 29 patients with right-sided infective endocarditis 13 had associated congenital heart disease and none was a drug addict. Staphylococcus aureus was the commonest organism isolated. The tricuspid valve was infected twice as commonly as the pulmonary valve. Only 11 out of the 29 patients had valvular infection potentially amenable to surgical therapy at the time of death. Ring abscesses were present in 10 patients.     

Double-chambered right ventricle associated with infective endocarditis complication of the pulmonary valve: surgical management

Double-chambered right ventricle (DCRV) is a rare congenital heart disease characterized by the presence of anomalous muscle bundles, which divide the right ventricle into two chambers: a high-pressure proximal chamber and a low-pressure distal chamber. Most DCRV patients are diagnosed and treated during childhood, and presentation in adulthood is not common. Many congenital heart diseases are often associated with other complications such as infective endocarditis (IE). Right-side endocarditis, which usually involves infection of the tricuspid valve, is uncommon, and endocarditis of the pulmonary valve is extremely rare. We report a 51-year-old woman with undiagnosed DCRV and ventricular septal defect associated with pulmonary valve endocarditis. The diagnostic evaluation and the surgical management are discussed.     

Streptococcus bovis bacteraemia: an evaluation of the long-term effect on cardiac outcomes

Introduction

Streptococcus bovis can lead to bacteraemia, septicaemia, and ultimately endocarditis. The objective of this study was to evaluate the long-term implications of S. bovis endocarditis on cardiac morbidity and mortality.

Methods

A retrospective cohort study was performed between January 2000 and March 2009 to assess all patients diagnosed with S. bovis bacteraemia from the Belfast Health and Social Care Trust. The primary end-point for cardiac investigations was the presence of endocarditis. Secondary end-points included referral for cardiac surgery and overall mortality.

Results

Sixty-one positive S. bovis blood cultures from 43 patients were included. Following echocardiography, seven patients were diagnosed with infective endocarditis (16.3 % of total patients); four patients (9.3 %) had native valve involvement while three (7.0 %) had prosthetic valve infection. Five of these seven patients had more than one positive S. bovis culture (71.4 %). Three had significant valve dysfunction that warranted surgical repair/replacement, one of whom was unfit for surgery. There was a 100 % recurrence rate amongst the valve replacement patients (n = 2) and six patients with endocarditis had colorectal pathology. Patients with endocarditis had similar long-term survival as those with non-endocarditic bacteraemia (57.1 % alive vs. 50 % of non-endocarditis patients, p = 0.73).

Conclusion

Streptococcus bovis endocarditis patients tended to have pre-existing valvular heart disease and those with prosthetic heart valves had higher surgical intervention and relapse rates. These patients experienced a higher rate of co-existing colorectal pathology but currently have reasonable long-term outcomes. This may suggest that they represent a patient population that merits consideration for an early surgical strategy to maximise long-term results, however, further evaluation is warranted.     

Early surgery for active infective endocarditis.

OBJECTIVE: The timing of surgery for active infective endocarditis remains controversial. In this report, we have reviewed 26 patients who underwent surgery for active infective native-valve endocarditis between April 1992 and December 1998. PATIENTS AND METHOD: There were 19 male and 7 female patients (mean age 45 years). The aortic valve was involved in 8 patients, the mitral valve in 6 patients, tricuspid valve in 2 patients, both aortic and mitral valves in 7 patients, both aortic and tricuspid valve in 2 patients, and both mitral and tricuspid valve in one patient. The most common microorganisms were streptococcal species. Preoperative high New York Heart Association functional class (III and IV) was presented in 20 patients (77%). Progressive heart failure and the echocardiographic findings of vegetation (larger than 1 cm) were the main operative indications. Emergency or urgent surgery was required in 18 patients (70%). All patients underwent valve replacement, involving 25 mechanical prosthesis and 8 bioprosthesis. RESULTS: The operative mortality was 7.8% (n = 2). In the two patients who died, the infection had extended to the deep cardiac tissue and to the cerebral artery. The mean follow-up of the 24 survivors was 33 months (range from 6 to 82 months). There was no late death and no recurrence of infective endocarditis. CONCLUSION: In case of active infective endocarditis, early surgical intervention is recommended in patients with rapidly progressive cardiac deterioration or vegetation seen on echocardiography.     

Prosthetic valve endocarditis. Analysis of factors affecting outcome of therapy

We analyzed the outcome of 116 patients with prosthetic valve endocarditis treated between 1975 and 1983 and used multivariate analysis to identify risk factors for in-hospital mortality and bad outcome during follow-up. Complicated prosthetic valve endocarditis was defined as the presence of a new or changing heart murmur, new or worsening heart failure, new or progressive cardiac conduction abnormalities, or prolonged fever during therapy. Complicated prosthetic valve endocarditis was present in 64% of patients; factors associated with complicated prosthetic valve endocarditis included aortic valve infection (odds ratio 4.3, p = 0.002) and onset of endocarditis within 12 months of the cardiac operation (odds ratio 5.5, p = 0.0001). The in-hospital mortality rate for prosthetic valve endocarditis was 23%; patients with complicated prosthetic valve endocarditis had a higher mortality than patients with uncomplicated infection (odds ratio 6.4, p = 0.0009). Combined medical-surgical therapy was used in 39% of patients; surgical therapy was more common in patients with complicated prosthetic valve endocarditis (odds ratio 16, p less than 0.0001) and in patients infected with coagulase-negative staphylococci (odds ratio 3.9, p = 0.003). Survival after initially successful therapy for prosthetic valve endocarditis was adversely affected by the presence of moderate or severe congestive heart failure at hospital discharge (p = 0.03). Bad outcome during follow-up (death, relapse of prosthetic valve endocarditis, or subsequent cardiac operation related to sequelae of the original infection) was more common in the medical than the medical-surgical therapy group (p = 0.02). The difference in long-term outcome between patients treated initially with medical or with medical-surgical therapy was particularly evident in those with complicated prosthetic valve endocarditis (p = 0.008). The presence of complicated prosthetic valve endocarditis is a central variable in assessing prognosis and planning therapy; the majority of patients with complicated prosthetic valve endocarditis are best treated with medical-surgical therapy. Those who are not treated surgically during their initial hospitalization are at high risk for progressive prosthesis dysfunction and require careful follow-up.     

Surgical treatment of right-sided infective endocarditis

Objective

Right-sided infective endocarditis is increasing because of increasing prevalence of predisposing conditions, and the role and outcomes of surgery are unclear. We therefore investigated the surgical outcomes for right-sided infective endocarditis.

Surgical treatment of infective valvular endocarditis.

Infective valvular endocarditis, whether occurring on a native or prosthetic heart valve, continues to carry a serious prognosis. Death is usually due to congestive heart failure, arrhythmia, or embolic complications, rather than infection per se. While antimicrobial therapy and medications to control congestive heart failure continue to be the treatment of choice in most cases, early valve replacement is indicated in certain situations. During the past four years, 12 patients underwent valve replacement for infective endocarditis. Six patients underwent elective valve replacement after antibiotic or antifugal therapy. All survived the operation and were improved. Six other patients underwent emergency valve replacement. Two patients died intraoperatively and their operations, in retrospect, were delayed unnecessarily. Four patients survived and are improved. Prosthetic valve replacement during the course of infective valvular endocarditis should be considered based on indications such as congestive heart failure, rhythm disturbances, etc, rather than the status of the infection.     

Early valve replacement in active infective endocarditis

Infective endocarditis is associated with a high mortality, but previous studies have suggested that the major complications of the condition might be prevented by early surgery. Of 50 patients treated for infective endocarditis at the Montreal Heart Institute from 1977 to 1982, 30 were treated nonsurgically and the remaining 20 underwent early valve replacement before preoperative antibiotic therapy was completed. Of these 20, 14 had native valve endocarditis and 6 prosthetic valve endocarditis. The organisms involved were Streptococcus sp in 11, Staphylococcus aureus in 2, gram-negative organisms in 3 and Candida parapsilosis in 1. Blood cultures remained negative in three patients. There were three early deaths (15%) following operation and one late death (5%). Infection on implanted prostheses did not recur, but reoperation was required in one patient because of prosthetic dehiscence 7 months after initial implantation. All resected valves displayed evidence of infection. Follow-up was obtained in all survivors. After an average follow-up of 26 months, 12 patients remained in functional class I and 4 in class II (New York Heart Association classification). Early valve replacement has resulted in improved survival of patients with infective endocarditis and is now associated with a low operative mortality and morbidity.     

Favorable ten-year experience with valve procedures for active infective endocarditis

We have reviewed our 1972 to 1982 experience with valve procedures for infective endocarditis in 52 consecutive patients to evaluate the results of an interdisciplinary policy of early operation for uncontrolled complications. There were 47 patients with native valve endocarditis and five with prosthetic valve endocarditis. Twenty-seven were drug addicts and 25 were not. Thirty-seven (71%) required operation during the active phase of the disease and 15 during the inactive phase. Ninety-three percent of the addicts, 41% of the nonaddicts, and all patients with prosthetic valve endocarditis were in the active group. The distribution of infected valves was as follows: aortic, 21 active and 10 inactive; mitral, six active and three inactive; aortic and mitral, five active and two inactive; aortic and tricuspid, one active and none inactive; and tricuspid, four active and none inactive. Streptococcus was the most common infecting organism in both groups--predominantly group D in addicts and non-D in nonaddicts. Staphylococcus, gram-negative rods, and fungi occurred only in the active group. Indications for operation were congestive heart failure alone (19 active and 15 inactive), congestive heart failure and refractory infection or major emboli (nine active and none inactive), and resistant or refractory infection alone or with emboli (nine active and none inactive). Periannular abscess or aneurysm formation was most frequent at the aortic valve site in patients with native valve endocarditis; it occurred in 13 of 25 patients (52%) in the active group and in one of 12 patients (8%) in the inactive group. Six patients with preoperative stroke syndromes underwent operation without neurological deterioration; two patients had rupture of cerebral mycotic aneurysms postoperatively. Hospital mortality was 8% (3/7) in the active group and 0% in the inactive group. The late actuarial survival rate was 64% at 5 years and 54% at 10 years. Seven of nine deaths in the addict group were related to continued drug use, with five deaths occurring in the first 18 months. These results support a policy of early operation for uncontrolled complications with attention to the particular problems of active endocarditis.     

2349例心脏瓣膜置换术早期死亡原因分析

目的 分析2349例心脏瓣膜置换术病人的死亡原因,以期进一步提高治疗水平.方法 1995年1月至2007年12月,2349例心脏瓣膜病病人接受人工心脏瓣膜置换手术.其中二尖瓣置换术(MVR)1333例,主动脉瓣置换术(AVR)271例,二尖瓣、主动脉瓣同期置换术(DVR)736例,三尖瓣置换术(TVR)9例.结果 早期病死率1995年至1999年6.81%,2000年至2004年3.22%,2005年至2007年2.82%.全组总早期病死率3.40%.结论 心脏瓣膜置换术早期死亡的原因主要是低心排血量综合征、肾功能衰竭、心律失常、肺部感染、脑血管意外、左室破裂和多器官系统功能衰竭等.     

Surgical treatment of infective valve endocarditis in children with congenital heart disease

Abstract Objective: This study assesses surgical procedures, operative outcome, and early and intermediate‐term results of infective valve endocarditis in children with congenital heart disease. Methods: Seven consecutive children (five females, two males; mean age, 10.8 years) who underwent surgery for infective valve endocarditis between 2006 and 2010 were included in the study. The aortic and mitral valves were affected in two and tricuspid in five patients. Indications for operation included cardiac failure due to atrioventricular septal rupture, severe tricuspid valve insufficiency, and septic embolization in one, moderate valvular dysfunction with vegetations in three (two tricuspid, one mitral), and severe valvular dysfunction with vegetations in the other three patients (two tricuspid, one mitral). The pathological microorganism was identified in five patients. Tricuspid valve repair was performed with ventricular septal defect (VSD) closure in five patients. Two patients required mitral valve repair including one with additional aortic valve replacement. Results: There were no operative deaths. Actuarial freedom from recurrent infection at one and three years was 100%. Early echocardiographic follow‐up showed four patients to have mild atrioventricular valve regurgitation (three tricuspid and one mitral) and three had no valvular regurgitation. No leakage from the VSD closure or any valvular stenosis was detected postoperatively. Conclusions: Mitral and tricuspid valve repairs can be performed with low morbidity/mortality rates and satisfactory intermediate‐term results in children with infective valve endocarditis . (J Card Surg 2012;27:93‐98)     

Bioprosthetic Versus Mechanical Valve Replacement in Patients with Infective Endocarditis

During the 5-year period, 1979-1984, at the Texas Heart Institute, 4,598 patients underwent cardiac valve replacement procedures of which 185 were for acute infective endocarditis. Staphylococcus and streptococcus accounted for 80% of the cases and congestive heart failure was a leading indication in 63%. The purpose of this article is to evaluate the recurrence of endocarditis dependent upon whether the patient had an Ionescu-Shiley bioprosthetic pericardial valve or a mechanical valve (St. Jude Medical). Actuarial freedom from both early and late reoperation was higher for prosthetic valves than bioprosthetic valve patients. We conclude that mechanical valves are the valves of choice in acute infective endocarditis which apparently is the results of less biologic tissue available for exposure to infection by the offending organisms.     

Advantage of autograft and homograft valve replacement for complex aortic valve endocarditis

Background. There are advantages to using homografts and autografts as aortic valve replacements, particularly in patients with infective endocarditis. To better define these advantages, we reviewed our 13-year experience with the surgical management of infective endocarditis involving the aortic valve and root.

Methods. From 1986 through 1998, 81 adults with aortic valve endocarditis underwent valve replacement (AVR). The mean age of the 65 men and 16 women was 44 ± 14 years. Sixty-three (78%) patients had active endocarditis at the time of operation. Non-native valve endocarditis was present in 29 (36%) patients, in 9 of whom the infection was a recurrence. Aortic valve replacements were performed with 46 homografts (homo-AVR), 25 autografts (Ross-AVR), and 10 prosthetic valves (prosth-AVR). Among Ross-AVR and homo-AVR patients, 11 required mitral valve replacement or repair (homo-Ross DVR). Follow-up was 90% complete within 2 years of the end of the study with a mean of 3.7 ± 3.4 years.

Results. Early mortality was 16% (13 of 81 patients). This was 12% (3 of 25 patients) for Ross-AVR, 17% (8 of 46 patients) for homo-AVR, and 20% (2 of 10 patients) for prosth-AVR. Overall late mortality was 10% (7 of 68 patients) with a valve-related late mortality of 7% (5 of 68 patients). Actuarial survival at 5 years was 88% ± 9% in Ross-AVR, 69% ± 11% in homo-AVR, and 29% ± 22% in prosth-AVR (p = 0.03). Endocarditis recurred in 12.5% (1 of 8 patients) with prosth-AVR and 3% (2 of 60 patients) in homo-Ross AVR.

Conclusions. Valve replacement in the presence of native and prosthetic endocarditis remains a formidable challenge. Autografts and homografts are the preferred replacement aortic valves for these patients even if concomitant mitral valve replacement is required, and risk of valve-related death or recurrent endocarditis is low at medium-term follow-up.