Acute and short-term outcomes of balloon aortic valvuloplasty in patients with significant aortic stenosis: A single-center experience

Background: The optimal treatment for congenital aortic stenosis (AS) remains in debate over the past three decades of practice with both balloon aortic valvuloplasty (BAV) and surgical aortic valvotomy. BAV has been the palliative therapy with AS in most centers. The present study aimed to provide role and short-term outcomes of BAV in AS patients. Methods: We enrolled 58 patients aged ≤20 years of AS from July 2017 to November 2019. All patients were evaluated by echocardiography at 1, 3, and 6 months. Results: From the total of 58 patients, there were 38 male and 20 female patients. BAV could be successfully completed in 56 patients (96.5%). Pre-BAV mean left ventricle systolic pressure (LVSP) was 187.85 ± 53.75 mmHg and transaortic gradient (TAG) was 90.67 ± 42.77 mmHg. LVSP and TAG were reduced significantly (P = 0.0001) post procedure (133.85 ± 41.33 mmHg and 28.11 ± 23.22 mmHg, respectively). Echocardiographic parameters such as V max, aortic valve (AV) G max, and AV G mean were significantly decreased post procedure and AVA was increased significantly post procedure. Ten (17.86%) patients had developed significant (more than or equal to moderate) aortic regurgitation post procedure (17.24%). About 66% of our patients had no complication post procedure. At 1, 3, and 6-month follow–up, AV G max and G mean and V max increased but were not statistically significant. Conclusion: BAV via transarterial route in pediatric population with significant AS is safe, effective palliation with good immediate and midterm follow-up results with minimum complications. We did not face any major complications except for development of variable degrees of aortic regurgitation and access site complications