Effectiveness of Rescue Percutaneous Balloon Aortic Valvuloplasty in Patients With Severe Aortic Stenosis and Acute Heart Failure

The prognosis of patients with cardiogenic shock (CS) or refractory pulmonary edema because of severe aortic stenosis remains poor. The purpose of this study was to assess the outcomes of rescue percutaneous balloon aortic valvuloplasty (PBAV) in the transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) era. Patients were consecutively included between 2008 and 2016. CS was defined as ≥1 sign of systemic hypoperfusion and need of catecholamines. Refractory pulmonary edema was defined as not controlled by optimal medical treatment. A total of 40 patients, 22 men (55%), aged 79 ± 9 years, were included: 17 with CS (42.5%), 23 with refractory pulmonary edema (57.5%). After PBAV, mean transaortic gradient decreased from 47 ± 16 mm Hg to 32 ± 10 mm Hg (p