Balloon coarctation angioplasty: follow-up of 103 patients.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the role of balloon coarctation angioplasty (BCA) in the management of patients with native coarctation of the aorta. BACKGROUND: BCA has emerged as an alternative to surgery for patients with native coarctation of the aorta. However, its role remains controversial. METHODS: Over a 7-year period, 103 patients undergoing BCA were enrolled in the study. Hemodynamic evaluation was obtained at baseline and immediately following BCA; 75% of patients returned for follow-up evaluation at 26 +/- 20 months. RESULTS: The systolic gradient across the coarcted segment decreased from 59 +/- 18 mmHg to 10 +/- 11 mmHg following BCA (p < 0.001). The procedure was successful in 82% of patients, and partial improvement was obtained in 17%. Repeat intervention was performed in 13% of the follow-up group. Surgical intervention was needed in 8 patients. CONCLUSION: Balloon angioplasty is an effective first-line intervention in patients with native coarctation of the aorta.

Management of typical and dysplastic pulmonic stenosis, uncomplicated or associated with complex intracardiac defects, in juveniles and adults: use of percutaneous balloon pulmonary valvuloplasty with eight-month hemodynamic follow-up.

To alleviate large fixed right ventricular (RV) outflow gradients, percutaneous balloon dilatation of pulmonic stenosis (PS) was performed in 38 patients with mean age of 14 +/- 14 years (median: 9 years, age range: 9 months to 63 years). There were 21 males and 17 females. Thirty-four patients had typical PS (5 of them also having other complex congenital cardiac anomalies, while 13 additional patients had a patent foramen ovale); 2 further subjects had subpulmonic, and 2 dysplastic pulmonary valvular obstructions. Sixteen patients were in the New York Heart Association (NYHA) Class I, 15 in Class II, 6 in Class III, and 1 in Class IV. Electrocardiographic (ECG) evidence of right ventricular hypertrophy (RVH) was present in 29 patients (76%); 3 patients had right bundle branch block (RBBB). For the entire group, there was a marked decrease in the mean systolic transpulmonic gradient in the immediate post-valvuloplasty period (from 97 +/- 43 to 26 +/- 17 mmHg; P < 0.0001). One patient expired 8 hours post-valvuloplasty (he was in the NYHA Class IV, and had severe RV failure). No other cardiovascular complications were encountered; the median hospital stay was 3 days (range: 1-10 days). At an 8-month follow-up, 12 patients who were reevaluated invasively had a median transpulmonic gradient of 27 mmHg (range: 5-92 mmHg) as compared to their pre-valvuloplasty values of 84 mmHg (range: 49-142 mmHg; P < 0.004).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)