Search

Objective: to investigate how body mass index (BMI) affects the outcome in patients treated surgically for infective endocarditis (IE). Methods: This is a single-center observational analysis of consecutive patients treated surgically for IE. We divided the cohort into six groups, according to the WHO classification of BMI, and performed subsequent outcome analysis. Results: The patient population consisted of 17 (2.6%) underweight, 249 (38.3%) normal weight, 252 (38.8%) overweight, 83 (12.8%) class I obese, 28 (4.3%) class II obese, and 21 (3.8%) class III, or morbidly obese, patients. The median age of the entire cohort was 64.5 [52.5–73.6] years. While only 168 (25.9%) patients were female, women significantly more often exhibited extremes in regards to BMI, including underweight (47.1%) and morbid obesity (52.4%), p = 0.026. Class II and III obese patients displayed more postoperative acute kidney injury (47.9%), p = 0.003, more sternal wound infection (12.9%), p < 0.001, worse 30-day survival (20.4%), p = 0.031, and worse long-term survival, p = 0.026, compared to the results for the other groups. However, the multivariable analysis did not identify obesity as an independent risk factor for 30-day mortality, with an odds ratio of 1.257 [0.613–2.579], p = 0.533. Rather, age > 60, reduced LVEF < 30%, staphylococcal infection, and prosthetic valve endocarditis correlated with mortality. While BMI showed poor discrimination in predicting 30-day mortality on the ROC curve (AUC = 0.609), it showed a fair degree of discrimination in predicting sternal wound infection (AUC = 0.723). Conclusions: Obesity was associated with increased comorbidities, complications, and higher postoperative mortality in IE patients, but it is not an independent mortality risk factor. While BMI is a poor predictor of death, it is a good predictor of sternal wound infections.

Locally destructive infective endocarditis (IE) of the aortic valve complicated by abscess formation in the aortic root may seriously affect patients’ outcomes. Surgical repair of such conditions is often challenging. This is a single-center observational analysis of consecutive patients treated surgically for IE between 2009 and 2019. We divided the cohort into two groups considering the presence of an aortic root abscess and compared the characteristics and postoperative outcomes of patients accordingly. Moreover, we examined three different procedures performed in abscess patients regarding operative data and postoperative results: an isolated surgical aortic valve replacement (AVR), AVR with patch reconstruction of the aortic root (AVR + RR) or the Bentall procedure. The whole cohort comprised 665 patients, including 140 (21.0%) patients with an aortic root abscess and 525 (78.9%) as the control group. The abscess group of patients received either AVR (66.4%), AVR + RR (17.8%), or the Bentall procedure (15.7%). The mean age in the whole cohort was 62.1 ± 14.8. The mean EuroSCORE II was 8.0 ± 3.5 in the abscess group and 8.4 ± 3.7 in the control group (p = 0.259). The 30-day and 1-year mortality rates were 19.6% vs. 11.3% (p = 0.009) and 40.1% vs. 29.6% (p = 0.016) in the abscess compared to the control group. The multivariable regression analysis did not reveal aortic root abscess as an independent predictor of mortality. Rather, age > 60 correlated with 30-day mortality and infection with Streptococcus spp. correlated with 1-year mortality. In the analysis according to the performed procedures, KM estimates exhibited comparable long-term survival (log-rank p = 0.325). IE recurrence was noticed in 12.3% of patients after AVR, 26.7% after AVR + RR and none after Bentall (p = 0.069). We concluded that patients with an aortic root abscess suffer worse short and long-term outcomes compared to other IE patients. The post-procedural survival among ARA patients did not significantly vary based on the procedures performed.