title: Long term outcome of balloon mitral commissurotomy during pregnancy: a prospective physical and mental evaluation of babies.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The immediate and long-term results of balloon mitral commissurotomy (BMC) during pregnancy were evaluated in patients and in their babies looking for radiation side effects.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Sixty one patients (mean age: 28.5+/-5.0 years) had BMC at a mean age of gestation of 26.8+/-5.5 weeks. The procedure was successful in all patients except in one who had a severe mitral regurgitation and subsequent mitral valve replacement (MVR). All patients delivered at term vaginally in 58 (95.1%) cases. There was only one death in a patient who delivered at home. At a mean follow-up of 66.8+/-36.0 months, 4 patients had MVR, the remaining were in NYHA class I/II. Restenosis was found in 4 (7.2%) patients. The 63 babies (two gemellar pregnancies) had a normal weight of birth except of one case of hypotrophy. At a mean follow-up of 64.5+/-32.5 months, two babies died, 1 had hypotrophy, 2 had microcephaly, 8 had an IQ < 70 but none had a severe mental retardation (IQ <34). None of these events were radiation related.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  BMC is the procedure of choice in pregnant patients with mitral stenosis. No late radiation side effects were observed in children but longer follow-up is required.
authors.affiliation: Cardiology Department. Fattouma Bourguiba University Hospital, 5000 Monastir, Tunisia.
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Gamra
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ben-Farhat
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Betbout
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Addad
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Ben-Rejeb
authors.forename: Z
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Dridi
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Khedher
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Ben-Hamda
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Maatouk
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Maaoui