Surgical treatment of infective endocarditis complicated by annular infection and cerebral infarction

Abstract

The surgical treatment of nine patients with infective endocarditis (IE) complicated by annular infection and five with IE complicated by cerebral infarction is described herein. In those with annular infection, after thorough débridement of the infected tissues, valve replacement was performed at the original position in five, at the supraannular position in three, and one underwent a translocation procedure. Aortic valve replacement was able to be performed at the original position in two patients by closing the defect at the aortic annulus with a patch after thorough débridement. The five patients who underwent original valve position replacement recovered well. Of the three who underwent supraannular position replacement, two died of septicemia after a redo operation, and one received pacemaker implantation. The patient undergoing the translocation procedure died of intestinal infarction. In the five patients who suffered cerebral infarction due to embolus of the vegetation, valve replacement was performed between 40 h and 5 months after its onset. Although one patient died of the rapid progression of brain damage, the other four are alive and well, including two who developed mycotic cerebral aneurysm in the infarcted areas. In conclusion, early surgery for IE is mandatory irrespective of active infection, due to the high mortality and morbidity associated with serious sequelae such as annular abscess or cerebral infarction.