BACKGROUND Despite current medical and surgical therapy, infants with symptomatic congenital mitral stenosis (CMS) continue to have high rates of morbidity and mortality. Catheter balloon dilation has been successful in relieving symptoms in a few older children with CMS but has not been evaluated in infants. METHODS AND RESULTS We reviewed the records of 85 infants with CMS to assess severit...

BACKGROUND The objectives of this study were as follows: (1) to evaluate frontal sinus ostial patency following balloon dilation with the Ventera Sinus Dilation System, compared with frontal sinusotomy (Draf 2a); and (2) to compare mean blood loss and mean surgical time for frontal sinusotomy using balloon dilation compared with traditional surgical methods. METHODS A single blinded, randomiz...

It has been stated that congenital cartilage rings in the esophagus do not respond to dilation and should be resected. The authors report on 3 infants with congenital esophageal stenoses who were treated successfully with hydrostatic balloon dilation. Based on the appearance during dilation the authors believe that these stenoses were cartilage rings. The technique is described in detail. Ballo...

PURPOSE We retrospectively investigated the feasibility and clinical efficacy of balloon dilatation and subsequent retrievable stent insertion, when necessitated, for pyloric spasms after pylorus-preserving gastrectomy (PPG). MATERIALS AND METHODS Forty-five patients experiencing pyloric spasms after PPG underwent fluoroscopic balloon dilations to alleviate obstructive symptoms due to delayed...

BACKGROUND Pneumatic balloon dilation is a popular method of treating patients with achalasia cardia. It may be useful to know the factors that predict response to this treatment. AIM To determine predictors of outcome following pneumatic balloon dilation in patients with achalasia cardia. METHODS Records of 62 patients who had undergone pneumatic dilation using Rigiflex balloon dilators (B...

BACKGROUND Anastomotic stricture is a complex and substantial complication following Roux-en-Y hepaticojejunostomy. Initially, endoscopic and percutaneous approaches are often attempted, but the gold standard remains surgical biliary reconstruction, especially for refractory stricture. However, this solution leaves much room for improvement, due to the challenging nature of the biliary reconstr...

Balloon dilation may offer a more expedient and cost-effective treatment method compared with traditional endoscopic sinus surgery for chronic maxillary atelectasis. We sought to demonstrate the feasibility of balloon dilation of the maxillary os as a treatment modality for patients with chronic maxillary atelectasis by investigating the short-term outcomes in a retrospective case series of 4 p...

The pathologic appearance of pulmonary arteries subjected to balloon dilation was studied in four subjects with stenosis of pulmonary arteries. Nine vessels were dilated. Successful dilation in seven vessels was accompanied by intimal disruption and tearing of the media. In one vessel, at the site of a previous surgical procedure, dilation could not be accomplished. Histologically, this vessel ...

OBJECTIVES Coronary lumen changes during and after excimer laser-assisted balloon angioplasty were measured by quantitative coronary angiography, and the results were compared with the effects of balloon angioplasty alone. BACKGROUND Reduction of atherosclerotic tissue mass by laser ablation in the treatment of coronary artery disease may be more effective in enlarging the lumen than balloon ...