title: Reply.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine, Yamadaoka, 2-2, Suita-city, Osaka, 565-0871 Japan. Electronic address: yoshioka@surg1.med.osaka-u.ac.jp.
authors.forename: Daisuke
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Yoshioka
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine, Yamadaoka, 2-2, Suita-city, Osaka, 565-0871 Japan.
authors.forename: Koichi
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Toda
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine, Yamadaoka, 2-2, Suita-city, Osaka, 565-0871 Japan.
authors.forename: Yoshiki
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Sawa
mesh_terms: D000740:Anemia / Q000150:complications*; D004696:Endocarditis / Q000601:surgery*; D005260:Female; D006349:Heart Valve Diseases / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000601:surgery*; D006801:Humans; D020300:Intracranial Hemorrhages / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology*; D007431:Intraoperative Complications / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology*; D008297:Male; D020521:Stroke / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology*