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Mitral Valve Repair and Transesophageal Echocardiographic Findings
in a High-Risk Subgroup of Patients with Active, Acute Infective Endocarditis
Michele Senni MD, Maurizio Merlo MD, Giuseppe Sangiorgi MD, Amando Gamba MD, Annamaria Procopio MD, Mattia Glauber MD, Paolo Ferrazzi MD We report on the long-term follow up of mitral valve repair in a series of patients affected by active, acute infective endocarditis. After transesophageal echocardiographic examination, 13 patients underwent surgery and were followed up thereafter for a mean of 73 ± 8 months. This study suggests that mitral valve repair may be considered to be an effective treatment for active, acute infective endocarditis. In addition, transesophageal echocardiography may have a key role in diagnosing and guiding the surgical strategy. |
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