Valvuloplasty: what can it treat, and how is it performed?
Written in association with:Top Doctors recently spoke to distinguished London-based interventional cardiologist, Dr Jonathan Byrne, to discuss at length what a valvuloplasty procedure entails, what conditions the operation can help to treat, as well as how exactly it is performed.
What is a valvuloplasty?
A valvuloplasty is a procedure that is performed in order to repair a heart valve that has a narrowed opening. The procedure is designed to improve the blood flow through the patient’s heart valve and it may also improve symptoms associated with heart valve disease, such as shortness of breath and/or chest pain.
What conditions can it treat?
A valvuloplasty can treat many conditions. The main ones include the following:
- aortic valve stenosis
- mitral valve stenosis
- pulmonary valve stenosis (pulmonic stenosis)
- tricuspid valve stenosis
How is a valvuloplasty performed?
This procedure is carried out in the hospital, usually while the patient is awake. A sedative may be used to help the patient relax if required.
Valvuloplasty is performed during a procedure called cardiac catheterisation, whereby the cardiologist inserts a soft, thin tube called a catheter, which is then tipped with a balloon into a blood vessel, usually in the groin.
The catheter is then carefully guided to the narrowed valve in the heart, and once it is in position, the balloon is inflated to widen the valve, improving blood flow. The balloon is then deflated, and the catheter with the balloon is removed.
What is recovery time like?
After the procedure, an overnight hospital stay is usually required. Regular health check-ups and imaging tests of the heart are needed after valvuloplasty to make sure the heart valve is working properly.
This procedure may improve blood flow through the heart and reduce symptoms. However, the valve may narrow again. You may need to have another valvuloplasty or other heart procedure, such as valve repair or replacement, in the future, if this is the case.
Dr Jonathan Byrne is a highly qualified and revered interventional cardiologist who specialises in performing valvuloplasty procedures. Consult with him today via his Top Doctors profile.
