Short- and long-term follow up results of surgical treatment of secondary aortic valve infective endocarditis

Abstract

Results of long-term follow up of 38 patients with aortic valve replacement for secondary native infective endocarditis (IE) are analysed. In 71 % of cases IE occured in patients with congenital heart disease - bicuspid aortic valve, in 15,8 % with chronic rheumatic heart disease and in 13,2 % - with idiopathic aortic calcinosis. The most frequent complications in the early postoperative period were the following: small heart ejection syndrome (36,8 %), thromboembolic myocardial infarction (7,9 %), fever (55 %), caused by postcardiotomy syndrome in 15,8 %. Other reasons of the fever were IE activity (76,1 %), pneumonia (7,9 %), suppuration of the postoperative wound (0,2 %). 36 patients (94,7 %) have survived the hospital stage. The most frequent complications in the remote period of follow up were the valve-dependent ones (25 %). They occurred more often within the first three years, and, as a rule, reoperation was needed. In 6 patients they were the reason of a lethal outcome (16,7 %).