SURGICAL THERAPY OF INFECTIVE ENDOCARDITIS IN 116 CASES / 解放军医学杂志

ABSTRACT

Objective To summarize the experiences of surgical treatment of infective endocarditis. Methods The treatment for 116 patients (53 male and 63 female) with bacterial endocarditis admitted consecutively from June 1996 to July 2002 was analyzed retrospetively. Their age ranged from 5 to 64 years (mean 35.8?10.6 years). Thirty-three patients underwent operations at active phase, as the others were operated after infection was controlled. Eradication of infective vegetations was done in 109 patients, and in 43 of them valvular replacement was also performed. Correction of congenital heart diseases was done in 68. In 3 patients, myxomas were removed. Results Two patients died before the operation, and 3 patients died after surgery. Serious postoperative complications included severe low cardiac output in 5 patients, multiple organ failure in 3, and re-infection in 3 patients. Conclusion Appropriate preoperation preparation, early surgical treatment, and management of complications should be emphasized in the treatment of infective endocarditis.