Percutaneous balloon mitral commissurotomy

Summary

The efficacy, safety and applicability of the Inoue balloon technique are clearly established worldwide, and this technique is currently the point of reference for percutaneous mitral commissurotomy (PMC). Echocardiography is essential for monitoring the procedure and for assessment of the immediate results. The importance of experience cannot be stressed enough for the safety of the procedure and the selection of patients. PMC shows good immediate and long-term clinical results and carries a low risk when performed by experienced teams. The prediction of results is multifactorial. Therefore, patient selection must be based on anatomy as well as on other characteristics. PMC is the treatment of choice in patients with favourable characteristics. For other patients, the decision must be individualised, and PMC and valve replacement should be considered as complementary techniques.

Intervention in mitral stenosis

Mitral stenosis (MS), which still occurs mainly as a result of rheumatic heart disease, remains the most frequent valvular disease in developing countries, where it involves a majority of young adults. The prevalence of rheumatic heart disease in school-age children is estimated at between 1 and 6 per 1,000 in Asia and between 3 and 14% in Africa 11. Chandrashekhar Y, Westaby S,...