Balloon Aortic Valvuloplasty Using a Non-Occlusive Balloon Catheter: First Animal Experience.

Background: Transcatheter aortic valve implants (TAVI) have revolutionised the treatment of elderly patients requiring aortic valve replacement. These patients often do not tolerate balloon valvuloplasty well, and a valvuloplasty balloon that would allow a degree of continued cardiac output during expansion would be beneficial. We tested such a balloon and describe our results in the sheep model.

Clinical experience with the S-Flex coronary stent.

Objective: Restenosis and the risk of sub-acute thrombosis still compromise the advantages of coronary stenting. This report aims to present a clinical audit of the first 100 patients to receive the South African-developed 'low injury' S-Flex coronary stent at Groote Schuur Hospital.

Methods: From September 1999 to March 2001, 102 patients received one or more S-Flex stents.