Percutaneous balloon aortic valvuloplasty: a new look at an old procedure: a case report

There has been little change in the technical approach to balloon aortic valvuloplasty (BAV) over the last two decades. Large-caliber sheaths and extra-stiff wires have been used routinely to accommodate the large balloons used for this purpose. Consequently the morbidity (and possibly mortality) rates have been high. With the recent advances in the interventional hardware, a new look at the current approach to BAV is justified. In this report we describe an 89-year-old woman with critical aortic stenosis who underwent rapid and successful BAV by the use of a single 8-French arterial sheath, a regular (and not stiff) wire, and one peripheral balloon. We conclude that BAV can be done easily and safely with the technique and equipment described in this case report.