[Percutaneous aortic valvuloplasty in the aged using the antegrade or retrograde method: a report of two cases]

Acquired calcified aortic stenosis in elderly patients successfully resolved after percutaneous aortic valvuloplasty (PAV) using the antegrade or retrograde method. The effectiveness and complications of these two methods were compared. A 79-year-old man who had acute myocardial infarction and pulmonary emphysema underwent aortic valvuloplasty using Medi-Tech balloons, 15 mm and 20 mm in diameter, via the brachial artery route. This caused a reduction of the peak and mean aortic valve pressure gradients, from 56 to 30 and from 59 to 35 mmHg, respectively and an increase in the valve area from 0.6 to 0.8 cm2. However, cardiac tamponade developed due to penetration of the left ventricular wall by the guide wire. A 73-year-old man who had transient cerebral ischemia and pulmonary emphysema underwent valvuloplasty by the Inoue's balloon technique (inflated up to 19 mm) via the saphenous vein. This resulted in a reduction of the peak and mean pressure gradients from 35 to 15 and from 39 to 15 mmHg respectively, a month thereafter. There were no complications. To our knowledge, these are the first two reported cases of acquired aortic stenosis which were relieved by percutaneous aortic valvuloplasty in Japan.