[Current status of balloon valvuloplasty in adulthood]

The percutaneous transluminal balloon valvuloplasty has been in use for several years as part of interventional cardiology for treating acquired aortic and mitral stenosis. In spite of a high primary success rate the difficulty of this procedure lies not only in the problem of reststenosis but also in a possible development of restenosis. In aortic stenosis the indication for valvuloplasty must be restricted to special patients, such as elderly people or those with poor left ventricular function, whereas in selected patients, mitral valvuloplasty appears as a true alternative to operative commissurotomy. There can be no doubt that by intensive patient selection and progress in the technology of balloon catheters and insertion sheaths, possibly enhanced by laser application, even better results are to be achieved in the near future.