BACKGROUND: Despite the high prevalence of mitral stenosis in Brazil, there is a significant underreporting of percutaneous procedures in the treatment of this disease in the national literature. This study is aimed at reporting the results and course of patients with rheumatic mitral stenosis treated with the Inoue balloon. METHODS: Clinical, echocardiographic and procedure-related parameters of patients treated from 1997 to 2009 who were followed-up for at least a month were evaluated. RESULTS: One hundred and two patients were evaluated, most of them females (89.2%), with mean age of 38.1 ± 11.1 years, 80.4% were in functional class II-III. Mean mitral valve area obtained by echocardiography (ECHO) was 1.01 ± 0.19 cm² and 0.87 ± 0.2 cm² by hemodynamic measurements (HEMO). Wilkins & Block score ranged from 5 to 8 in about 90% of the patients and 88.2% of them were in sinus rhythm. The procedure was successful in 76.5% patients with mean mitral valve area increasing to 1.9 ± 0.5 cm² as measured by ECHO (P < 0.001) and to 2 ± 0.5 cm² as calculated by HEMO (P < 0.001). Mean left atrial-left ventricular gradient was reduced from 16.6 mmHg to 4.2 mmHg (P < 0.001). Cardiac output increased from 3.75 L/min to 4.67 L/min (P < 0.001) and this change was a predictor of success. Of 79.4% patients who were followed-up for 1 year, 87.6% were in functional class I and only 2 cases required surgical treatment. During the 5-year follow-up there were no cases of stroke or death due to cardiac causes CONCLUSIONS: Mitral valvuloplasty with the Inoue balloon is effective for the treatment of rheumatic mitral stenosis in the medium term and has a low complication rate.
Mitral valve stenosis; Balloon dilation; Cardiac output; Rheumatic heart disease
