Results of Percutaneous Mitral Valvuloplasty for the Treatment of Rheumatic Mitral Valvular Stenosis

Percutaneous mitral valvuloplasty(PMV) became a treatment modality or mitral stenosis because of its low morbidity, short hospital stay, and low cost. We reviewed clinical and hemodynamic results after PMV for the patients with mitral stenosis in Ewha Womans University Mokdong hospital.

We compared the results of echocardiographic, hemodynamic, and clinical parameters before and after PMV. PMV was performed under fluoroscopic guidance in 21 patients(M:4, F:17, mean age 43±12 years) with mitral stenosis from October 1993 to April 1999. Transesophageal echocardiography(TEE) and Transthoracic echocardiography(TTE) were performed for the evaluation of mitral valve, chamber size, and the presence of left atrial thrombus before procedures. TIE was also used for follow-up evaluation. On presentation, all patients showed at least NYHA class II. Five patients had atrial fibrillation. Two patients with thrombus in the left atrium were included to study group after thrombolytic treatment with coumadin. Echo-score of our patients was not greater than 8.

Mean mitral valve area(MVA) by 2 dimensional or Doppler echocardiography was increased from 1.16±0.36cm² before PMV to 2.06±0.33cm² after PMV. There were marked improvements in transmitral gradients(11.60±5.54mmHg before PMV vs 4.93±2.53mmHg after PMV, p<0.001), left atrial dimension(46.41±14.66mm vs 42.03±15.01mm, p=0.042), and cardiac output(4.21±1.25L/min vs 6.88±9.57L/min, p<0.0001) following PMV, Severe(≥GIII) mitral insufficiency or severe postprocedural complications were not noted. This suggested that all procedure was successful.

The Procedural success rate of PMV in Ewha Womans University Mokdong hospital was 100%. Low echo score of our patients might explain this high procedural success rate. Long-term-follow-up is warranted in the near future.