Abstract: Elderly patients with frailty and multiple comorbidities increasingly require mitral valve surgery. This includes patients who have previously undergone surgery with a tissue valve, which may deteriorate over time and require replacement. These cases are considered high-risk. There is growing interest in performing valve replacements using minimally invasive techniques, including access via the groin. However, such approaches are not always... [...] Read more

Abstract: Objective: Infective endocarditis requires prompt recognition and treatment due to its high mortality and morbidity rates. Few studies compare long-term patient outcomes after mitral and aortic valve endocarditis surgery. Hence, we aim to assess this in our cohort. Methods: We included adult patients aged 18 and above who underwent surgery between April 2011 and April 2021 for first-time native aortic or mitral valve endocarditis in our... [...] Read more

Abstract: Infective endocarditis (IE) is a rare but life-threatening cardiac condition. Healthcare-associated infective endocarditis (HAIE) is an emerging subtype that occurs more than 48 hours after hospital admission, often following invasive procedures. Its occurrence in patients with end-stage kidney disease (ESKD) is not uncommon. Prosthetic valve endocarditis may also be healthcare-associated (HA-PVE) when it develops within one year of valve... [...] Read more

Abstract: Background and aim of the study: During the COVID-19 pandemic in Bavaria, surgical ICU resources were reallocated, and elective procedures were postponed, impacting the management of infective endocarditis (IE). This study evaluated early surgical outcomes in patients with native valve endocarditis (NVE) and prosthetic valve endocarditis (PVE) before and during the pandemic. Methods: We retrospectively analyzed 94 patients (66% male) treated... [...] Read more