Early and Mid-term Results of Valve Replacement in the Treatment of Active and Healed Bacterial Endocarditis

Between 1985-1994, forty-six patients underwent valve replacement (VR) operations for bacterial endocarditis at the Department of Cardiovascular Surgery of Türkiye Yüksek İhtisas Hospital. The diagnosis was active endocarditis in 10 patients and healed (chronic) endocarditis in 36 patients. Thirty-two patients were male and 14 female. The mean age was 32.4±13.6 (range 13-65). Rheumatic etiology prevailed in all but three patients. Operative mortality was 2.2 %. The mean postoperative follow-up was 24.1 months. One patient with active endocarditis who underwent mitral VR (1.3 / 100 patient-years) developed paravalvular leak on the 7th day who required repeat mitral VR. One patient (1.3 / 100 ptyr) developed prosthetic valve endocarditis and died of cerebrovascular accident. One patient with aortic VR underwent reoperation for aortic valve thrombosis. We concluded that despite the existing medical problems during the early postoperative period, timely valve replacement decreases the mortality in active endocarditis. Postoperative intermediate-term survival does not differ for active and healed endocarditis.