[Catheter-balloon valvuloplasty in mitral valve stenosis (selection of the method of procedure, immediate results and the criteria of patient selection].

Catheter-balloon valvuloplasty (CBV) was carried out in 80 patients with rheumatic mitral stenosis, whose ages ranged from 22 to 68 years. Seventeen of these patients were operated on for mitral valve restenosis; I-II degree calcinosis of the mitral valve was revealed in 18 patients; seven women underwent surgery in the 24th-32nd week of pregnancy. After applying various methods (19 cases) the authors used in the last series of operations (61 cases) the Silin-Sukhov method using an original dilatation catheter with a balloon measuring in diameter up to 34 mm, which allowed pressure of up to 8 atm. to be produced during a working cycle no longer than 8 sec. As the result of CBV, the area of the mitral orifice was enlarged by no less than twice in all patients, the pressure gradient through the mitral valve and systolic pressure in the pulmonary artery reduced. The total number of complications which called for operative treatment was 3.75%. CBV is a still developing method, but already today it may be considered the method of choice in the treatment of uncomplicated forms of mitral stenosis, in I-II degree calcinosis, and when the risk of the traditional surgical intervention on the heart is increased.