Balloon Valvuloplasty

Balloon Valvuloplasty is non-surgical procedure in which a stenotic or narrowed heart valve is expanded without having open-heart surgery.  Balloon valvuloplasty is an effective and durable treatment that has become a preferred alternative to open-heart surgery for select patients with aortic, mitral or pulmonic valve stenosis.

On some occasions, balloon dilation of the narrowed aortic valve is used as a temporary treatment in older patients who are not candidates for surgery or used to stabilize a patient before definitive valve replacement.

During this procedure, the patient is put under a local anesthetic and conscious sedation.  A catheter is placed into an artery or vein in the leg and a balloon catheter is advanced into the heart and across the narrowed valve.  Once the balloon catheter is in place, it is inflated to widen the valve.  In general, the patient is discharged the following day and can return to normal activity within a day or two.