ABSTRACT
Although balloon mitral valvuloplasty [BMV] is the preferred percutaneous treatment for mitral stenosis, the technique has shortcomings such as obstruction of the mitral valve during balloon inflation, incomplete mitral commissural splitting, relatively high incidence of mitral incompetence, and high cost of the balloon set. We used a new metallic percutaneous mitral commissurotome [PMC] in 32 patients with severe mitral stenosis, to assess its advantages, disadvantages and complications. This study describes the device, the technique used, and the immediate results. PMC was successful in 26 cases [81.2%], failed in 3 cases [9.4%], and was partially successful [an increase of mitral valve area [MVA] <50%] in 3 cases [9.4%]. MVA increased from a mean of 1.0 +/- 0.1 cm2 to a mean of 2.3 +/- 0.5 cm2 in the successful cases. We experienced no complications with PMC, and no increase in mitral regurgitation in any patient in the study