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Optimal Timing for Cardiac Surgery in Infective Endocarditis: Is Earlier Better?

  • Cardiovascular Infections (D Levine, Section Editor)
  • Published:
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Abstract

All patients with infective endocarditis should be transferred to a hospital with cardiac surgery facilities. Once the decision to operate on a patient with infective endocarditis has been made, the timing of surgery is very often a difficult decision. Literature on this topic is very scarce. The European Society of Cardiology guidelines include recommendations on the timing of surgery. Heart failure, uncontrolled infection and prevention of embolic risk are the three main indications for surgery. Most often, when the decision to operate has been made, there is no benefit and potentially harm in delaying surgery. If cardiac surgery is indicated after an ischemic stroke, it should not be delayed. Discussion should be multidisciplinary and involve at least a cardiologist, a cardiac surgeon and an infectious diseases specialist, and any other specialist as needed (for example a neurologist).

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Papers of particular interest, published recently, have been highlighted as: •• Of major importance

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Conflict of Interest

Francois Delahaye declares no conflicts of interest. Guy De Gevigney declares no conflicts of interest. Anne-Marie Antchouey declares no conflicts of interest.

Human and Animal Rights and Informed Consent

This article does not contain any studies with human or animal subjects performed by the authors.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Hopital Louis Pradel, 28, Avenue du Doyen Lepine, 69677, Bron Cedex, France

    François Delahaye

  2. Hospices Civils de Lyon and Université Claude Bernard, Lyon, France

    François Delahaye

  3. Département de Cardiologie, Université des Sciences de la Santé, Libreville, Gabon

    Anne-Marie Antchouey

  4. Hospices Civils de Lyon, Lyon, France

    Guy de Gevigney

Authors
  1. François Delahaye
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  2. Anne-Marie Antchouey
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  3. Guy de Gevigney
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Correspondence to François Delahaye.

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This article is part of the Topical Collection on Cardiovascular Infections

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Delahaye, F., Antchouey, AM. & de Gevigney, G. Optimal Timing for Cardiac Surgery in Infective Endocarditis: Is Earlier Better?. Curr Infect Dis Rep 16, 411 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11908-014-0411-3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11908-014-0411-3

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