Percutaneous balloon valvuloplasty inpatients with pulmonary valve stenosis: a single center experiment.

BACKGROUND Pulmonary valve stenosis (PVS) is one of the most important acyanotic congenital heart diseases in children. Over the last years, balloon pulmonary valvuloplasty (BPV) has become the treatment of choice for the relief of moderate to severe valvular pulmonic stenosis in all age groups. The aim of current study was to report our regional survey on the short term outcomes of BPV among patients with PVS treated in Isfahan Hearth center. METHODS Thirtyseven patients with moderate and severe PS based on echocardiography, aged between 0.6 and 16 years, underwent catheterization and angiography. Balloon pulmonary valvuloplasty was performed for thirty four patients. Right ventricle and pulmonary artery pressure and pressure gradient was measured before and after valvuloplasty. RESULTS The pulmonary valvuloplasty was successful in 32 (85%) of 34 attempts. Immediately after dilation, right ventricle and pulmonary artery pressure and pressure gradient decreased from 73.0 +/- 48.0 to 38.4 +/- 23.1 mmHg, from 35.2 +/- 22.1 to 20.7 +/- 9.7 mmHg and from 79.0 +/- 32.1 to 33.4 +/- 19.9 mmHg, respectively (p < 0.001).There was no major complication. Two patients with significant subvalvar PS referred to surgeon for infundibular resection. CONCLUSION BPV was an effective procedure to treat PVS in patients with moderate to severe stenosis. It effectively reduced right ventricle-pulmonary artery systolic pressure gradient with low complication.