Progression to moderate or severe mitral regurgitation after percutaneous transvenous mitral commissurotomy using stepwise inflation technique.
Progression to moderate or severe mitral regurgitation (MR) was studied after Inoue balloon percutaneous transvenous mitral commissurotomy (PTMC) using the stepwise inflation technique, performed at increments of 1 mm of balloon diameter, in 49 consecutive patients with rheumatic mitral stenosis (aged from 32-73 years; 8 males, 41 females). The patients were classified on the basis of the degree of MR after PTMC, compared with that before PTMC, into either Group A, development of moderate or more severe (> or = grade 2) MR (n = 8) or Group B, no increase in MR or development of mild (grade 1) MR (n = 41). Progression to moderate or severe MR was significantly associated only with advanced age (60 +/- 8 vs 52 +/- 10 years, p < 0.05) and narrower mitral valve area (0.87 +/- 0.35 vs 1.11 +/- 0.29 cm2, p < 0.05), but other characteristics before PTMC were similar in both groups. There was no difference between the two groups in the total number and degree of balloon inflation. Immediately before the final inflation, the left atrial mean pressure and v wave pressure were decreased in smaller degrees in Group A compared with Group B (-2 +/- 2 vs -5 +/- 4 mmHg, p < 0.05; -2 +/- 2 vs -6 +/- 6 mmHg, p < 0.05, respectively). Thus, the stepwise inflations require careful monitoring of changes in the left atrial pressure and waveform to recognize the aggravation of MR, especially in older patients with severe stenosis. Patients who do not have a significant drop in left atrial mean pressure and v wave pressure during stepwise inflations of the balloon might be at risk of development of moderate or severe MR after further dilations.
Matsubara
T
T
First Department of Internal Medicine, Niigata University School of Medicine.
Yamazoe
M
M
Tamura
Y
Y
Tanabe
Y
Y
Hori
T
T
Konno
T
T
Higuchi
K
K
Ida
T
T
Takemoto
M
M
Aizawa
Y
Y
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002404:Catheterization / Q000009:adverse effects*; D018450:Disease Progression; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008722:Methods; D008875:Middle Aged; D008944:Mitral Valve Insufficiency / Q000209:etiology*; D008946:Mitral Valve Stenosis / Q000628:therapy*