Type of Surgery
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Last updated: 02/17/2009
Balloon valvuloplasty can have serious complications. For example, the valve can become misshapen so that it does not close completely, which makes the condition worse. Embolism, where either clots or pieces of valve tissue break off and travel to...
the brain or the lungs causing blockage, is another possible risk. If the procedure causes severe damage to the valve leaflets, immediate valve replacement is required. Less frequent complications are bleeding and hematoma (a local collection of clotted blood) at the puncture site, abnormal heart rhythms, reduced blood flow, heart attack, heart puncture, infection, and circulatory problems. Because restenosis is frequent in adult patients with valvular disease, particularly when underlying heart disease or other conditions are present, the procedure is recommended only as an emergency rescue for high-risk patients who are not candidates for valve replacement.
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Balloon valvuloplasty is a procedure in which a thin tube (catheter) that has a small deflated balloon at the tip is inserted through the skin in the groin area into a blood vessel, and then is threaded up to the opening of the narrowed heart valve. The balloon is inflated, which stretches the valve open. This procedure cures many valve obstructions. It is also called balloon enlargement of a narrowed heart valve.
The procedure is performed in a cardiac catheterization laboratory and takes up to four hours. The patient is usually awake, but is given local anesthesia to make the area where the catheter is inserted numb. After the site where the catheter will be inserted is prepared and anesthetized, the cardiologist inserts a catheter into the appropriate blood vessel, then passes a balloon-tipped catheter through the first catheter. Guided by a video monitor and an x ray, the physician slowly threads the catheter into the heart. The deflated balloon is positioned in the valve opening, then is inflated repeatedly. The inflated balloon widens the valve's opening by splitting the valve leaflets apart. Once the valve is widened, the balloon-tipped catheter is removed. The other catheter remains in place for 6 to 12 hours because in some cases the procedure must be repeated.
From https://www.lifesteps.com/gm/Atoz/ency/balloon_valvuloplasty.jsp
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If you need heart surgery, you don't want a surgeon who only got a C in medical school. The same principle applies in helping people with mental illnesses.
-Ken Duckworth
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