Percutaneous transluminal valvuloplasty in calcific aortic stenosis: the double balloon technique.

The double balloon technique for aortic valvuloplasty using a combined brachial and femoral artery approach with readily available angioplasty equipment is described. Online hemodynamic assessment of the patient during the procedure was provided by continuous, reflective spectorphotometric monitoring of the pulmonary artery mixed venous oxygen saturation and the arterial pressure in the femoral sheath. Successful valvuloplasty was achieved in 10 patients with the transaortic peak-to-peak systolic gradient reduced from 77.6 +/- 28 to 27.8 +/- 15 mmHg (P less than 0.001), the mean gradient from 62.0 +/- 24 to 26.0 +/- 15 mmHg (P less than 0.0007), and the aortic valve area increased from 0.56 +/- 0.3 to 1.03 +/- 0.6 cm2 (P less than 0.05). No significant complications were encountered. The double balloon technique for aortic valvuloplasty is an acceptable alternative method to the single balloon technique.