Risk

Distortion of the shape of the valve - resulting in leakage (incompetence) or back flow due to incomplete closure (regurgitation) Embolism - May result from breaking of small pieces of valve tissue or calcium deposits. Irregular heart beat (arrhythmia) Bleeding Clot (hematoma) formation Heart attack Puncture through the heart

- the valve can become misshapen so that it doesn't close completely -Embolism, where pieces of the valve break off and travel to the brain or the lungs -Less frequent complications are bleeding and hematoma (a local collection of clotted blood) at the puncture site, abnormal heart rhythms, reduced blood flow, heart attack, heart puncture, infection, and circulatory problems.

Benefits -percutaneous procedures are less traumatic and offer faster recovery and fewer hospital days -Valvuloplasty is used to bridge the time gap before Heart Valve Replacement surgery can be scheduled i.e. in very ill patients. Sometimes it possible to open your narrowed valve and leave it open for a long period of time without resorting to Open Heart Surgery. The mortality rate followingValvuloplasty is extremely low. In case of mitral stenosis, Valvuloplasty is the treatment of choice if your heart valves are not calcified. -Balloon valvuloplasty is considered a safe, effective treatment in children with congenital stenosis, improving heart function and blood flow. In adults, balloon valvuloplasty may give temporary relief and improve heart function and blood flow, but underlying coronary artery disease or other disease conditions may encourage restenosis, making valve replacement eventually necessary. The most successful valvuloplasty results are achieved in treating narrowed pulmonary valves, although the treatment of mitral valve stenosis is also generally good. The aortic valve procedure is more difficult to perform and is generally less successful.

REFFERENCES: http://www.surgeryencyclopedia.com/A-Ce/Balloon-Valvuloplasty.html#b http://www.medsolution.com/surgery_cardiothoracic-valvuloplasty.asp http://www.medsolution.com/surgery_cardiothoracic-valvuloplasty.asp http://www.ccjm.org/content/75/11/805.full http://medical-dictionary.thefreedictionary.com/Aortic+valvuloplasty http://medical-dictionary.thefreedictionary.com/Aortic+valvuloplasty