Because they had irreversible damage to the left ventricular myocardium none of 12 patients with critical aortic stenosis diagnosed prenatally survived after postnatal treatment. This experience prompted three attempts at intrauterine balloon dilatation of the aortic valve in two fetuses with this condition. On each attempt the balloon catheter was successfully delivered to the left ventricle. ...

This work describes an accurate pulse radar altimeter which is simple and light enough to be carried aloft by a regular sounding balloon. The altimeter uses a single superregenerative stage serving as both the receiver and the transmitter. This stage is used in a feedback system in such a way that the period between transmitted pulses is a measure of altitude. The relatively slow rate of change...

The response of the normal human esophagus to an obstructing intraluminal bolus was investigated and compared to the response evoked by transient intraluminal distention. A balloon, immobilized within the esophagus by external attachment to a force transducer, was inflated with from 3 to 25 ml of air for from 3 to 210 sec. Pressure phenomena occurring in the esophagus were simultaneously record...

OBJECTIVES This study sought to compare acute lumen changes and late lumen narrowing during and after excimer laser-assisted balloon angioplasty, measured by quantitative coronary angiography, with the immediate and long-term outcome of balloon angioplasty alone. BACKGROUND Although excimer laser coronary angioplasty is used as an adjunct or alternative to balloon angioplasty, limited compara...

Background. Balloon-assisted enteroscopy has been recognized as a useful method for performing endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography in patients with complex postsurgical anatomy. Objective. To clarify the usefulness of single-balloon enteroscopy for performing endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography successfully in patients after Billroth II gastrectomy or Roux-en-Y reconstruct...

The MammoSite radiation therapy system is a novel technique for treatment of patients with early-stage breast cancer. It was developed to overcome the longer schedules associated with external-beam radiation therapy. It consists of a small balloon (4 cm in diameter) connected to an inflation channel and a catheter for the passage of a high dose rate 192Ir brachytherapy source. The device is pla...

Objective This paper is aimed at investigating the role and value of the timing of balloon occlusion of the abdominal aorta during caesarean section in patients with pernicious placenta previa complicated with placenta accreta. Methods 79 cases admitted to the Second Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University from September 2015 to December 2016 were treated with ultrasound mediated abdomina...

The combination of severe aortic stenosis and end-stage liver disease increases the morbidity and mortality of surgical aortic valve replacement or orthotopic liver transplantation resulting in a prohibitive operative risk. We propose a staged approach of balloon aortic valvuloplasty prior to orthotopic liver transplantation as a bridge to definitive aortic valve replacement. Between 2010 and 2...

Transluminal balloon valvuloplasty is an alternative to surgical valvotomy for congenital pulmonary valve stenosis. The aim of this study was to evaluate the long term results (to 13.5 years) of balloon pulmonary valvuloplasty. From June 1998 to January 2012, percutaneous balloon pulmonary valvuloplasty for congenital pulmonary valve stenosis was performed in 98 patients (50 males, 48 females, ...

BACKGROUND Exertional dyspnoea is a limiting symptom in many patients with mitral stenosis but its causes remain incompletely understood. Ventilation during exercise is abnormal in chronic heart failure of all causes and there is increased ventilatory cost of carbon dioxide production. PATIENTS 23 patients with rheumatic mitral stenosis undergoing percutaneous balloon dilatation of the mitral...