A retrospective review of 11 children, aged 2 months to 15 years, demonstrates the feasibility of surgical treatment for infective endocarditis in childhood. Except for one case of perinatal infection, in all instances the infective endocarditis was a complication of a congenital heart defect. As medical treatment was not successful, surgery was indicated. Debridement of infected tissue and repair of the congenital heart defect was performed. There were no septic complications postoperatively although 8 patients were operated upon during the active stage of infection. One 2-month-old child did not survive excision of an infected tricuspid valve. The follow-up period of 8 years to 5 months (median 39 months) showed a good haemodynamic result (NYHA class I) in the remaining 10 patients. This included 4 patients with prosthetic valves.