Five-year outcomes following complex reconstructive surgery for infective endocarditis involving the intervalvular fibrous body

OBJECTIVES

Destruction of the intervalvular fibrous body (IFB) due to infective endocarditis (IE) warrants a complex operation involving radical debridement of all infected tissue, followed by double valve replacement (aortic and mitral valve replacement) with patch reconstruction of the IFB. This study assesses the 5-year outcomes in patients undergoing this complex procedure for treatment of double valve IE with IFB involvement.

METHODS

A total of 127 consecutive patients underwent double valve replacement with reconstruction of the IFB for active complex IE between January 1999 and December 2018. Primary outcomes were 3-year and 5-year survival, as well as 5-year freedom from reoperation.

RESULTS

Patients' mean age was 65.3 ± 12.9 years. Preoperative cardiogenic shock and sepsis were present in 17.3% and 18.9%, respectively. The majority of patients (81.3%) had undergone previous cardiac surgery. Overall, 30-day and 90-day mortality rates were 28.3% and 37.0%, respectively. The 3- and 5-year survival rates for all patients were 45.3 ± 5.1% and 41.8 ± 5.8%, and for those who survived the first 90 postoperative days 75.8 ± 6.1% and 70.0 ± 8.0%, respectively. The overall 5-year freedom from reoperation was 85.1 ± 5.7%. Preoperative predictors for 30-day mortality were Staphylococcus aureus [odds ratio (OR) 1.65; P = 0.04] and left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) <35% (OR 12.06; P = 0.03), for 90-day mortality acute kidney injury requiring dialysis (OR 6.2; P = 0.02) and LVEF <35% (OR 9.66; P = 0.03) and for long-term mortality cardiogenic shock (hazard ratio 2.46; P = 0.01).

CONCLUSIONS

Double valve replacement with reconstruction of the IFB in patients with complex IE is a challenging operation associated with high morbidity and mortality, particularly in the first 90 days after surgery. Survival and freedom from reoperation rates are acceptable thereafter, particularly considering the severity of disease and complex surgery.

Hegar-based method for aortic valve replacement in multiple valve surgery

Background

Small aortic annuli are a challenge and a proper valve size is needed to avoid important prosthesis-patient mismatch, especially in case of multiple valves surgery.

Case presentation

We proposed a technique involving the use of Hegar dilators in the aortic position while replacing the mitral valve, in order to maintain the proper aortic diameter. We used this method on two patients and we found it easy and reproducible.

Conclusions

We report neither operative nor postoperative complications.

Modified surgical sequence in aortic and mitral valve replacement with or without tricuspid valve repair or replacement

A mitral prosthesis, when implanted, can distort the aortic annulus, forcing to downsize the aortic prosthesis. Changing the sequence of tying the sutures (the aortic prosthesis first, then the mitral prosthesis) allows to insert an aortic true-sized prosthesis. In case of associated tricuspid valve surgery, the aortic prosthesis protrudes over the anteroseptal commissure area. The sutures on the tricuspid annulus can be passed before the aortic prosthesis is secured in place.