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Eur J Cardiothorac Surg 2001;20:842-846
© 2001 Elsevier Science NL

Long-term results of multivalve surgery for infective multivalve endocarditis

Division of Cardiac Surgery, Department of Surgery, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, USA

Received 14 March 2001; received in revised form 5 June 2001; accepted 11 June 2001.

Tel.: +1-617-732-7678; fax: +1-617-732-6559
e-mail: sfaranki{at}bics.bwh.harvard.edu

Objective: The natural history of medically treated multivalvular endocarditis is associated with dismal short and long term survival. However, the impact of surgical intervention on these results is relatively unknown. The objective of this retrospective study was to report our long-term results in patients requiring multivalve surgery for multivalvular endocarditis. Methods and results: Over a 24 year period beginning in 1972, multivalve surgical procedures were performed on 63 patients for infective endocarditis. Prosthetic valve endocarditis was present in 25 (40%), and acute or active endocarditis in 38 (60%). The early mortality was 16%. Out of 53 patients discharged from the hospital 87±4% were alive at 5 years and 64±9% at 10 years. There was no difference in early or late mortality between patients with prosthetic and native endocarditis (P=0.15 and P=0.77 for early and late mortality, respectively). The presence of active endocarditis did not affect operative outcome or late mortality. Twenty-one patients (88%) were in NYHA FC I, and none were in NYHA FC IV. The only prognostic factor of early and late mortality was the presence of an abscess at the time of the surgery. Conclusions: These results indicate that multivalve infective endocarditis treated surgically is associated with acceptable early and late mortality and excellent postoperative functional status. The early surgical intervention prior to an abscess formation offers the best chance for survival of patients with multivalve endocarditis.

Key Words: Endocarditis • Valves • Surgery

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