Abstract
Object
Percutaneous mitral balloon valvuloplasty was introduced by Dr. Inoue in 1984 and it is now widely used in the treatment of mitral stenosis due to its simple design to use.
Method
From September 1993 to January 1996, 11 cases of percutaneous mitral balloon valvuloplasty were performed at the Ewha Womans University Hospital.
Result
Following the percutaneous mitral balloon valvuloplasty, the mitral valve opening area was increased from 1.18±0.34cm2 to 1.91±0.62cm2(p<0.001). The mean mitral valve diastolic pressure gradient was decreased from 14.35±6.00mmHg to 5.41±4.03mmHg.(p<0.001) The NYHA functional class was improved significantly. Among 11 cases, 1 case(9%) was failed to expand mitral valve opening area and another 1 case developed grade 2 of mitral regurgitation. But there was no life threatening complication such as cardiac tamponade.