Vacuum-Assisted Aspiration of Intracardiac Masses as a Bridge or Alternative to Surgery

Background

Infective endocarditis may lead to embolic events and valve destruction by the formation of vegetation on valvular tissue. The conventional course of therapy for infective endocarditis often involves the use of both antimicrobial medications and/or surgical intervention. However, managing large valvular vegetations may be challenging because of the potential risk associated with urgent surgery, particularly in patients with comorbid illnesses. Mechanical and vacuum-assisted aspiration devices have been used with limited experience in both diagnosing and treating selected patients by effectively removing or reducing the vegetation size.

Case Summary

We report a case series of 6 patients with either right-sided or left-sided infective endocarditis who were treated successfully with vacuum-assisted aspiration catheter.

Discussion

Our case series highlights the use of the AngioVac system (AngioDynamics) as a potential novel treatment approach in managing high-risk patients with infective endocarditis. We demonstrate the techniques used for effective vegetation extraction using the AngioVac.