Surgical intervention is associated with earlier clearance of bacteremia in infective endocarditis (IE).

We hypothesized that vegetectomies using percutaneous aspiration shortens time to sterilization of blood cultures in patients with right-sided IE and vegetations.

The cohort included 37 patients, 23 treated conservatively, and 14 underwent percutaneous vegetectomy. The median time to blood culture sterilization among patients with bacteremia over 7 days was 16.5 (IQR 9.75–29) for patients treated conservatively and 11.5 (IQR 8.5–11.5) for those who underwent vegetectomy. The two patients who required mechanical ventilation were among the vegetectomy group, and the single patient who died during the same admission was treated conservatively. There were no complications in the vegetectomy group.

These data are hypothesis-generating, suggesting that utilizing percutaneous aspiration in patients with right-sided IE and vegetations shortens time to sterilization of blood cultures, and possibly improves outcomes.