Surgery for endocarditis continues to be challenging and associated with high operative mortality and morbidity. Age, shock, prosthetic valve endocarditis, impaired ventricular function, and recurrent infections adversely affect long-term survival.

Surgery for active endocarditis with paravalvular abscess was associated with high operative mortality, particularly in patients in shock and abscess of both mitral and aortic annuluses. Long-term survival was adversely affected by age and recurrent bouts of endocarditis.