PERCUTANEOUS BALLOON MITRAL VALVULOPLASTY - COMPARISON OF DOUBLE AND SINGLE (INOUE) BALLOON TECHNIQUES

To assess relative merits of the double and single (Inoue) balloon tec hniques of percutaneous balloon mitral valvuloplasty tor treating symp tomatic mitral stenosis, 33 patients who underwent dilatation with the double balloon were compared retrospectively with 28 who underwent di latation with the Inoue balloon There were no baseline differences in mean left atrial pressure, mean mitral gradient, or calculated mitral valve area between the two groups. The procedure was successful in 89% of patients in the double balloon group and in 93% in the Inoue ballo on group. Final mitral valve area and absolute increase in mitral valv e area were significantly greater in the double balloon group, in whic h there was a nonsignificant trend toward greater incidence of acute c omplications. Final left atrial pressure and mitral gradient were not different. Both techniques are useful and safe. (C) 1993 Wiley-Liss. I nc