title: Long-term follow up study on 64 elderly patients after balloon aortic valvuloplasty.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aims of this study were to evaluate symptomatic improvement and event-free/overall survival after balloon aortic valvulotomy in patients with significant sclerotic aortic valve stenosis.
  
  
  METHODS
  Sixty-four patients with calcified aortic stenosis, in NYHA class III-IV, and of mean age 79.0 years, underwent a total of 75 scheduled attempts at balloon aortic valvulotomy, with single balloon catheters between December 1987 and June 1993. Patients were either considered as poor surgical candidates or themselves preferred such valvulotomy.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Periprocedural major complications, including death in 6%, occurred in association with 16% of the procedures. Among 57 patients in whom initial dilatation was successful, the average period of symptom relief was 9.4 months (median 7.0, range: 0 to 47 months). Independent predictors for longer duration of symptom relief and survival were systolic arterial pressure > 115 mmHg and female gender; ejection fraction > or = 30% was only predictive of survival. Actuarial survival rates at one, two and three years were 77, 48 and 36% respectively.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Balloon aortic valvulotomy is followed by a short period of symptomatic relief and carries a low periprocedural mortality, but considerable morbidity. By comparison, aortic valve replacement patients aged over 70 and with serious physical limitations (NYHA class IIIB-IV) showed much better overall survival. As contraindications to surgery are in most cases relative, aortic valve replacement should always be considered as the only choice in the surgical decision-making.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, University Hospital, Uppsala, Sweden.
authors.forename: P D
authors.initials: PD
authors.lastname: Kvidal
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Stahle
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Nygren
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Landelius
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Thuren
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Enghoff
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D001024:Aortic Valve Stenosis / Q000401:mortality / Q000628:therapy*; D002404:Catheterization / Q000009:adverse effects; D000075202:Contraindications; D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D019918:Heart Valve Prosthesis Implantation / Q000401:mortality; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009017:Morbidity; D012307:Risk Factors; D012737:Sex Factors; D013997:Time Factors