Lessons learned from balloon aortic valvuloplasty experience from the pre-transcatheter aortic valve implantation era

Balloon aortic valvuloplasty (BAV) has been used as a bridge to surgical aortic valve replacement (SAVR) in high-risk patients with severe symptomatic aortic stenosis (AS). Such patients are now being referred for transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI). We sought to study the indications and outcomes of BAV in patients with severe AS in the pre-TAVI era.

We analyzed consecutive patients with severe AS undergoing BAV from 1990 to 2005. In these patients with no immediate surgical option, BAV was attempted to temporarily improve hemodynamics, with a goal to improve general health of the patient, and ultimately AVR.

A total of 99 BAVs (eight repeats, one second repeat) were performed in 90 consecutive patients. Baseline ejection fraction was ≤25% in 36 (36%) patients. The 30-day mortality rate was 17% (n = 17). Of the 99 patients, 27 (30%) underwent AVR. Average follow-up of patients with and without AVR was 55 ± 57 months and 16 ± 23 months, respectively. The 6-month and 1-year survival rates in patients who underwent AVR were 81% and 78%, respectively, versus 57% and 44% in patients who did not undergo AVR (P = 0.024).

BAV can be used successfully to clinically improve the health of some nonsurgical patients with severe symptomatic AS, and a proportion of these patients improve to a point where AVR can be performed. Bridging to TAVI will provide further options to high-risk patients who cannot be bridged to conventional AVR. The role of BAV in bridging to TAVI merits further study.