Four patients with aortitis and stenotic lesions of the aorta were successfully treated by percutaneous transluminal balloon angioplasty. The peak systolic gradient across the constrictions decreased from 82.5 ± 35.7 to 37.5 ± 18.5 mm Hg immediately after dilatation. Repeat angiography in the first three patients performed 2 months later showed a further decrease in the gradient to 13.8 + 9.5 m...

Transcatheter treatment of aortic coarctation, with balloon angioplasty or stent implantation, is now an acceptable alternative to surgical repair. However these procedures may result in complications, such as vascular wall injury and re-stenosis of the lesion. A nitinol self-expandable stent, when deployed at the coarctation site, produces low constant radial force, which may result in a gradu...

We present a case of an accidentally crushed stent due to an unnoticed passage of a guidewire through a lateral stent strut with subsequent stent compression after balloon dilatation, during a planned percutaneous coronary intervention on the left main. The crushed stent segment was reconstructed with step-by-step balloon dilation, guided by intravascular ultrasound.

This study evaluated the efficacy and safety of endoscopic pneumatic balloon dilatation as the initial treatment for achalasia of the cardia. 15 patients with achalasia underwent a total of 19 dilatations using the new polyethylene dilator (Microvasive Rigiflex Balloon Dilator) over the last 6 years. An overall treatment success rate of 93% was achieved. 11 patients (73.3%) have not required a ...

196 4 Dotter directed catheter-mediated therapy -=..;:,nic occlusive disease by em ploying coaXia l -,,,,,,..,"t:'j. These initial proced ures were performed in a:.......,; _raphic sui re (2). The li mitations o f coaxial _""" dilatation were recognized early by Dotter, ;. him to investigate other dilatatlon methods. In c..~Pt to improve the dilatation techni que, in urdized a Fogarty balloon c...

Percutaneous balloon dilatation of a stenosed Ionescu-Shiley bioprosthesis in the tricuspid valve position was performed twice in a 19 year old woman. On each occasion there was a considerable improvement in symptoms and haemodynamic function but the effect lasted for only a few months. When the valve was excised it showed no evidence of the previous balloon dilatations.

A patient in whom infective endocarditis affecting the pulmonary and tricuspid valves developed after percutaneous balloon dilatation of the pulmonary valve is reported.

We read with interest the article by Loubani et al. [1] regarding the use of intra-aortic balloon pumps (IABP) for dilating oesophageal strictures. There are fundamental reasons why IABP is not the instrument of choice for oesophageal dilatation, even in difficult cases. IABP was never designed as a dilator. Its function is to produce diastolic augmentation of coronary and systemic blood flow b...

BACKGROUND Balloon predilatation of the aortic valve has been regarded as an essential step during the transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) procedure. However, recent evidence has suggested that aortic valvuloplasty may cause complications and that high success rates may be obtained without prior dilatation of the valve. We hypothesize that TAVI performed without predilatation of the ...