BALLON MITRAL VALVO PLASTY

What is balloon mitral valvuloplasty?

Percutaneous Balloon Mitral Valvuloplasty is a procedure used to dilate the mitral valve in the setting of rheumatic mitral valve stenosis. A catheter is inserted into the femoral vein, advanced to the right atrium and across the interatrial septum.

How long does a balloon valvuloplasty take?

A mitral balloon valvuloplasty — a procedure to improve the function of the heart’s mitral valve — takes about an hour. The procedure requires a few hours for preparation before, and recovery after the procedure. The patient will undergo several blood and imaging tests on the day before and the day of the procedure.

How does balloon valvuloplasty work?

In balloon valvuloplasty, a catheter is inserted in the heart and guided to the narrowed valve. The balloon is then inflated, which expands the opening of the valve. In a valvuloplasty, a doctor inserts a long, thin tube (catheter) with a balloon on the tip into an artery in your arm or groin.

Balloon Mitral Valvotomy

Balloon valvotomy is used to increase the opening of a narrowed (stenotic) valve. It is used for:

Select patients who have mitral valve stenosis with symptoms
Older patients who have aortic valve stenosis, but are not able to undergo surgery
Some patients with pulmonic valve stenosis

This balloon valvotomy procedure can be performed on the mitral, tricuspid, aortic or pulmonary valves.

What should I expect before the procedure?

Most patients will need to have blood tests, a chest x-ray, electrocardiogram, and an echocardiogram before the procedure. These tests are usually scheduled the day before the procedure.
If you are diabetic, ask your physician how to adjust your medications the day of your test.
Tell your doctor or nurse if you are taking any blood thinning medications such as Coumadin (warfarin). An alternate method for thinning your blood may be prescribed a few days before the procedure.
You will not be able to eat or drink after midnight the evening before the procedure.
Leave all valuables at home. If you normally wear dentures, glasses or a hearing assist device, plan to wear them during the procedure to help with communication.
Tell your doctor and/or nurses if you have any allergies.

How is a balloon valvotomy performed?

Balloon valvotomy is a non-surgical procedure performed in the cardiac catheterization laboratory by a cardiologist and a specialized team of nurses and technicians.

Long, slender tubes called catheters are first placed into blood vessels in the groin and guided into the chambers of the heart. The cardiologist then creates a tiny hole in the wall between the upper two chambers of the heart. This hole provides an opening for the cardiologist to access the left atrium with a special catheter that has a balloon at the tip.

The catheter is positioned so the balloon tip is directly inside the narrowed valve. The balloon is inflated and deflated several times to widen the valve opening. Once the cardiologist has determined that the opening of the valve has been widened enough, the balloon is deflated and removed.

During the procedure, the cardiologist may perform an echocardiogram (ultrasound of the heart) to get a better picture of the mitral valve.

How long does the procedure last?

The procedure lasts about 1 hour, but the preparation and recovery time add several hours. Please plan on staying at Cleveland Clinic all day for the procedure and remaining in the hospital overnight. Patients usually go home the day after the balloon valvotomy procedure. When you are able to return home, arrange for a companion to bring you home.

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