Fatal aortic rupture during percutaneous balloon valvuloplasty for valvular aortic stenosis

Recent reports have evaluated balloon valvuloplasty as a treatment for patients with severe aortic stenosis who are not good surgical candidates for valve replacement.^1–5 Procedure-related complications include bleeding after sheath removal, arterial damage requiring surgical repair at the arterial entry site, cerebral embolism and death secondary to insufficient valve dilation in a patient with marked left ventricular dysfunction and refractory pulmonary edema.^2–5 Disruption of the aorta during balloon valvuloplasty has not been a reported complication of this procedure. This complication was fatal in a patient during percutaneous balloon valvuloplasty.