Endocarditis after interventional repair of the mitral valve: Review of a dilemma.

BACKGROUND: The MitraClip procedure can be an alternative treatment option for patients with high surgical risk for whom surgical treatment is contraindicated. Patients with prosthetic material have an increased risk for infective endocarditis.

HYPOTHESIS: Incidence, treatment and outcome of patients with endocarditis after interventional mitral valve repair are not known.

METHODS: We searched for articles using PubMed using the terms "interventional mitral valve repair", "mitraclip" and "endocarditis". We have also searched for case reports in major congresses. Furthermore, we report two cases.

RESULTS: Four cases of IE after MitraClip were found in addition to our cases. The leading cause is a bacterial infection, typically with staphylococcal bacteria. Approximately two thirds of these patients underwent surgery. Short-term outcome seems to be reasonable for these patients. During the early postoperative period and if Staphylococcus aureus can be cultivated mortality seems to be significantly elevated.

CONCLUSION: IE after MitraClip procedure is a dilemma. While surgical bail-out seems to be the favorable treatment option, patients were rejected conventional surgery in first place due to their high operative risk. Best treatment recommendation must be made on an individual basis. Predisposing factors should be conscientiously addressed prior to the procedure.