Interventional Treatment of Pulmonary Valve Stenosis: A Single Center Experience

BACKGROUND Percutaneous pulmonary valvuloplasty is well established treatment of choice in pulmonary valve stenosis. AIM The aim of our study was to present our experience with the interventional technique, its immediate and mid-term effectiveness as well as its complication rate. MATERIAL AND METHODS The study included 43 patients, where 33 (74%) of them were children between the age of 1 month and 15 years. RESULTS The procedure was successful in 38 patients or 90%. Mean peak to peak transvalvular gradient was reduced from 91.2 mmHg (55-150 mmHg) to 39.1 mmHg (20-80 mmHg). Follow- up of patients was between 2 and 13 years and included echocardiographic evaluation of pulmonary valve gradient, right heart dimensions and function as well as assessment of pulmonary regurgitation. We experienced one major complication pericardial effusion in a 5 months old child that required pericardiocenthesis. Six patients (13.9%) required a second intervention. During the follow up period there was significant improvement of right heart function and echocardiography parameters. Mild pulmonary regurgitation was noted in 24 (55%) patients, and four (9%) patients developed moderate regurgitation, without affecting the function of the right ventricle. CONCLUSIONS Percutaneous pulmonary valvuloplasty is an effective procedure in treatment of pulmonary stenosis with good short and mid-term results.