Long-term follow-up in patients with rheumatic mitral stenosis and severe pulmonary artery hypertension submitted to percutaneous mitral balloon commissurotomy

ABSTRACT

INTRODUCTION: Percutaneous balloon mitral commissurotomy (PMBC) is an attractive therapeutic approach in patients with mitral stenosis. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to assess the immediate and long-term clinical, echocardiographic and haemodynamic outcomes of PMBC in patients with severe pulmonary hypertension (PH). METHODS: Among all procedures (in more than two decades of experience), PMBC was performed from 1987 until 2011 at a single-center in 147 patients who had significant PH defined as baseline pulmonary artery mean pressure (PAMP) (systolic pulmonary pressure > 75 mmHg). All-cause mortality, need for mitral valve replacement (MVR) or new PMBC, and valve restenosis were evaluated during follow-up yearly. RESULTS: Mean age was 33.8 ± 12.8 years and 83.6% (123 patients) were women. Primary success was achieved in 89.8% of the patients (132 patients). Mitral valve area (MVA) increased from 0.83 ± 0.17 cm2 to 2.03 ± 0.35 cm2 (p < 0.001), and at 20-years, mitral valve area was 1.46 ± 0.34 cm2 (p = 0.235). Systolic pulmonary artery pressure decreased from 87.0 ± 6.0 mmHg to 60.0 ± 0.9 mmHg (p < 0.0001). The rates of all-cause mortality, need for MVR, new PMV, and valve restenosis were 0.67%, 20.0%, 8.78% and 30.4%, respectively, in long-term follow- up (mean 15.6 ± 4.9 years). CONCLUSIONS: PMBC is a safe and effective technique for the treatment of patients with mitral stenosis and PH. A significant decrease in pulmonary pressure was observed after commissurotomy. Although there was a gradual decrease of MVA at long-term follow-up, most patients remained asymptomatic and without major adverse events.