[Percutaneous cardiac valvular interventions]

Percutaneous mitral commissurotomy, which has virtually replaced surgical commissurotomy in the treatment of mitral stenosis, has been performed since the mid-eighties and has provided good results in thousands of patients worldwide. Percutaneous aortic balloon valvuloplasty has almost been abandoned. The indications for dilatation of tricuspid and bioprosthetic stenoses are exceptional. New percutaneous procedures are currently being developed in aortic stenosis and mitral regurgitation, which represent the two most frequent valve diseases in industrialised countries. Preliminary series show that they are feasible; however, they need to be further evaluated in comparison with contemporary treatment to accurately assess their effectiveness and the risks involved. The evaluation of these new percutaneous procedures requires a close collaboration between interventionists, echocardiographists, engineers and surgeons. It is probable that they will play an important role in the treatment of valve disease in the future.