Catheter balloon valvuloplasty of stenotic aortic valves--Part II: Balloon valvuloplasty during life subsequent tissue examination.

This review describes 23 patients with aortic valve stenosis who underwent balloon valvuloplasty during life and had subsequent valve tissue examined at the time of aortic valve replacement or at necropsy. Of 23 stenotic aortic valves, 17 were examined within 30 days (early) after balloon dilation. Of these 94% had nonrheumatic (nonfused commissures) etiologies for the aortic stenosis. Of the 6 valves examined after 30 days (late) (restenosis), mechanisms of restenosis involve refusion of split commissures and probable elastic recoil. Clinical prediction of the aortic stenosis etiology prior to balloon valvuloplasty may help predict short- and long-term success of the dilation procedure.