title: Simplified percutaneous mitral valvuloplasty with the Inoue balloon.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Percutaneous mitral valvuloplasty with the Inoue balloon is conventionally performed with double vascular access: arterial and venous. However, in patients with a good echogenic window it may be performed with venous access only and the procedure monitored by 2D-echocardiography and colour flow mapping. This should result in early ambulation and hospital discharge with reduced arterial complications.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To compare retrospectively the immediate results of percutaneous mitral valvuloplasty with the Inoue balloon in two groups of patients: Group I: venous access only (no arterial access, n = 102) and Group II: conventional double vascular access (arterial and venous access, n = 275).
  
  
  RESULTS
  The baseline characteristics of the two groups were comparable for age, sex, clinical, echocardiographic, radiological and haemodynamic variables. The mitral valve area (Group I: 1.1 +/- 0.3 to 1.85 +/- 0.5 cm2 vs Group II: 1.05 +/- 0.2 to 1.85 +/- 0.5 cm2, P = ns) and transmitral gradient (Group I: 11 +/- 4 to 4.7 +/- 2 mmHg vs Group II: 12 +/- 4 to 4.8 +/- 2 mmHg, P = ns) before and after mitral valvuloplasty were not statistically different. A good immediate result, defined as mitral valve area > 1.5 cm2 and mean mitral gradient < 5 mmHg with mitral regurgitation < or = 2+ at the end of the procedure, was observed in 77% of the cases in the venous-only group and 79% in the double access group (P = ns). The incidence of severe mitral regurgitation (Grade III or IV) was not statistically significant. Procedural duration (71 +/- 24 min vs 109 +/- 26 min, P < 0.01), fluoroscopic time (12.5 +/- 5.5 min vs 18.5 +/- 6 min, P < 0.01) and hospital stay (2.8 +/- 1.5 days vs 4.8 +/- 2.6 days, P < 0.001) were significantly shorter in the venous-only group than in the conventional Inoue series.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Single venous access balloon mitral valvuloplasty is as equally safe and effective as double vascular access. The additional advantages of single venous access are shorter procedural duration, fluoroscopic time and hospital stay. We recommend that it be performed by an experienced operator (minimum of 100 trans-septal punctures) in patients without major thoracic deformity and a good echogenic window.
authors.affiliation: Hôpital Universitaire Saint-Jacques, Besançon, France.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Gupta
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Schiele
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Meneveau
authors.forename: M F
authors.initials: MF
authors.lastname: Seronde
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Breton
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Bernard
authors.forename: J P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Bassand
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002404:Catheterization / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*; D002408:Catheters, Indwelling; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D004452:Echocardiography; D005260:Female; D006439:Hemodynamics / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D007902:Length of Stay; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008946:Mitral Valve Stenosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy*; D011379:Prognosis; D012189:Retrospective Studies