title: Surgical treatment of bacterial endocarditis. A review and follow-up of 36 patients.
abstract: Prosthetic valve implantation was performed in 36 patients with bacterial endocarditis. Thirty-two of them were in functional class III or IV (NYHA). The early mortality rate was 16.7%. In six patients perivalvular fistulas occurred and were of haemodynamic significance in three of them. At follow-up after 44 months on average, the clinical condition was excellent (functional class I or II) in 20 of the 26 survivors. The results encourage an active attitude towards surgical intervention in patients with valvular insufficiency due to bacterial endocarditis.
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001021:Aortic Valve / Q000601:surgery; D004697:Endocarditis, Bacterial / Q000382:microbiology / Q000401:mortality / Q000601:surgery*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006350:Heart Valve Prosthesis; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008943:Mitral Valve / Q000601:surgery; D011183:Postoperative Complications; D014938:Work Capacity Evaluation