Redo aortic valve replacement for prosthesis endocarditis in patients previously classified as high or prohibitive risk: a narrative review

Transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) and sutureless aortic valve replacement (Su-AVR) enabled in the last years many patients at high or prohibitive risk to be treated for their severe symptomatic aortic valve stenosis. As often happens in medicine, new techniques bring not only new hopes, but also new problems. In recent years, alongside the lengthening of the life of these patients treated with TAVI or Su-AVR, cardiologists and cardiac surgeons have had to face the long-term complications associated with the implantation of these devices, such as the prosthetic infective endocarditis. The correct management of prosthesis valve endocarditis after TAVI or Su-AVR in high risk patients, and the possible role of surgery are a matter of debate because pushing the limits of the modern medicine and becoming a new challenge for cardiac surgeons of 21st century. In this review, we summarized the incidence, characteristics and evidences for this new and controversial problem of the cardiovascular community. Moreover, we investigated the outcomes reported in literature of the conservative and the surgical strategy. Although the reported mortality rate of surgical treatment is high, seems not prohibitive, mostly if compared to conservative medical therapy. The collaborative exchange between cardiologist, cardiac surgeons, clinical microbiologists and expert of imaging is mandatory to face this challenge.