title: Balloon aortic valvuloplasty for severe aortic stenosis as a bridge to high-risk transcatheter aortic valve implantation.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To provide data on feasibility, safety and efficacy of balloon aortic valvuloplasty (BAV) as a bridge to transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI). Background. There are no data on BAV use as a bridge to TAVI in patients at high risk of periprocedural complications.
  
  
  METHODS
  Between June 2007 to May 2009, 83 consecutive patients with symptomatic severe aortic stenosis (48 female, 35 male) aged from 65 to 88 years (mean age 81 +/- 5 years) were treated with TAVI. Early hemodynamic and clinical outcomes of patients undergoing palliative BAV before TAVI (BAV Group, n = 43) were compared with those of patients who directly underwent TAVI (no-BAV Group, n = 40).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Patients in the BAV group had worse baseline clinical characteristics than those in the no-BAV group, with higher rates of congestive heart failure, New York Heart Association (NYHA) functional class III or IV and a higher EuroSCORE. In the BAV group, significant changes were found after valvuloplasty with regard to NYHA functional class, mean pressure gradient and aortic valve area. Peak-to-peak transvalvular pressure gradient and left ventricular systolic pressure also decreased immediately after BAV. Before TAVI, no differences in either clinical status or hemodynamic data were observed between patients who underwent BAV and those who did not.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Bridging to TAVI with BAV is a feasible and reasonably safe approach to offer temporary relief in selected high-risk patients with symptomatic severe aortic stenosis and a high chance of periprocedural complications.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, Ferrarotto Hospital, University of Catania, Catania, Italy.
authors.forename: Gian Paolo
authors.initials: GP
authors.lastname: Ussia
authors.forename: Davide
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Capodanno
authors.forename: Marco
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Barbanti
authors.forename: Marilena
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Scarabelli
authors.forename: Sebastiano
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Imme
authors.forename: Valeria
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Cammalleri
authors.forename: Massimiliano
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mule
authors.forename: Anna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Pistritto
authors.forename: Patrizia
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Aruta
authors.forename: Corrado
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Tamburino
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D017130:Angioplasty; D001024:Aortic Valve Stenosis / Q000601:surgery*; D001794:Blood Pressure; D002404:Catheterization; D005240:Feasibility Studies; D005260:Female; D019918:Heart Valve Prosthesis Implantation; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010166:Palliative Care; D011300:Preoperative Care; D012307:Risk Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome