Aortic valve stenosis
Narrowing of the aortic valve obstructs ejection from the left ventricle.
Balloon dilatation of the aortic valve
The balloon is inflated at the aortic valve to stretch it.
Aortic valvuloplasty
Angiographic image of aortic valve dilatation.
Why are you being offered aortic valve dilatation?
The aortic valve is one of the four valves of the heart and separates the left ventricle (the heart's pump) from the aorta (the largest blood vessel in the body). It allows blood to pass from the heart to the rest of the body. Narrowing of the aortic valve prevents blood from
flow normally and becomes responsible for symptoms such as shortness of breath, angina and heart failure. Aortic valve dilatation, also called aortic valvuloplasty, is proposed in case of aortic valve narrowing or stenosis. It is a procedure that can be considered in an emergency, because it is currently overtaken by the direct implantation of an artificial aortic valve percutaneously, commonly called TAVI for Transcatheter Aortic Valve Implantation.
Performing Aortic Valve Dilatation:
Your test will take place in the interventional cardiology unit.
Upon your admission to the cardiology department, you will be asked to wear a hospital gown. You will need to remove all your jewelry, underwear, and socks.
A small area of your groin will be shaved, which will be the access point for the procedure.
A stretcher-bearer will take you to the catheterization room in your bed. You will be helped to lie down on a narrow, hard table. It might be a bit cold in the room. Around you, you will see X-ray analysis devices and screens. Small sticky patches will be placed on your chest. These will be connected to a heart monitoring device. Your body will be covered with a large sterile drape.
The doctor will perform a puncture under local anesthesia of the right or left femoral arterial and venous pathways. They will then insert the balloon catheter to dilate the heart valve. At this point, you may feel your heart rate increase. The valve dilation does not cause any pain.
At the end of the procedure, the access points will be closed as much as possible with a percutaneous closure device.
You will generally be discharged the day after the procedure following a transthoracic echocardiographic check.
What are the expected benefits?
The expected benefits of this therapeutic procedure are a rapid improvement in your symptoms (shortness of breath, chest pain, discomfort), an improvement in the contractility and functioning of your heart and, more generally, an improvement in your quality of life.
However, this benefit does not last because the valve closes slowly to return to its basic state of narrowing after a year. This is why this procedure is only indicated in emergency situations or when a TAVI cannot be considered in a short time.
Risks and side effects:
The risks of the procedure are those of cardiac catheterization, coronary angiography , to which are added the potential risks linked to the dilatation of the valve itself. The potential complications linked to these therapeutic procedures are: cardiac rhythm disorders,
vascular complications at the catheter insertion site (hematoma, perforation or arterial obstruction that may require surgical repair), myocardial infarction, embolization of valvular material or clots, aortic dissection (tear of the aortic wall), perforation of a heart chamber, stroke, renal failure, bleeding requiring transfusion, need for emergency surgery for aortic valve replacement, death.
Aortic valve stenosis
Aortic valvuloplasty
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