[Surgical treatment of congenital heart disease complicated with infective endocarditis].

Objective: To review the experience of surgical treatment and the diagnosis of 41 patients with congenital heart diseases complicated with infective endocarditis.

Methods: Twenty-three males and 18 females (the mean age 22.6 years) were studied. Twenty-seven patients received bacterial cultivation of blood specimens, and the results of bacterial cultivation of 11 patients were positive. Thirty-four patients underwent cardiac operations after infection was almost controlled, and 7 patients underwent operations during the infective phase. In all the cases, the infected tissues were excised, congenital cardiac was treated, and valvular dysfunctions were corrected.

Results: The surgical treatment results were satisfactory. One patient (2.4%) died during hospitalization.

Conclusion: In our hospital, the incidence rate of infective endocarditis complicated with congenital heart diseases increases; echocardiography is a valuable tool in diagnosis; blood culture may be negative after previous administration of antibiotics; aggressive surgical treatment should be adopted in patients with congenital heart defects complicated with infective endocarditis.