An important consideration when having a balloon valvotomy is the experience of the doctor.

So you should consider the number of procedures performed by the individual doing your valvotomy when deciding to have the procedure.

A balloon valvotomy does not cure the condition or make the valve normal.

A repeat balloon valvotomy or valve surgery may be advised.

So it is important that you have your balloon valvotomy done at a medical center that routinely does a large number of these procedures.

Balloon valvotomy is a catheter-based procedure and an alternative to open-heart surgery.

In addition, there are two other settings in which balloon valvotomy has been considered:

Balloon valvotomy is not usually used if the mitral valve is severely narrowed.

Symptoms may recur after a balloon valvotomy.

However the guidelines noted specific settings in adults in which balloon valvotomy can be considered:

But a balloon valvotomy done by an inexperienced cardiologist has approximately the same percentage of negative outcomes as that seen with a commissurotomy.

A balloon valvotomy is the preferred treatment for mitral valve stenosis, because it does not require open-heart surgery.

Surgery for mitral valve stenosis Balloon valvotomy or valvuloplasty (repair option)

Balloon valvotomy is catheter-based, not surgical, and has a lower risk of complications and death than mitral commissurotomy.

A balloon valvotomy uses a thin flexible tube (catheter) that is inserted through an artery in the groin or arm and threaded into the heart.

In spite of similar success rates, a balloon valvotomy is generally preferred to mitral commissurotomy as long as the doctor is experienced with the procedure.

People who develop symptoms shortly after balloon valvotomy (1 to 2 years) are usually those who had badly damaged valves (calcified, stiff) before the procedure.

A balloon valvotomy may also be used to treat people who have mitral valve stenosis but do not yet have symptoms (asymptomatic) if they have:

For symptoms caused by restenosis of the mitral valve, a repeat balloon valvotomy or surgery to repair or replace the valve may be needed.

Balloon valvotomy is a catheter-based procedure (a catheter is threaded through a vein in your leg to your heart) and so is not considered a surgical procedure.

If you decide on surgery to repair your mitral valve stenosis, you and your doctor will need to select either a balloon valvotomy or a mitral commissurotomy.

Both balloon valvotomy and mitral commissurotomy repair your mitral valve, while a valve replacement removes it and replaces it with an artificial valve.

Your doctor may recommend a balloon valvotomy if you are planning to have another surgery (not on your heart), if you are pregnant, or if you are planning a pregnancy.

Despite this, he successfully anaesthetised a patient undergoing a mitral valvotomy for Dr Christiaan Neethling Barnard, the first surgeon to perform a heart transplant, who was on a charity visit.

People with signs of blood clots in the left atrium, widespread calcification of the mitral valve structures, or moderate to severe mitral valve regurgitation are not considered good candidates for a balloon valvotomy.