Balloon mitral valvuloplasty at Monash Medical Centre: follow up of 201 procedures over an 11-year period

Over a period of 11 years from 1988 to 1999, 201 patients underwent balloon mitral valvuloplasty (BMV) at Monash Medical Centre, Australia. Before BMV,133 patients (66%) were symptomatic with minimal activity or at rest. BMV increased mitral valve area and cardiac output, and reduced transmitral, left atrial and pulmonary pressures, with infrequent procedural complications (<8%). At the initial 3-month follow up after BMV, symptoms were absent or minimal in 178 patients (89%), with 85% remaining event free at 12 months. At long-term follow up (median: 30 months; range: 0-129 months), cumulative event-free survival was 73% after 5 years. After BMV, 37 patients (18%) underwent mitral valve surgery, while a repeat BMV was performed in three patients (1.5%). The results of this series provide additional data for the growing body of evidence which suggests that BMV is a relatively safe and effective procedure for producing long-term benefit in patients with symptomatic mitral stenosis.