Dr.S.Venkatesan MD

                                                   Infective endocarditis is a serious clinical cardiac problem. The disease has evolved over many decades and now we are witnessing the  most virulent forms of the disease . Infection of heart , can occur in a native healthy valve, native diseased valve, or a prosthetic valve. Further, IE can occur either as  an acute (usually non diseased valve) , or sub acute form (usually in diseased valve).The changing microbial pattern has made this entity very complex. The vigorous   treatment protocols are available for IE. Still  the  prognosis and outcome with medical management is  dismal even in best centers.So the role of surgery in IE has increased over the years.We propose here,  a radically different approach to the problem.

 Traditionally there is a set of criteria for surgery in IE  :  These include

•  Abscess formation
•  Worsening valve lesion
•  Refractory cardiac failure
•  Persistent fever even after  2 weeks of  appropriate and adequate anti microbial therapy .
•  Vegetation of more than 10mm size.
•  Failed medical treatment

(The list is not exclusive)

In any large tertiary  hospital  series, if you  apply the above rule  more than 50 % of all patients with IE will be the candidates for  immediate surgery.

In the remaining 50% the mortality in medical management is very high. The reason being,  the  medical treatment is often prolonged over weeks. Many  of the complications occur  during the course of medical treatment.The common ones are abscess formation, embolic episodes, renal failure etc.Once a complication set in we call it as failed medical treatment and ask our surgical colleagues  to operate.By this time patient’s  general condition  deteriorates and either the surgeon refuses to take  up the case or  patient dies on the table.

So the key point  is , failure of medical treatment  is so common , it is simply not acceptable  to delay  the surgery in these patients as  majority of  them are  doomed to  fail  the trial of medical therapy.

What is the incidence of failed medical management, how to recognise it ? what is the impact of recognising it late ?

• Failed medical therapy is around 60-70%  even in best centers.
• Failed medical patients  constitute the greatest  surgical risk .
• So it is proposed all IE patients should be triaged  early and the  dominant theme should be surgery (Commonly valve replacement, or valve repair)   .
• If there is large vegetation surgery may be done for the sole purpose of physical removal of the vegetation*.

Final message

In Infective endocarditis experience has taught us, surgery  should be the default management protocol and medical therapy should be offered  to selected few who don’t require surgery.This is especially true in preexisting  rheumatic valve disease.

*The fundamental principle of management of infectious diseases, state that when there is a  resistant focus of infection .Always  remove the focus whenever possible.