Congenital: Fontan
Elucidating the mechanisms of infective endocarditis in bovine jugular vein conduits: Are we any closer?
Multiple reports have raised concerns regarding the high rates of late endocarditis in bovine jugular vein (BJV) grafts used for right ventricular outflow tract reconstruction as conduits1,2 (Figure 1) or as percutaneously placed stent-mounted valves.3,4 The pathophysiologic mechanisms for these findings remain unclear.High incidence of late infective endocarditis in bovine jugular vein valved conduits
Bovine jugular vein (BJV) grafts (Medtronic, Inc, Minneapolis, Minn) are used to restore right ventricle-to-pulmonary artery continuity. Recent studies have associated these grafts with the development of infective endocarditis. The purpose of this study was to report the incidence of endocarditis in BJV grafts.
