Percutaneous balloon valvuloplasty of aortic stenosis in 110 consecutive patients

Abstract

Aortic valve replacement in symptomatic aortic valvular stenosis is the treatment of choice. However, there are many absolute or relative contraindications to open heart surgery: pulmonary congestion with pneumonia, fever and leukocytosis, respiratory insufficiency, cardiogenic shock, other serious diseases with organ failure, advanced age along with poor physical condition, bleeding disorders, etc. Recently, several groups have published encouraging results in patients with calcific aortic stenosis undergoing balloon valvuloplasty rather than aortic valve replacement surgery (1–13). Marked immediate improvement in hemodynamics and symptoms was noted almost universally. In view of the operative and perioperative risks involved in elderly patients undergoing surgery (14–16), an alternative treatment should be seriously considered. We therefore report our experience with balloon valvuloplasty of aortic stenosis in 110 consecutive patients. The purpose of this communication is to assess the immediate results and some follow up data in order to judge the efficacy of this relatively new method in interventional cardiology.