title: Pulmonary valve regurgitation following balloon valvuloplasty for pulmonary valve stenosis: Single center experience.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Pulmonary valve regurgitation following balloon valvuloplasty for moderate to severe pulmonary valve stenosis is a known late outcome of this procedure.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The aim of the study was to characterise the status of pulmonary regurgitation on follow up after pulmonary valve balloon dilatation (PVBD), and to study the determinant of the severity of PR.
  
  
  METHODS
  We retrospectively reviewed 50 consecutive patients, aged 2 days to 18 years, with isolated pulmonary valve stenosis, who had undergone PVBD in 2004-2009 and were assessed with follow-up Doppler echocardiography. The impact of balloon to annulus ratio, age, and valve anatomy on the late development of moderate and severe pulmonary valve regurgitation following balloon valvuloplasty was analysed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Six patients (12%) had no pulmonary valve regurgitation; 32 (64%) had mild, 9 (18%) had moderate, and 3 (6%) had severe pulmonary valve regurgitation at a mean follow-up of 4 years. Balloon to annulus ratio, age, and valve anatomy were not statistically significant predictors for moderate and severe pulmonary valve regurgitation.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The majority of patients in our population had mild pulmonary valve regurgitation. Moderate to severe pulmonary valve regurgitation was well tolerated at midterm follow-up. Age, balloon to annulus ratio, and valve anatomy were not statistically significant predictors for the late development of moderate and severe valve regurgitation. Large and longer follow-up studies are needed to address this question.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatric Cardiology, Royal Hospital, Muscat, Sultanate of Oman.
authors.forename: Asim Yousuf
authors.initials: AY
authors.lastname: Al Balushi
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatric Cardiology, Royal Hospital, Muscat, Sultanate of Oman.
authors.forename: Hamood
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Al Shuaili
authors.affiliation: Sultan Qaboos University, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, Muscat, Sultanate of Oman.
authors.forename: Murtadha
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Al Khabori
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatric Cardiology, Royal Hospital, Muscat, Sultanate of Oman.
authors.forename: Salim
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Al Maskri
keywords: Balloon valvuloplasty; dysplastic valve; pulmonary valve regurgitation