[Infective endocarditis: the role of surgery]

Abstract

Infective endocarditis (IE) is a serious disease which can carry a bad prognosis if it is not appropriately treated. Sometimes the clinical evolution is unfavourable despite an optimal medical therapy with antibiotics. Surgery in these cases has an important role to eliminate the source of infection or to perform a valve replacement. The surprising evolution of patients operated in critic circumstances take us to analyze the role of early surgery. As physicians, we need to know these patients' risks and to establish the adequate surgical indications.