title: [Surgical treatment of infective endocarditis: a report of 41 cases].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To study the characteristics and surgical treatment of infective endocarditis.
  
  
  METHODS
  In all patients, surgical treatment was performed including aortic valve replacement in 22, mitral valve replacement in 9, combined aortic and mitral valve replacements in 4, tricuspid valve reconstruction in 3, and pulmonary valve repair in 3. Meanwhile, complicated deformities such as ventricular septal defect (VSD), atrial septal defect (ASD), patient ductus arterisus (PDA), ruptared aneuryem of the aortic sinus and right centricular outflow tract obstruction were corrected.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There were 2 early postoperative deaths (an overall hospital mortality of 5%). A follow-up of 3 months to 5 years, with a mean of 3.2 years, documented no recurrent endocarditis and late death.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Low mortality occurs in the surgical therapy for infective endocarditis. In order to avoid irreversible injury on cardiomyocyte, the operation, which is beneficial to the recovery of heart function, should be performed as early as possible.
authors.affiliation: Department of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha 410011, China.
authors.forename: Tian-li
authors.initials: TL
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.forename: Dong-xu
authors.initials: DX
authors.lastname: Hu
authors.forename: Jian-guo
authors.initials: JG
authors.lastname: Hu
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001022:Aortic Valve Insufficiency / Q000601:surgery*; D002648:Child; D004697:Endocarditis, Bacterial / Q000601:surgery*; D005260:Female; D006330:Heart Defects, Congenital / Q000601:surgery; D019918:Heart Valve Prosthesis Implantation; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008944:Mitral Valve Insufficiency / Q000601:surgery; D012189:Retrospective Studies