Embolic risk stratification and prognostic impact of early surgery in left-sided infective endocarditis.

Background: In patients with left-sided infective endocarditis (IE) and heart failure associated with large vegetations, early surgery prevents embolic events. However, optimal timing of surgery for other indications is still unresolved particularly when the presence of large vegetations represents the sole indication.

Methods: We retrospectively analyzed 308 consecutive patients admitted to our department with definite left-sided IE.