What is the role of valve surgery in the management of infective endocarditis?
Valve surgery has been suggested to play a role in the management of infective endocarditis, as evidenced by multiple studies. A systematic review of observational studies that included propensity score analysis found that, for left-sided native-valve infective endocarditis with isolated large vegetations, early surgery was associated with higher survival rates compared to medical therapy alone. Additionally, a meta-analysis of medical versus surgical therapy for Candida endocarditis suggested that surgical therapy may improve clinical outcome. Thus, it appears that valve surgery may play a beneficial role in the management of infective endocarditis. 