Surgical treatment of active infectious endocarditis: a study of 361 surgical cases Tratamento cirúrgico da endocardite infecciosa ativa: análise de 361 doentes operados

• Main Authors: Altamiro Ribeiro Dias, Pablo M. Pomerantzeff, Carlos Manoel A. Brandão, Ricardo Ribeiro Dias, Max Grinberg, Eliecer Villamizer de Lahoz, Sérgio Almeida de Oliveira
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Sociedade Brasileira de Cirurgia Cardiovascular 2003-06-01
• Series: Brazilian Journal of Cardiovascular Surgery
• Subjects: Endocardite; Valvas cardíacas; Abscesso; Endocarditis; Heart valves; Abscess
• Online Access: http://www.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S0102-76382003000200010

OBJECTIVE: To report on the experience achieved with the surgical treatment of 361 patients with acute infectious endocarditis who were operated on in the Heart Institute of the University of São Paulo. METHOD: The ages of the patients ranged from 3 to 81 years, with an average age of 38 ± 8.3 years. There were 230 male patients. It was possible to identify the etiologic agent in 311 (86.20%) patients. The diagnosis of acute infectious endocarditis was obtained by clinical, echocardiographic and microbiological evaluations. Two hundred and five patients had lesions of heart valves and 156 patients had lesions of cardiac valvular prostheses. Ninety had annular abscesses and 11 had fistulae. Of the group of diseased native valves, 104 (50.73) were operated on because of severe heart failure and 87 (42.44%) because of progressive sepsis. All natural aortic valves (136) were replaced by artificial valves. There were 107 diseased native mitral valves. In this group partial resections of infected tissue (vegetations) were carried out in 13 patients while maintaining the valvar apparatus. Of the 16 infected tricuspid valves, 8 were replaced. All the prostheses were substituted. The abscesses were cleaned and closed when their diameter was less than 10 mm. The larger abscesses were cleaned and closed with a pericardial graft, which was the support for the artificial valve. RESULTS: There were 75 (20.78%) hospital deaths, most of which caused by heart problems and their complications. There were 15 cases of postoperative endocarditis, 10 of which were re-operated on. The late follow-up showed good functional and clinical results, with 222 (77.62%) patients as NYHA Class I. CONCLUSIONS: When indicated, the surgical treatment must be instituted as early as possible. All diseased and infected tissue must be removed to achieve good results.<br>OBJETIVO: O trabalho analisa a experiência obtida com o tratamento cirúrgico da endocardite infecciosa ativa (EIA) realizado em 361 doentes operados. MÉTODO: As idades variaram de 3 a 81 anos com média de 38 ± 8,3 anos, sendo 230 pacientes do sexo masculino. Os agentes etiológicos foram identificados em 311 (86,20%) doentes, sendo o diagnóstico baseado no quadro clínico, ecocardiográfico e microbiológico. Duzentos e cinco doentes apresentavam comprometimento em valvas nativas e 156 em próteses. Noventa doentes apresentavam abscessos anulares e 11 apresentavam fístulas. Deste grupo de 205 pacientes, 104 (50,73%) foram operados por insuficiência cardíaca incontrolável e 87 (42,44%) devido a sepsis progressiva. Todas as valvas aórticas infectadas (136) foram substituídas. Das as 107 valvas mitrais doentes, foram possíveis ressecções isoladas de vegetações em 13 pacientes. De 16 valvas tricúspides comprometidas, foram ressecadas oito e realizada ressecção parcial nas demais. As 156 próteses foram substituídas, a maioria por biopróteses. Os abscessos foram tratados por sutura direta, quando de diâmetros menores que 10 mm. Quando maiores, foram limpos e ocluídos com retalhos de pericárdio bovino sobre os quais as próteses foram fixadas. As fístulas foram limpas e ocluídas nas duas extremidades. RESULTADOS: Houve 75 (20,78%) óbitos imediatos e 26 tardios, a grande maioria devido a causas cardiogênicas. Houve 15 recidivas tardias, com necessidade de reoperação em 10 pacientes. O seguimento tardio mostra uma recuperação funcional em 77,62% dos doentes. CONCLUSÕES: O tratamento deve ser precoce e radical, ressecando-se todo e qualquer tecido comprometido, o que contribue para melhores resultados.