ABSTRACT
Objective To review the experience of treatment for prosthetic valve endocarditis(PVE)after mitral valve replacement(MVR)in 16 cases.Methods From September 1979 to December 2010,16 patients were diagnosed as PVE after MVR by modified Duke University diagnostic criteria.There were 10 males and 6 females.Their ages ranged from 19 to 55 years old(mean 28 years old).The incidence of PVE was 0.97％(16/1657)after MVR.Blood culture positive was in 5 cases.Medical treatment alone was performed in 10 patients who were treated by using Penicillin or Vancomycin with other broad-spectrum antibiotics,using Fluconazole and Amphotericin if necessary.Combined medical and surgical management were performed in 6 cases.One emergency case was operated because of obstinate heart failure.Five cases underwent operation after adequate antibiotics treatment and general condition improvement.The infective tissue and vegetation were aggressively debrided after the infective prosthetic valve removed.Before the new valve was replaced paravalvular tissue must be flushed with diluted iodine solution and large quantities of normal saline.Tricuspid valve repair (TVR)was performed during the same period in 3 cases.Results Hospital death occurred in 8 patients and only 2 patients were recovery in group with medical treatment only.The main reasons of death were infective shock and cardiac failure in 4 patients,cerebral complications(embolism or bleeding)and multiple organs failure in 4 cases.While 6 patients cured after combined medical and surgical management.Follow-up had been carried out in 8 cases for 1.7 to 15 years(mean 5.1 years).Eight years later one patient was re-operated because of severe tricuspid regurgitation and paravalvular leak.There was no PVE recurrence in others.Conclusion Combined medical and surgical management for PVE get a better result than medical treatment alone.Good prognosis lies in timely diagnosis,adequate antibiotics,aggressive debridement of infective tissue and better myocardium protection during operation.