Snare vegetectomy for right‐sided endocarditis

A middle‐aged male developed right‐sided endocarditis from an infection of an implantable cardiac defibrillator (ICD) system. Following percutaneous device and lead explantation, a very large pedunculated vegetation (19 mm × 14 mm) was found on the Eustachian valve. We decided to remove the vegetation percutaneously using a wire snare instead of open heart surgery. Case report Real‐time three‐dimensional transesophageal echocardiography and fluoroscopy were used to guide the procedure. Access was from the right femoral vein. Using a triple‐loop wire snare through a deflectable sheath, the vegetation was successfully removed in its entirety without complications. Conclusion Percutaneous snare vegetectomy is feasible and may be a viable option in place of open heart surgery in selected patients. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.