Left ventricular perforation during percutaneous balloon mitral valvuloplasty.

Percutaneous balloon mitral valvuloplasty has been reported to be complicated by left ventricular perforation with fatal results. We report two cases of left ventricular perforation following balloon mitral valvuloplasty. In one patient left ventricular perforation occurred silently without any hemodynamic sequelae and was only detected at left ventricular angiography after valvuloplasty. In the second patient left ventricular perforation was caused by the mitral dilating balloon catheter. The subsequent tamponade was relieved by immediate aspiration with hemodynamic stabilization thereafter. Neither patient required surgery. Both patients are well 6 mon after the procedure. We discuss the mechanism of this serious complication in these two patients.     

Left ventricular perforation during percutaneous balloon mitral valvuloplasty

Percutaneous balloon mitral valvuloplasty has been reported to be complicated by left ventricular perforation with fatal results. We report two cases of left ventricular perforation following balloon mitral valvuloplasty. In one patient left ventricular perforation occurred silently without any hemodynamic sequelae and was only detected at left ventricular angiography after valvuloplasty. In the second patient left ventricular perforation was caused by the mitral dilating balloon catheter. The subsequent tamponade was relieved by immediate aspiration with hemodynamic stabilization thereafter. Neither patient required surgery. Both patients are well 6 mon after the procedure. We discuss the mechanism of this serious complication in these two patients.     

Diastolic function of the nonfilling human left ventricle.

OBJECTIVES. To investigate an early-diastolic left ventricular suction effect in humans, tip-micromanometer left ventricular pressure recordings were obtained in patients with mitral stenosis at the time of balloon inflations during percutaneous mitral valvuloplasty performed with a self-positioning Inoue balloon, which fits tightly in the mitral orifice. BACKGROUND. When mitral inflow was impeded in anesthetized dogs, left ventricular pressure decayed to a negative asymptote value. This negative asymptote value was consistent with an early diastolic suction effect. METHODS. Tip-micromanometer left ventricular pressure recordings were obtained in 23 patients with symptomatic mitral stenosis at the time of balloon inflations during percutaneous mitral valvuloplasty performed with a self-positioning Inoue balloon. RESULTS. The left ventricular diastolic asymptote pressure (P(asy)) was determined in 47 nonfilling beats with a sufficiently long (greater than 200 ms) diastolic time interval (that is, the interval from minimal first derivative of left ventricular pressure to left ventricular end-diastolic pressure) and equaled 2 +/- 3 mm Hg for beats with normal intraventricular conduction and 3 +/- 2 mm Hg for beats with aberrant intraventricular conduction. Left ventricular angiography was performed in five patients during the first inflation of the Inoue balloon at the time of complete balloon expansion. Left ventricular end-diastolic volume of the nonfilling beats averaged 38 +/- 14 ml and was comparable to the left ventricular end-systolic volume (39 +/- 19 ml) measured during baseline angiography before mitral valvuloplasty. Time constants of left ventricular pressure decay were calculated on 21 nonfilling beats with a diastolic time interval greater than 200 ms, normal intraventricular conduction and peak left ventricular pressure greater than 50 mm Hg. Time constants (T0 and TBF) derived from an exponential curve fit with zero asymptote pressure and with a best-fit asymptote pressure were compared with a time constant (T(asy)) derived from an exponential curve fit with the measured diastolic left ventricular asymptote pressure. The value for T(asy) (37 +/- 9 ms) was significantly smaller than that for TBF (68 +/- 28 ms, p less than 0.001) and the value for the measured diastolic left ventricular asymptote pressure (2 +/- 4 mm Hg) was significantly larger than that for the best-fit asymptote pressure (-9 +/- 11 mm Hg, p less than 0.001). T0 (44 +/- 20 ms) was significantly (p less than 0.01) different from TBF but not from T(asy). CONCLUSIONS. During balloon inflation of a self-positioning Inoue balloon, left ventricular pressure decayed continuously toward a positive asymptote value and left ventricular cavity volume was comparable to the left ventricular end-systolic volume of filling beats. In these nonfilling beats, the best-fit asymptote pressure was unrelated to the measured asymptote pressure and T0 was a better measure of T(asy) than was TBF. Reduced internal myocardial restoring forces, caused by different extracellular matrix of the human heart, reduced external myocardial restoring forces caused by low coronary perfusion pressure during the balloon inflation and inward motion of the balloon-occluded mitral valve into the left ventricular cavity could explain the failure to observe significant diastolic left ventricular suction in the human heart.     

Left ventricular perforation following percutaneous mitral valvuloplasty. Its emergency surgical correction in situ. Apropos a case

Percutaneous mitral valvuloplasty is actually accepted as alternative to surgery for treatment of rheumatic mitral stenosis, although today it is not still free from troublesome complications like ventricular perforation. We present here a patient in which was performed a percutaneous mitral valvuloplasty and that developed a left ventricular perforation at the end of the procedure, with hyperacute cardiac tamponade, requiring an in situ surgical salvagement on an emergency basis, performing a successful repair of the ventricular rupture in the own catheterization laboratory.     

Percutaneous mitral balloon valvotomy in a patient with coexistent mitral stenosis and hypertrophic cardiomyopathy

A patient with coexistent mitral stenosis and hypertrophic cardiomyopathy is described, in whom symptoms related to impaired left ventricular diastolic filling improved after successful percutaneous mitral balloon valvotomy.     

Percutaneous balloon valvuloplasty for mitral stenosis complicated by fatal pericardial tamponade in a patient with extreme pulmonary hypertension

A case of left ventricular perforation by straight-tipped balloon catheter during double-balloon mitral valvuloplasty with fatal outcome is presented. Technical considerations to prevent this complication are discussed.     

Evaluation of a simplified transseptal mitral valvuloplasty technique using over-the-wire single balloons and complementary femoral and jugular venous approaches in 1,407 consecutive patients

The over-the-wire double balloon technique (DBT) of balloon mitral valvuloplasty (BMV) has been decreasingly used in recent years because of its relative complexity and potential for left ventricular perforation. We attempted to make over-the-wire BMV simpler and safer by developing: (a) a single balloon technique (SBT) using a rapidly inflating, over-the-wire, cylindrical balloon having abrupt distal taper and short blunt tip to prevent left ventricular perforation, and (b) an alternative jugular approach to reduce technical difficulty in patients with cardiac anatomic distortion. SBT-BMV was evaluated over seven years in 1,407 consecutive patients (femoral approach: 1,277 patients, jugular approach: 130 patients), and compared with 954 patients who underwent DBT-BMV earlier at the same center. Results of SBT-BMV were comparable to those of DBT-BMV: optimal outcomes (91.0% versus 87.8%), fluoroscopy time (12.4 +/- 6.8 minutes versus 17.6 +/- 7.2 minutes), significant right heart oxygen step-up (4.8% versus 10.7%), and major complication rates (3.7% versus 5.6%) were significantly better with SBT-BMV; whereas mean post-BMV mitral valve area (1.92 +/- 0.31 cm2 versus 2.03 +/- 0.42 cm2), and post-BMV hemodynamic parameters were inferior with SBT-BMV. Balloon-related left ventricular perforation did not occur in SBT-BMV. Fluoroscopy time in jugular approach SBT-BMV (9.0 +/- 4.2 minutes) was significantly lower than in the femoral approach SBT-BMV (12.4 +/- 6.8 minutes) despite cardiac anatomic distortion. SBT-BMV reduced procedural costs considerably. SBT-BMV was effective, safe, technically simple and economical; it was comparable to, and overcame several limitations of DBT-BMV.     

二尖瓣球囊扩张术前后血皮质醇、胰岛素浓度及血流动力学的变化及意义

目的：探讨风湿性心脏病二尖瓣狭窄患者在行经皮二尖瓣球囊扩张术前后血皮质醇、胰岛素及血流动力学的变化及意义。方法：对于256例风湿性心脏病二尖瓣狭窄患者，在行经皮二尖瓣球囊扩张术前、后动态监测血皮质醇、胰岛素以及血流动力学参数的变化。结果：二尖瓣球囊扩张术术后第1d血皮质醇浓度比手术前非常显著升高（P〈0．01），术后第3d血皮质醇浓度较手术前显著升高（P〈0．05）；术后第1d血清胰岛素浓度比手术前非常显著升高（P〈0．01）；但术后有严重并发症者血皮质醇和胰岛素与术前比较均无显著性差异（P〉0．05）；术后血流动力学参数心率（HR）、二尖瓣面积（MVA）、左心房内径（LAD）及平均二尖瓣阶差（mMPG）与术前比较均有显著性差异（P〈0．01）。结论：经皮二尖瓣球囊扩张术后血皮质醇和胰岛素浓度先升高后降低，但有严重并发症者术后改变不明显，术后监测血皮质醇和胰岛素浓度可作为早期发现有无并发症的指标之一。     

Concomitant Transapical Mitral Valvuloplasty and CentriMag Assist Device Placement: in a “No-Option” Patient

Left ventricular assist devices and percutaneous valve interventions have radically changed the treatment of advanced heart disease and minimized surgical morbidity in patients with end-stage heart failure who would not survive conventional surgery. We describe a successful approach to the simultaneous placement of a percutaneous left ventricular assist device and mitral valvuloplasty in a decompensated patient with end-stage ischemic cardiomyopathy, severe peripheral arterial disease, porcelain aorta, and severe mitral and aortic disease.Key words: Heart failure/therapy, heart-assist devices, mitral valve stenosis/therapyWe describe a combined procedure—the placement of a CentriMag® paracorporeal ventricular assist device (VAD) (Thoratec Corporation; Pleasanton, Calif), performed in conjunction with a transapical mitral balloon valvuloplasty for mitral stenosis—to overcome the shortcomings of exclusively surgical or exclusively percutaneous techniques in the treatment of critical disease in an otherwise “no-option” patient.     

Transesophageal echocardiography to detect atrial clots in candidates for percutaneous transseptal mitral balloon valvuloplasty

Left atrial thrombi are common in patients with mitral stenosis. When percutaneous balloon mitral valvuloplasty is performed on such patients, there is a potential risk of thrombus dislodgment and embolization. In this study conventional transthoracic echocardiography and transesophageal echocardiography were performed for percutaneous balloon mitral valvuloplasty on 19 consecutive candidates (6 men, 13 women, 23 to 81 years old). In five patients (26%), transesophageal echocardiography revealed a left atrial thrombus; in only one of these was there a suspicion of left atrial thrombus on transthoracic echocardiography. Balloon mitral valvuloplasty was canceled in four of the five patients. Three underwent mitral valve surgery that confirmed the echocardiographic findings. Transesophageal echocardiography is better than conventional transthoracic echocardiography in detecting left atrial clots in candidates for balloon mitral valvuloplasty. Because of the potential risk of embolization, transesophageal echocardiography is recommended in all candidates for balloon mitral valvuloplasty.     

经皮二尖瓣球囊扩张术严重并发症及防治

目的 总结分析经皮二尖瓣球囊扩张术（PBMV）严重并发症及防治。方法 采用Inoue技术。96％采用自制单球囊扩张管。对1200例风心病二尖瓣狭窄患者行PBMV术治疗。结果 实施手术1200例次,成功率98.82％。总严重并发症53例（4.4％）。总死亡率0.33％,死亡4例。其中,急性肺水肿.心脏骤停各1例,急性左心衰,心脏低排2例。急性重度二尖瓣关闭不全5例（0.42％）。急性心脏穿孔心包填塞8例（0.66％）。严重心律失常28例（2.3％）。急性左心衰竭4例（0.33％）。体循环栓塞8例（0.66％）。结论 经皮二尖瓣球囊扩张术虽已技术成熟,仍有一定的风险。严格选择适应证的病人,规范操作,严加防范,是减少并发症的关键。     

Left Ventricular Perforation During Percutaneous Balloon Mitral Valvuloplasty With Emergency Surgery

Two cases of left ventricular (LV) perforation by balloon catheter following successful balloon mitral valvuloplasty are presented. The first patient was dilated first with a single straight-tip balloon catheter and after with a double balloon catheter. The second patient underwent a valvuloplasty with a double balloon catheter only. The subsequent tamponade was treated by immediate aspiration but without hemodynamic improvement. Both patients required emergency surgery with surgical repair of the LV apex, and both of them could be weaned. Both patients are well 18 months after the procedure. We discuss the mechanism of this serious complication and technical considerations to prevent it.     

经皮二尖瓣狭窄球囊扩张术后心功能的超声评价

目的探讨经皮二尖瓣球囊扩张术（PBMV）治疗非单纯性二尖瓣狭窄（MS）的效果。方法使用超声心动图检测65例单纯性MS，MS合并轻、中度二尖瓣关闭不全（MR）和MS合并轻、中度主动脉瓣关闭不全（AR），3组患者PBMV术前及术后复查时，左室射血分数（LVEF）值和心脏房、室内径大小变化。结果3组PBMV后复查LVEF值较术前明显增大（P〈0．01）；左室内径与术前比较差异有统计学意义（P〈0．05）；单纯性MS组和MS合并轻、中度AR组PBMV术后复查时左房内径比术前明显减小（P〈0．05）；MS合并轻、中度MR组PBMV术后左房内径与术前比较差异无统计学意义（P〉0．05）。结论非单纯性MS患者PBMV术后心功能有明显好转。     

Coronary artery perforation by cutting balloon resulting in dissecting subepicardial hematoma and avulsion of the vasculature.

We report a case of perforation caused by cutting balloon angioplasty of in-stent restenosis in a saphenous vein coronary bypass graft. This was complicated by a subepicardial hematoma leading to avulsion of the penetrating arteries and cardiogenic shock. Despite surgical evacuation and percutaneous left ventricular assist-device support, death ensued.     

Doppler echocardiographic observations during percutaneous aortic balloon valvuloplasty

To evaluate the hemodynamic changes occurring with percutaneous aortic balloon valvuloplasty for aortic stenosis, Doppler echocardiography was performed during the procedure in 16 patients. During balloon inflation, peak velocity and ejection time of the aortic valve systolic signals increased (26 and 30%, respectively; p less than 0.001). Aortic regurgitation deceleration time decreased from 1,337 to 625 ms (p less than 0.001). In three patients, aortic regurgitation stopped before end-diastole; in four patients, end-diastole forward flow across the aortic valve was documented. The deceleration time of the mitral valve inflow signal decreased from 303 to 194 ms (p less than 0.001) during balloon inflation, concurrently with an increase in left ventricular diastolic pressure. Mitral regurgitation signals became more prominent during inflation in 10 patients. Changes that occur during balloon inflation in the aortic valve include progressive left ventricular outflow obstruction, equalization of diastolic aortic and left ventricular pressures and changes in diastolic compliance.     

Usefulness of percutaneous balloon mitral commissurotomy in preventing the development of atrial fibrillation in patients with mitral stenosis

A prospective cohort of patients with mitral stenosis and no history of atrial arrhythmias showed no decrease in the incidence of atrial fibrillation (AF) after successful versus unsuccessful Inoue balloon percutaneous balloon mitral valve commissurotomy. Advanced age and left atrial dimension best predicted which patients developed AF during follow-up, whereas percutaneous balloon mitral valve commissurotomy procedural success and left atrial pressure reduction did not have an impact on incidence of AF.     

Simultaneous echocardiographic and catheterisation gradients and mitral valve area during balloon mitral valvuloplasty.

This study was aimed at estimating mean transmitral gradients by simultaneous Doppler echocardiography and cardiac catheterisation and determining mitral valve area by pressure half time, Gorlin's formula and two-dimensional echocardiography so as to assess the relative accuracy of these methods before and after balloon mitral valvuloplasty in patients with rheumatic mitral stenosis. Left atrium-left ventricular, pulmonary artery wedge-left ventricular and echo gradients were simultaneously recorded in 18 patients undergoing balloon mitral valvuloplasty. Mitral valve area was estimated by pressure half time, Gorlin's equation and two-dimensional echocardiography. The correlation between left atrium-left ventricular and echo mean gradient before balloon mitral valvuloplasty was 0.96 (p < 0.03). Between pulmonary artery wedge-left ventricular and echo mean gradient, it was 0.95 (p < 0.04). The correlations between left atrium-left ventricular and pulmonary artery wedge-left ventricular mean gradient were also good. After balloon mitral valvuloplasty, similar good correlations were seen. On subgrouping the patients into those with high and low pulmonary artery pressure, good correlation persisted both before and after balloon mitral valvuloplasty. Mitral valve area by all the methods were similar before balloon mitral valvuloplasty. After balloon mitral valvuloplasty, mitral valve area by pressure half time was the least and by two-dimensional echocardiography, the maximum. All the three methods are equally accurate in estimating transmitral gradients and mitral valve area in mitral stenosis before balloon mitral valvuloplasty. Two-dimensional echocardiography is the best to estimate mitral valve area after balloon mitral valvuloplasty. Echocardiography can replace haemodynamic measurement of gradients and mitral valve area before and after balloon mitral valvuloplasty. But pressure half time is not recommended for measuring mitral valve area immediately after balloon mitral valvuloplasty where two-dimensional echocardiography mitral valve area is to be employed.     

Successful percutaneous balloon mitral valvuloplasty using left ventricular pressure as a guide to cross the mitral valve--a case report

Percutaneous balloon mitral valvuloplasty (PBMV) provides an effective alternative to surgery in a selective group of patients with symptomatic mitral stenosis. The Inoue balloon technique involves transseptal catheterization followed by catheter manipulation to cross the mitral valve. The authors describe a case of successful percutaneous balloon mitral valvuloplasty in a patient with severe mitral stenosis and pulmonary hypertension. Left ventricular systolic pressure was used as a guide to locate and to advance the balloon catheter across the mitral valve. This technique to cross the mitral valve has not been reported in the literature.     

Left ventricular volumes and function immediately after balloon mitral valvoplasty.

To evaluate acute changes in left ventricular volumes and function immediately after successful percutaneous balloon mitral valvoplasty, twenty young patients with isolated rheumatic mitral stenosis (male 9, female 11, mean age 22 +/- 6 years) were studied. The area of the orifice of the mitral valve following valvoplasty, increased from 0.97 +/- 0.27 cm2 to 2.46 +/- 0.75 cm2 (P less than 0.001). No significant change was observed in left ventricular end-diastolic volumes (117 +/- 27 ml to 119 +/- 29 ml, P greater than 0.10), end-systolic volumes (51 +/- 21 ml to 50 +/- 20 ml, P greater than 0.10), ejection fraction (0.57 +/- 0.10 to 0.58 +/- 0.10, P greater than 0.10) and left ventricular meridian wall stress (68 +/- 20.10(3) dynes/cm2 to 65 +/- 14, P greater than 0.10) immediately after valvoplasty. There was no acute change in heart rate, left ventricular end-diastolic pressure, cardiac index and grade of mitral regurgitation. Patients with depressed left ventricular ejection fraction (less than or equal to 0.55, n = 10) and those with normal ejection fraction (greater than 0.55, n = 10) had similar baseline left ventricular end-diastolic volumes and showed no significant change in volumes and ejection fraction after the procedure, although the former group had a greater orificial area after valvoplasty (P less than 0.05). We conclude that an acute increase in the orifice of the mitral valve in patients with rheumatic mitral stenosis is not associated with any significant change in left ventricular volumes and function.     

Valvular-ventricular interaction: importance of the mitral apparatus in canine left ventricular systolic performance

As the mitral valvular apparatus tenses during systole, forces transmitted along the chordae tendineae to the left ventricular chamber may influence left ventricular performance. To test this hypothesis, 10 dogs anesthetized with fentanyl were studied during cardiopulmonary bypass. The importance of the mitral apparatus in left ventricular systolic function was assessed independent of load by means of the slope of the contractile state-dependent left ventricular peak isovolumetric pressure-volume relationship (Emax), which was measured at constant heart rate and aortic pressure with a micromanometer inside a left ventricular intracavitary balloon before and immediately after all chordae tendineae were severed. Herniation of the balloon was prevented by a disk secured to the mitral anulus. Emax decreased from 11.97 +/- 3.35 (+/- SD) to 6.38 +/- 0.96 mm Hg/ml (p less than .001) with chordal severing. The volume intercept (Vo) was unchanged. Fluoroscopic studies of the balloon contour in eight additional dogs revealed dyskinesia in the area of the papillary muscle insertion and substantial alterations in chamber geometry during systole after the chordae were severed. Accordingly, we conclude that global left ventricular systolic performance is impaired when chordal attachments of the mitral valve are disrupted. Changes in left ventricular geometry or loss of inward force normally transmitted to the left ventricular wall as the valve tense may underlie these changes. These findings suggest that postoperative left ventricular dysfunction after mitral valve replacement may be attributable, in part, to excision of the native mitral apparatus at the time of surgery and support efforts to spare chordae during mitral valve surgery.