Surgical treatment of bacterial endocarditis. A review and follow-up of 36 patients.

Prosthetic valve implantation was performed in 36 patients with bacterial endocarditis. Thirty-two of them were in functional class III or IV (NYHA). The early mortality rate was 16.7%. In six patients perivalvular fistulas occurred and were of haemodynamic significance in three of them. At follow-up after 44 months on average, the clinical condition was excellent (functional class I or II) in 20 of the 26 survivors. The results encourage an active attitude towards surgical intervention in patients with valvular insufficiency due to bacterial endocarditis.