Outcomes of percutaneous mechanical aspiration in left-sided infective endocarditis

Catheter-based mechanical aspiration has emerged as a percutaneous strategy for vegetation debulking in select patients with right-sided infective endocarditis, with the CLEAR-IE registry demonstrating favourable procedural outcomes.1 The role of percutaneous mechanical aspiration (PMA) in left-sided infective endocarditis (LSIE), however, remains uncertain. In this analysis from the CLEAR-IE registry, we sought to evaluate the feasibility and safety of PMA in LSIE.

CLEAR-IE is a multicentre longitudinal registry, initiated in June 2022, to study the outcomes of PMA in infective endocarditis (IE). The design and methods of the CLEAR-IE registry have been described previously.1 Patients were included if they met the modified Duke criteria for IE and underwent PMA, performed at the clinicians’ discretion in the absence of protocol-based guidance. Baseline, procedural, and outcome data were retrospectively collected using standardised case report forms, and all sites obtained institutional review board approval. The data that support the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request.

Patients who underwent left-sided PMA were included, while those treated exclusively for right-sided IE or with incomplete outcome data were excluded. Procedural...