Rev Esp Cardiol
-
With the aim to attesting the ability of treated pericardial tissue to resist infection we analyzed the incidence of prosthetic valve endocarditis in 541 operative survivors with the Ionescu-Shiley (I-S) valve since January 1977. A total of 580 valves were available for the study, 21 (3.8%) sustained I-S endocarditis or 0.65% patients/annum. The mean age was 53.2 years; male/female ratio was 16/5. ⋯ Operative and necropsy findings in 12/21 showed always periprosthetic abscess but no leaflet perforations. The rate of I-S valve endocarditis compares favourably with other valve substitutes. Early re-replacement combined with adequate antibiotic treatment is mandatory according to our experience.