Mitral valve repair for endocarditis

Many authors have reported their results of mitral valve (MV) repair (MVr) in acute and healed endocarditis. However, the results published by different authors highlight the fact that the reparability rate for this indication remains low. Over the last three decades, our group has adopted an early and repair-oriented approach to infective endocarditis with the objective to improve the repair rate and the long-term results. In this paper, we describe our institutional experience on mitral valve repair for infective endocarditis. Data for this paper were extracted from our institutional database on heart valve disease. From 1991 to 2015, 160 consecutive patients in our institution underwent MV surgery for active IE on native MV. The median follow-up was 122 months. This study was approved by the institutional ethics review board, and written informed consent was waived for this study given its retrospective design. Hospital mortality was 11.6% (n = 18). Early MV reoperation before hospital discharge was required in five (3.1%) patients. At 5, 10, and 15 years, overall survival in the MVr for endocarditis in the group was 79% +/- 4%, 65% +/- 5%, 57% +/- 6%, respectively. Freedom from reoperation at 5, 10, and 15 years was 95% +/- 2%, 88% +/- 4%, and 81% +/- 6%, respectively. Mitral infective endocarditis is an insidious pathology and his surgical approach can be challenging. An early and repair-oriented surgical approach can allow to improve reparability rates with good long-term durability and a low recurrence rate of endocarditis.