ArticleCureus2023
The Use of AngioVac in a Patient With Severe Infective Endocarditis Where Open Heart Surgery Is Contraindicated: A Case Report.
Article in Cureus, 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 3 papers.
What it found
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
3 citing papers in PubMed.
- An Unusual Case ofInfection and drug resistance · 2026Article
- Vacuum-Assisted Aspiration of Intracardiac Masses as a Bridge or Alternative to Surgery.JACC. Case reports · 2025Article
- Minimally Invasive Aspiration of Tricuspid Valve Vegetation in Recurrent Methicillin-Susceptible Staphylococcus aureus Endocarditis.JACC. Case reports · 2025Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
5 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
Infectious endocarditis of the tricuspid valve (TV) is a common complication of intravenous (IV) drug use. Endocarditis caused by viridans streptococci can lead to heart valve vegetations, which may be life-threatening due to the potential for embolism and obstruction. The management of large valvular vegetations is often difficult due to the risks involved with open heart surgery, especially in patients with comorbid conditions. The AngioVac device (AngioDynamics Inc., Latham, NY) has been shown in rare cases to be effective at debulking vegetations without the need for invasive surgery. We present a 45-year-old male with a history of intravenous heroin use disorder, hepatitis C, spinal abscesses, and chronic anemia who experienced worsening shortness of breath, generalized weakness, bilateral lower extremity edema, dysuria with dark urine, and blood on toilet paper. Workup revealed a 4.39 × 4.35 cm tricuspid valve vegetation, severe tricuspid regurgitation (TR), acute renal failure, acute on chronic anemia, and thrombocytopenia from sepsis-induced disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC). AngioVac was used to aspirate the vegetation and effectively reduced the size to 3.75 × 2.31 cm. Follow-up blood cultures revealed no growth after five days. This is the largest documented tricuspid valve vegetation with a successful implementation of the AngioVac to date. This therapy, in conjunction with intravenous antibiotics and hemodialysis, successfully sterilized the vegetation, prevented worsening presentation, and averted life-threatening complications, although severe tricuspid regurgitation persisted. Based on the findings of this case, the AngioVac device is a safe and effective treatment option for tricuspid valve endocarditis patients with large vegetation and severe comorbidities, which contraindicate open heart surgery.
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