title: Contemporary results of mitral valve repair for infective endocarditis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  We sought to evaluate the feasibility and immediate and late results of mitral valve repair (MVRep) for acute and healed endocarditis.
  
  
  BACKGROUND
  Improvements in techniques of MVRep have extended its feasibility in complex lesions, but experience with endocarditis is limited.
  
  
  METHODS
  Among 78 patients operated on for mitral endocarditis between 1990 and 1999, 63 underwent MVRep. The repair was performed for acute endocarditis in 25 patients (40%) at a median of 20 days after the onset of treatment and in 38 patients (60%) for healed endocarditis after a median of 11 months.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Repair of the mitral valve was feasible in 63 patients (81%). This repair involved annuloplasty in 61 patients (97%), valve resection in 49 (78%), shortening or transposition of chordae in 29 (46%), suture of perforation in 18 (29%), a pericardial patch in 12 (19%), and a partial mitral homograft in 7 (11%). Associated procedures were aortic valve replacement in 11 patients, bypass grafting in 3, and tricuspid repair in 2. Early complications were two deaths (3.2%), one re-operation for severe mitral regurgitation and one re-operation for subsequent aortic endocarditis. The seven-year rate of event-free survival was 78 +/- 6% in the global series. Multivariate predictors of event-free survival were hypertension (p < 0.006) and intervention for acute endocarditis (p < 0.026). Five-year survival rates were 96 +/- 4% after MVRep for acute endocarditis and 91 +/- 5% for healed endocarditis.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Mitral valve repair is frequently feasible and gives good results in patients with infective endocarditis. Patients operated on for acute endocarditis experience more events during follow-up than those operated on after healed endocarditis but have excellent late survival.
authors.affiliation: Cardiology Department, Bichat Hospital AP-HP, 46 rue Henri Huchard, 75018 Paris, France. bernard.iung@bch.ap-hop-paris.fr
authors.forename: Bernard
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Iung
authors.forename: Juliette
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Rousseau-Paziaud
authors.forename: Bertrand
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Cormier
authors.forename: Eric
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Garbarz
authors.forename: Olivier
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Fondard
authors.forename: Eric
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Brochet
authors.forename: Christophe
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Acar
authors.forename: Jean-Paul
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Couëtil
authors.forename: Ulrik
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Hvass
authors.forename: Alec
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Vahanian
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D006348:Cardiac Surgical Procedures / Q000379:methods*; D004697:Endocarditis, Bacterial / Q000382:microbiology / Q000601:surgery*; D005240:Feasibility Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008943:Mitral Valve / Q000601:surgery*; D013203:Staphylococcal Infections / Q000150:complications; D013290:Streptococcal Infections / Q000150:complications; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014945:Wound Healing