Usefulness of short-term symptomatic status as a predictor of mid- and long-term outcome after balloon mitral valvuloplasty

In patients with mitral stenosis undergoing valvuloplasty with the Inoue ba lloon, short-term patient symptomatic status, reflected in the New York Hea rt Association classification at an initial 3-month follow-up, was a potent independent predictor of long-term outcome, independent of patient demogra phic, hemodynamic, and echocardiographic variables.