Percutaneous balloon mitral valvuloplasty by the Inoue balloon technique: the procedure of choice for treatment of mitral stenosis.

The Inoue technique of percutaneous balloon mitral valvuloplasty, introduced in 1984, is a truly startling advance in cardiology in modern times. It is time to reeducate our colleagues that when they hear the opening snap in patients with mitral stenosis, they should automatically open these stenotic mitral valves with an Inoue balloon catheter rather than submit these patients to surgical correction.