Prevention of Mitral Ring Dehiscence by a Simple Modification of Suture Placement.

Ring dehiscence is a serious complication after mitral valve annuloplasty, tending to occur primarily from the posterior annulus. The tension on the ring sutures during the cardiac cycle is one of the suspected reasons; to minimize this tension, we apply four additional pledgeted sutures positioned supra-annularly at critical hinge points and could achieve a marked reduction of annular dehiscence since.

The GermAn Laser Lead Extraction RegistrY: GALLERY.

AIMS: The GermAn Laser Lead Extraction RegistrY: GALLERY is a retrospective, national multicentre registry, investigating the safety and efficacy of laser lead extraction procedures in Germany. METHODS AND RESULTS: Twenty-four German centres that are performing laser lead extraction have participated in the registry. All patients, treated with a laser lead extraction procedure between January 2013 and March 2017, were consecutively enrolled. Safety and efficacy of laser lead extraction were investigated. A total number of 2524 consecutive patients with 6117 leads were included into the registry. 5499 leads with a median lead dwell time of 96 (62-141) months were treated. The mean number of treated leads per patient was 2.18 ± 1.02. The clinical procedural success rate was 97.86% and the complete lead removal was observed in 94.85%. Additional extraction tools were used in 6.65% of cases. The rate of procedural failure was 2.14% with lead age ≥10 years being its only predictor. The overall complication rate was 4.32%, including 2.06% major and 2.26% minor complications. Procedure-related mortality was 0.55%. Female sex and the presence of abandoned leads were predictors for procedure-related complications. The all-cause in-hospital mortality was 3.56% with systemic infection being the strongest predictor, followed by age ≥75 years and chronic kidney disease. CONCLUSION: In the GALLERY, a high success- and low procedure-related complication rates have been demonstrated. In multivariate analysis, female sex and the presence of abandoned leads were predictors for procedure-related complications, while the presence of systemic infection, age ≥75 years, and chronic kidney disease were independent predictors for all-cause mortality.

Outcomes and hemodynamics of Enable bioprosthesis in 432 patients: an afterword.

AIMS: To report the largest single-center experience in surgical aortic valve replacement (SAVR) using the Enable sutureless bioprosthesis concerning the clinical outcome and hemodynamic behavior. MATERIAL AND METHODS: From April 2010 to May 2017, a total of 432 patients (36.3% of them women) received the Enable sutureless prosthesis for aortic valve stenosis, regurgitation, and/or endocarditis. The endpoints were overall survival after operation for 30 days and adverse events. RESULTS: No intraoperative complications occurred; intraoperative mortality was 0%. The 30-day mortality rate was 3.5% overall and 0.9% for isolated procedure. No valve-related deaths were observed. There was a need for prosthesis replacement during the early postoperative period in eight patients (1.9%): seven patients (1.6%) had a significant paravalvular leak and one patient (0.2%) developed early postoperative endocarditis. The maximum and mean pressure gradients across the prosthesis were 19.2 ± 7.1 mmHg and 11.1 ± 4.6 mmHg, respectively. A permanent pacemaker was necessary in 6.5% of the patients. CONCLUSIONS: The Enable sutureless prosthesis showed a reliable clinical outcome with low perioperative mortality and morbidity. The hemodynamic performance was satisfactory. Our data confirmed the safety of SAVR using the Enable bioprosthesis. However, a higher rate of pacemaker implantation (6.5%) has to be mentioned.

Training of Residents in Cardiac Surgery-Does It Have Impact on the Outcome?

OBJECTIVES: In many centers, training in cardiac surgery is considered to increase perioperative risk. This study aims to test whether a resident working as the main operator is a genuine risk factor. METHODS: We analyzed patients who underwent elective isolated aortic valve replacement, elective isolated coronary artery bypass grafting, or both, in our institution, from 2008 to 2016. Redo- and off-pump surgery, ejection fraction < 30%, and other concomitant procedures were the exclusion criteria. After this selection, we included 3,077 patients in our study. Within this group, 357 (11.6%) had been operated by residents and 2,720 (88.4%) by senior surgeons. We performed propensity score matching using the nearest neighbor method with a ratio of 1:2, considering the most important preoperative conditions. In this way, the 357 patients operated by residents were matched with the 714 patients who were operated by senior surgeons. The standardized mean differences were highly reduced after matching, so both groups had similar risk profiles. We compared surgical data, postoperative adverse events, and the 30-day mortality between the two groups. RESULTS: The times of surgery, cardiopulmonary bypass, and cross-clamp were longer if residents operated (p < 0.001). There were no differences regarding postoperative adverse events, time of mechanical ventilation, and the intensive care unit length of stay. The 30-day mortality rates of the two groups were very similar (p = 0.75, power = 0.8). CONCLUSION: Training in cardiac surgery is safe, and carefully selected patients can be operated by residents without increased risk of perioperative mortality and complications.

Surgical redo mitral valve replacement in high-risk patients: The real-world experience.

INTRODUCTION: Redo surgical mitral valve replacement (SMVR) remains the gold standard treatment in patients with a history of mitral valve surgery presenting with recurrent mitral valve pathologies. Whilst this procedure is demanding, it is an inevitable intervention for some indications, such as infective endocarditis, thrombosis, or multivalve procedures. In this study, we aim to evaluate our institutional experience with SMVR on a real-life cohort, identifying the factors that contribute to poor surgical outcomes whilst avoiding selection bias. METHODS: Between March 2012 and November 2020, 58 consecutive high-risk patients underwent a redo SMVR at our institution. The primary endpoints of this study were 30-day and 1-year mortality. The secondary endpoint was the development of any postoperative adverse events. We analyzed and compared the survival in patients undergoing an isolated SMVR and in those that required at least one concomitant procedure. RESULTS: The overall operative, 30-day, and 1-year mortality were 3.4%, 22.4%, and 25.9%, respectively. The mortality in patients undergoing isolated SMVR was significantly lower than in patients requiring concomitant procedures. The multivariable regression model showed that NYHA Class IV, infective endocarditis, and postoperative dialysis were significantly associated with 30-day mortality. Society of Thoracic Surgeons Score, infective endocarditis, concomitant procedures, and mechanical valve implantation appeared to predict long-term mortality. CONCLUSION: This study illustrates that SMVR after prior mitral valve surgery presents a demanding procedure with high operative risk, significant mortality, and morbidity. Whilst this procedure is inevitable for some indications, a careful patient selection and risk stratification provides acceptable surgical results in this cohort.

Clinical outcomes of venoarterial extracorporeal life support in 462 patients: Single-center experience.

This study aims to investigate the outcomes of venoarterial extracorporeal life support (VA-ECLS) in a large single-center patient cohort regarding survival and adverse events. Between June 2009 and March 2019, 462 consecutive patients received VA-ECLS. The mean age was 66.2 ± 11.9 years. Two patient groups were identified: Group 1-patients with ECLS due to postcardiotomy shock (PCS) after cardiac surgery (PCS, n = 357); Group 2-patients with ECLS due to cardiogenic shock (CS) without previous surgery (nonPCS, n = 105). The primary end point was overall in-hospital survival, while secondary end points were adverse events during the study period. Overall, the in-hospital survival rate was 26%. There was no statistically significant difference between the groups: 26.3% for PCS and 24.8% for nonPCS, respectively (P > .05). Weaning from VA-ECLS was possible in 44.3% for PCS and in 29.5% for nonPCS (P = .004). The strong predictors of overall mortality were postoperative hepatic dysfunction (OR = 14.362, 95%CI = 1.948-105.858), cardiopulmonary resuscitation > 30 minutes (OR = 6.301, 95%CI = 1.488-26.673), bleeding with a need for revision (OR = 2.123, 95%CI = 1.343-3.355), and previous sternotomy (OR = 2.077, 95%CI = 1.021-4.223). Despite its low survival rates, VA-ECLS therapy is the last resort and the only lifesaving option for patients in refractory CS. In contrast, there is still a lack of evidence for VA-ECLS in PCS patients. Future studies are warranted to evaluate the outcomes of VA-ECLS therapy after cardiac surgery.

Outcome of a Modified Perceval Implantation Technique.

BACKGROUND: In our institution, we developed a modification of the standard implantation technique of the Perceval sutureless aortic prosthesis (LivaNova, London, United Kingdom) that involves the usage of snuggers for the guiding sutures during valve deployment. The technique has been described elsewhere. In this article, we present the results of our initial case series comprising 128 consecutive patients. METHODS: From September 2016 to June 2018, 128 patients received a sutureless Perceval prosthesis (mean age 72.2 ± 8.5 years, 66 males). The data of the patients were prospectively collected in our general database and retrospectively analyzed using the SPSS software version 25 (IBM SPSS Inc., Chicago, Illinois, United States). Primary end points were primary implantation success and 30-day mortality. All patients underwent transthoracic echocardiography on discharge. RESULTS: Our cohort consisted of real-world scenario patients with infective endocarditis, bicuspid aortic valves and one patient with left ventricular assist device. However, we had 100% primary implantation success with no need for valve explantation or paravalvular leaks. All-cause 30-day mortality was 2.3% (3 patients) with no cardiac deaths. Two patients (1.6%) had a permanent neurological deficit, three patients (2.3%) had new-onset renal dialysis, and four patients (3.1%) needed a permanent pacemaker postoperatively. CONCLUSION: To our knowledge, this is the first case series to report on a modified implantation technique of the Perceval prosthesis. The Perceval valve prosthesis produces excellent outcome in most pathologies, so that current contraindications should be revised.

Surgical treatment of a left anterior descending artery to the main pulmonary artery fistula.

We report a case of surgical treatment of a 58-year-old symptomatic patient with large coronary artery fistula, which drained from the left anterior descending artery into the main pulmonary artery (PA), and concomitant large patent foramen ovale. The surgery was performed through a median sternotomy with aortobicaval total cardiopulmonary bypass. The PA was incised. The fistula was identified 5 mm above the anterior leaflet of the pulmonary valve and was closed off using a prolene suture. Afterward, the atrium septum defect was closed with a Dacron patch via the standard right atrium access. There were no postoperative complications.

Open surgical correction of multiple bronchial artery aneurysms.

BACKGROUND: Bronchial artery aneurysms (BAAs) are a rare vascular entity. They can have various presentations ranging from an incidental finding on radiological examination to life-threatening hemoptysis. MATERIAL AND METHODS: We report the case of a 60-year-old woman with three posterior mediastinal BAAs who presented with unilateral periscapular pain, shortness of breath, hoarseness, and dysphagia. The BAAs were removed successfully via thoracotomy, with excellent recovery and relief of the periscapular pain. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION: We use this case as a platform to discuss the treatment options for BAAs.

Impact of Previous Sternotomy on Outcome after Left Ventricular Assist Device Implantation.

BACKGROUND: The main purpose of this article is to investigate the impact of previous sternotomy (PS) on the outcome of three different left ventricular assist devices (LVAD). METHODS: Between June 2007 and February 2018, a total of 121 patients received HeartMate II (60.3%), HeartWare (12.4%), or HeartMate III (27.3%), with or without previous sternotomy (PS and non-PS groups, respectively). Propensity matching resulted in 44 patient pairs. The primary end point was overall survival at 30 days, 1 year, 2, and 5 years, postoperatively. Secondary end points were adverse events. RESULTS: The overall cumulative survival rates for the two study groups were significantly different (77, 63, 54, and 38% for non-PS group vs 64, 39, 27, and 24% for PS group, p = 0.036). In the PS group, there was a higher need for intraoperative implantation of short-term right ventricular assist device (22.7 vs 6.8%, p = 0.034) and a higher incidence of hepatic dysfunction (20.5 vs 4.5%, p = 0.025) and acute kidney dysfunction (40.9 vs 20.5%, p = 0.032). CONCLUSION: PS is a reliable predictor of mortality and morbidity after LVAD implantation.

Use of the Medtronic Freestyle for aortic valve infection: A retrospective propensity score matched analysis.

BACKGROUNDS: Aortic valve and prosthetic valve endocarditis present a challenging subgroup of patients at high risk. We analyzed our experience using the Medtronic Freestyle in full root technique for the treatment of these cases over 18-year time period. METHODS: We investigated the endocarditis subgroup from our cohort of 971 patients and compared results against other valve types with propensity score matching implementing nearest neighbor method. T-test, χ2 test, logistic regression, and Cox regression were performed. RESULTS: Fifty-four patients from the Freestyle group (FS) were matched against 54 patients from a cohort of 376 aortic valve/root endocarditis patients treated by other valve types (non-FS). Hospital mortality was 9/54 (16.7%) in the FS vs 13/54 (24.1%) in the non-FS group (P = .33). Variables age (P = .003) and renal impairment (P = .026) had an impact on mortality according to Cox regression analysis for early results. Variables with significant risk for long-term mortality included postoperative renal impairment (P = .0001) and multiorgan failure (P = .0001). Recurrent infection was low (1.8% for FS and 3.7% for non-FS group), and freedom from reoperation was 97.2%. Use of the Medtronic Freestyle was no significant risk factor for long-term mortality. CONCLUSION: The Freestyle stentless xenograft is a viable alternative for treatment of valve/root and prosthetic endocarditis. In our experience, it showed good postoperative performance with low rate of reinfection while having an acceptable operative risk-profile for this high-risk cohort.

Clinical Outcome and Comparison of Three Different Left Ventricular Assist Devices in a High-Risk Cohort.

We present a comparison between three left ventricular assist devices (LVADs): HeartWare (HVAD) (HeartWare International Inc., Framingham, MA, USA), HeartMate II (HMII) and HeartMate III (HMIII) (Thoratec Corp., Pleasanton, CA, USA). To our knowledge, no study to date has aimed at placing these three devices in juxtaposition. Between June 2007 and June 2017, 108 consecutive patients received HMII, n = 77 (71.3%), HVAD, n = 14 (13%), or HM III, n = 17 (15.7%), for end-stage heart failure. Mean age was 63.8 ± 11.2 years (range 24-84 years), with median INTERMACS profile of 3. Preoperatively, 26 patients (24.1%) were ventilated, 17 patients (15.7%) had an intraaortic balloon pump, and 27 patients (25%) were on extracorporeal life support. Overall survival at 30 days was 70.4%, at 1 year 51.9%, and at 5 years 38% with no significant difference in survival between HMII, HVAD, and HMIII. Median cardiopulmonary bypass time was 113 min (range 50-371 min). Two patients received a minimally-invasive procedure. Most common adverse events were revision for bleeding (42.6%), tracheotomy (33.3%), acute kidney failure with new-onset dialysis (25%), sepsis (17.6%), and gastrointestinal bleeding (10.2%). The average duration of follow-up was 1.52 ± 2.11 years (range 0-7.95 years). The median number of readmissions was 2 (range 0-23), the median length of hospital stay as readmission was 17 days (range 0-158 days). Strong predictors of overall mortality (P < 0.05) were postoperative sepsis (OR = 5.729, 95%CI = 3.001-10.937), intraoperative/postoperative need for right ventricular mechanical support (OR = 5.232, 95%CI = 3.008-9.102), preoperative extracorporeal life support (OR = 2.980, 95%CI = 1.615-5.500), readmission because of suboptimal INR value (OR = 2.748, 95%CI = 1.045-7.226), need of inotropes over 7 days postoperatively (OR = 2.556, 95%CI = 1.432-4.562), new onset of temporary hemodialysis postoperatively (OR = 1.986, 95%CI = 1.084-3.635), and female gender (OR = 1.955, 95%CI = 1.062-3.598). No significant difference in mortality between HMII, HVAD, and HMIII was observed. The following predictors of overall mortality were identified (P < 0.05): postoperative sepsis, need for perioperative mechanical support, readmission because of suboptimal INR value, new onset of temporary hemodialysis postoperatively and female gender.

Five-year follow-up of mitral valve repair versus replacement: a propensity score analysis.

BACKGROUND: Mitral valve repair (MVRe) is considered to have a superior outcome compared to replacement (MVRp) in patients with mitral valve regurgitation (MVR). It was the aim of the study to analyse the clinical results and identify risk factors for short and long-term mortality. METHODS: In a retrospective single-center analysis, patients undergoing an isolated mitral valve procedure from June 2010 to December 2016 were identified. These were subsequently homogenized using 10 baseline characteristics for propensity-score matching. Comparative analyses were performed for early and long-term results, using adequate statistical tools, and identifying risk factors for the investigated endpoints, primary end-point: all-cause mortality within 5 years and secondary end-points: recurrent MVR, reoperation, endocarditis and/or mortality with 30 days, 1, 3 and 5 years. RESULTS: 241 patients were identified in the entire patient cohort. After matching, patients were divided into 2 groups of 64 each respectively. The median age was similar in the two groups. There was a significant interaction between early mortality risk of MV in patients with coronary artery disease (CAD) (OR 11.94, 95% CI 1.49-285.92, p = 0.04) and late mortality in patients with higher EuroSCORE II (HR 1.14, 95% CI 1.06-1.23, p < 0.001). The primary end-point showed 5-year survival rate was significantly higher in MVRe versus MVRp (90.06% vs. 79.54% respectively, p = 0.04). The secondary end-point demonstrated recurrent MVR not to be statistically significant between the 2 groups (p = 0.09) as well as reoperation (p = 0.28). Endocarditis was observed in one patient after MVRp. CONCLUSIONS: We concluded MVRe to be associated with lower operative and 5-year mortality and good postoperative outcomes compared to patients undergoing MVRp. Concomitant CAD was identified as one of the risk factors for increasing the in-hospital mortality rate. There was no significant difference in rehospitalisation over the follow-up period. MVRe should be the treatment of choice for severe MVR and should remain a central aspect in valve centers' treatment algorithms and quality measures.

Complicated Massive Left Ventricular Thrombus and Surgical Treatment.

BACKGROUND Left ventricular thrombus formation is a serious complication of cardiac diseases and may result in acute embolic events. Early diagnosis and prompt treatment are crucial steps in preventing complications. There is a lack of consensus when it comes to therapy recommendations such as treatment with anticoagulation, thrombolysis, or surgical thrombectomy. CASE REPORT A 74-year-old woman presented with acute peripheral ischemia in the left and right lower limbs. After running a diagnostic workup, we found a history of fatigue and dyspnea in the preceding 2 weeks; and an echocardiographic examination revealed a large floating mass in the left ventricle with a severely reduced LV ejection fraction of 10-15%. Coronary heart disease was diagnosed with stenosis of the circumflex artery and posterior branch of the right coronary artery, but not necessitating acute treatment. The decision to operate on our patient was based on the acute situation and mobile form of the thrombi as to prevent further thromboembolic complications, and the surgical procedure was performed via a median sternotomy using a left ventricular apical approach due to the size and deep embedment in the ventricular trabeculae. CONCLUSIONS To date there is no standardized therapy in the guidelines for treatment of LV thrombi. Surgical thrombectomy can be performed in patients with mobile and protruding thrombi. In such cases surgery should be performed immediately due to the high risk of systemic embolism.

Removal of Apixaban during Emergency Cardiac Surgery Using Hemoadsorption with a Porous Polymer Bead Sorbent.

Background: Patients on direct oral anticoagulants are at high risk of perioperative bleeding complications. We analyzed the results of intraoperative hemoadsorption (HA) in patients undergoing cardiac surgery who were also on concurrent therapy with apixaban. Methods: we included 25 consecutive patients on apixaban who underwent cardiac surgery with the use of cardio-pulmonary bypass (CPB) at three sites. The first 12 patients underwent surgery without hemoadsorption (controls), while the next 13 consecutive patients were operated with the Cytosorb® (Princeton, NJ, USA) device integrated into the CPB circuit (HA group). The primary outcome was perioperative bleeding assessed by the Bleeding Academic Research Consortium (BARC) definition and secondary outcomes included 24 h chest-tube-drainage (CTD) and need for 1-deamino-8-d-arginine-vasopressin (desmopressin (DDAVP)) administration to achieve hemostasis. Results: Preoperative mean daily dose of apixaban was higher in the HA group (8.5 ± 2.4 vs. 5.6 ± 2.2 mg, p = 0.005), while time since last apixaban dose was longer in the controls (1.3 ± 0.9 vs. 0.6 ± 1.2 days, p < 0.001). No BARC-4 bleeding events and no repeat-thoracotomies occurred in the HA group compared with 3 and 1, respectively, in the controls. Postoperative 24 h CTD volume was significantly lower in the HA group (510 ± 152 vs. 893 ± 579 mL, p = 0.03) and there was no need for DDAVP compared to controls, who received an average of 10 ± 13.6 mg (p = 0.01). Conclusions: In patients on apixaban undergoing emergent cardiac surgery, the intraoperative use of hemoadsorption was feasible and safe. Compared to patients operated on without hemoadsorption, BARC-4 bleeding complications did not occur and the need for 24 h CTD and DDAVP was significantly lower.

The Freedom SOLO valve: mid-term clinical results with a stentless pericardial valve for aortic valve replacement.

BACKGROUND AND AIM OF THE STUDY: The study aim was to evaluate the Freedom SOLO pericardial stentless valve prosthesis implanted in a subcoronary or supra-annular position, using a single running suture, over a follow up period of up to five years. The clinical data obtained after aortic valve replacement (AVR) were analyzed retrospectively for validation. METHODS: Between April 2004 and September 2009, a total of 143 patients (81 males, 62 females; mean age 71 +/- 7 years; range: 41-87 years) underwent primary AVR using the Freedom SOLO valve, implanted with a supra-annular subcoronary technique. Isolated AVR was performed on 120 patients, while 23 patients required additional surgery that included coronary artery bypass grafting (n = 5), ascending aorta replacement (n = 1), atrial fibrillation surgery (n = 9), and mitral valve repair (n = 1). Clinical investigations were performed before, during and after surgery; the follow up was 100% complete. A subgroup of patients (70%) was investigated echocardiographically during the follow up period to analyze the hemodynamic performance of the prosthesis. RESULTS: For all procedures the mean ischemia time was 66 +/- 15 min, and the mean cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) time 88 +/- 20 min. For isolated AVR, the mean cross-clamp time was 65 +/- 14 min, and the mean CPB time 85 +/- 17 min. The predominant implanted valve size was 25 mm (42%). Operative mortality was 4.9% (7/143), with an overall mortality of 10.5% (15/143) at 4.7 years of follow up. The mean follow up was 1.8 +/- 1.4 years, and the total follow up 257 patient-years. At postoperative follow up the mean valve gradient was 10.6 mmHg, while the effective orifice area was 1.9 +/- 0.6 cm2 at one month and 1.9 +/- 0.6 cm2 at 12 months. CONCLUSION: The Freedom SOLO valve was implanted in a cohort of patients, using a simplified, supra-annular subcoronary technique, with no technical problems. Subsequently, the valve demonstrated an excellent clinical performance for up to five years. Further long-term follow up will be required to confirm the performance of the prosthesis with regards to structural and nonstructural valve stability.

Aortic Root Replacement for Destructive Endocarditis - Clinic and Microbiology.

INTRODUCTION: Destructive aortic root endocarditis is associated with high mortality rates. The objective of this article was to characterize the clinical and microbiological profiles of these patients, especially concerning an already implanted aortic valve prosthesis. We also focused on prognostic factors. METHODS: Eighty patients underwent aortic root replacement due to destructive endocarditis from 1999 to 2018 in our institution. We analyzed their pre, intra, and postoperative data, outcomes, and predictors of mortality. RESULTS: Thirty-one patients had native valve endocarditis (NVE), eight patients had early-onset prosthetic valve endocarditis (PVE), and 41 patients had late-onset PVE. Streptococcus was found in 19.4% of NVE cases and no PVE case. Coagulase-negative Staphylococcus was responsible for 62.5% of the cases of early-onset PVE. Thirty-four (42.5%) patients had received inappropriate antibiotics before admission. No microorganism was associated with higher risk of mortality. Aortoventricular dehiscence was identified as an independent risk factor of mortality along with PVE, concomitant bypass surgery, and delayed diagnosis. The incidence of postoperative complications was similar in all three groups. Rates of long-term survival (P=0.044) and freedom from the composite endpoint (P=0.024) defined as death, stroke, aortic valve reinfection, and aortic valve reoperation were the lowest within the NVE group and the highest among the PVE patients. CONCLUSION: In endocarditis, prolonged diagnostics, inadequate antimicrobial treatment, and late surgery led to destructive local complications and worsened the prognosis. PVE is associated with higher mortality than NVE.

Surgical treatment of infective endocarditis in intravenous drug abusers.

BACKGROUND: Despite current progress in antibiotic therapy and medical management, infective endocarditis remains a serious condition presenting with high mortality rates. It also is a life-threatening complication in patients with a history of chronic intravenous drug abuse. In this study, we analyzed our institutional experience on the surgical therapy of infective endocarditis in patients with active intravenous drug abuse. The aim of the study is to identify the predictive factors of mortality and morbidity in this subgroup of patients. METHODS: Between 2007 and 2020, a total of 24 patients (7 female, mean age 38.5 ± 8.7) presenting with active intravenous drug abuse underwent a surgical treatment for the infective endocarditis at out center. The primary endpoint was survival at 30th day after the surgery. The secondary composite endpoint included freedom from death, recurrent endocarditis, re-do surgery, and postoperative stroke during the follow-up period. Mean follow-up was 4.2 ± 4.3 years. RESULTS: Staphylococcus species was the most common pathogen detected in the preoperative blood cultures. Infection caused by Enterococcus species as well as liver function impairment were identified as mortality predictor factors. Logistic EuroSCORE and EusoSCORE-II were also predictive factors for mortality in univariate analysis. Survival at 1 and 3 years was 78 and 72% respectively. Thirty-day survival was 88%. 30-day freedom from combined endpoint was 83% and after 1 and 3 years, 69 and 58% of the patients respectively were free from combined endpoint. Five patients (20.8%) were readmitted with recurrent infective endocarditis. CONCLUSION: In patients presenting with active intravenous drug abuse, treatment of infective endocarditis should be performed as aggressively as possible and should be followed by antibiotic therapy to avoid high mortality rates and recurrent endocarditis. Early intervention is advisable in patients with an infective endocarditis and enterococcus species in the preoperative blood cultures, liver function deterioration as well as cardiac function impairment. Attention should be also payed to addiction treatment, due to the elevated relapse rate in patients who actively inject drugs. However, larger prospective studies are necessary to support our results. As septic shock is the most frequent cause of death, new treatment options, e.g. blood purification should be evaluated.