Percutaneous mitral valvuloplasty through a Carpentier-Edwards ring.

The authors report the case of a young girl with a Carpentier-Edwards annuloplasty ring for severe rheumatic mitral disease who presented 4 years later with mitral restenosis due to commissural fusion. She underwent successful percutaneous mitral commissurotomy with an Inoue balloon. Technical specificities and the safety of the procedure are briefly discussed.

Percutaneous mitral valvuloplasty in patients with low cardiac output at high surgical risk.

Among 1146 patients undergoing percutaneous mitral valvuloplasty for symptomatic mitral stenosis, 8 (4 men and women) were at high risk for surgery on the basis of the New York Heart Association functional class IV (n=8), severe pulmonary hypertension (n=5). All these patients aged 30+/-23.6 years had signs of right heart failure, high echocardiographic score (9.

[Left main coronary artery angioplasty: report of five cases illustrating the current indications].

Objectives: The purpose of our study is to illustrate by five original observations the various situations where the stenting of the left main coronary artery can be proposed in alternative to aortocoronary bridging with encouraging results in short- and long-term.

Materials And Methods: We report a retrospective study relating to five cases with left main disease treated by stenting between 1996 and 2002 at our institution. In two cases the left main stem was unprotected.

[Percutaneous mitral commissurotomy and Lutembacher syndrome].

Introduction: Lutembacher syndrome refers to the rare combination of congenital atrial septal defect and acquired mitral stenosis. This condition is usually treated surgically by mitral valve operation with concomitant closure of the atrial septal defect.

Materials And Methods: Between 1993 and 2003, 4 patients with congenital Lutembacher syndrome had percutaneous mitral commissurotomy without closure of the atrial septal defect at our institution.