title: Percutaneous mitral valvuloplasty: retrograde, transarterial double-balloon technique utilizing the transseptal approach.
abstract: Between February 1985 and May 1987, 72 patients with mitral stenosis (MS) underwent percutaneous transluminal mitral valvuloplasty (PTMV). The retrograde transarterial double-balloon technique was used on 54/72 patients (75%); 16 males, 38 females; mean age: 39 +/- 11 years. Transseptal catheterization was used to place two 0.035", 350-cm exchange wires into the ascending aorta in order to be snared, retrieved, and exteriorized, each through a femoral artery. Over these wires, the balloon dilation catheters were advanced through the femoral artery, retrogradely, across the mitral valve, for PTMV. The transmitral mean gradient fell [18 +/- 4 to 9 +/- 5 mmHg (P less than 0.001)]; the cardiac output increased [5.1 +/- 0.8 6.1 +/- 0.8 L/min (P less than 0.001)]; the hemodynamically calculated valve area increased [1.2 +/- 0.2 to 2.3 +/- 0.6 cm2 (P less than 0.001)]; and the short axis two-dimensional echocardiographic valve area increased [1.1 +/- 0.3 to 2.2 +/- 0.7 (P less than 0.001)]. PTMV was unsuccessful in two patients (4%), due to the inability to maintain the inflated balloons in the mitral position. Significant complications were encountered in two patients: two strokes (3.7%) and one mortality from the stroke (1.4%). Significant mitral regurgitation occurred in two patients (3.7%); no post-PTMV hemodynamically significant atrial septal defects were detected. Follow-up (mean time: 11 +/- 6 months) of 43 patients showed a persistent improvement in echocardiographic findings in 27 (63%) and hemodynamically measured mitral valve area in the 16 patients in which cardiac catheterization was repeated. The retrograde, transarterial double-balloon technique can successfully accomplish PTMV with good results and an acceptable low morbidity and mortality.
authors.affiliation: Cardiovascular Center Dragisa Misovic, Beograd, Yugoslavia.
authors.forename: U U
authors.initials: UU
authors.lastname: Babic
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Dorros
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Pejcic
authors.forename: Z
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Djurisic
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Vucinic
authors.forename: R F
authors.initials: RF
authors.lastname: Lewin
authors.forename: S N
authors.initials: SN
authors.lastname: Grujicic
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D006328:Cardiac Catheterization; D002404:Catheterization / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000379:methods*; D004452:Echocardiography; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008946:Mitral Valve Stenosis / Q000628:therapy*