Phonocardiographic assessment of hemodynamic response to balloon aortic valvuloplasty

The time to systolic murmur peak is a clinical index that is useful in assessing the severity of valvular aortic stenosis. To determine whether phonocardiography could be used to detect a change in the timing of the murmur and thus to measure hemodynamic improvements in elderly balloon aortic valvuloplasty patients, we retrospectively reviewed phonocardiographic tracings of 18 patients taken before and after the procedure. Ten men and 8 women were included in the study; the mean age was 80.7 +/- 11.2 years (range, 64 to 90). Phonocardiographic signals were digitized, and the R-wave to murmur peak interval (R-MP) was measured. In 11 patients, the R-MP decreased (mean decrease, 16% +/- 11%): of these, 10 had a significant (> 25%) decrease in mean gradient; 10 had a significant (> 25%) decrease in peak-to-peak gradient; and the average increase in aortic valve area was 38%. Seven patients had an increase in R-MP (mean increase, 10% +/- 9%): of these, 6 had a decrease in mean gradient of less than 25%; 6 had a decrease in peak-to-peak gradient of less than 25%; and the average increase in aortic valve area was 21%. Pre- and post-balloon aortic valvuloplasty heart rates were not significantly different (71 +/- 8 beats/min versus 73 +/- 5 beats/min). In this study, hemodynamic improvements after valvuloplasty were manifested by a reduction in the R-MP interval. We conclude that phonocardiography may be a practical, noninvasive method of assessing the hemodynamic response to balloon aortic valvuloplasty.