Percutaneous balloon mitral valvuloplasty using the Inoue balloon: analysis of echocardiographic and other variables related to immediate outcome

To determine whether the mitral valve morphology influences the results of percutaneous balloon mitral valvuloplasty for mitral stenosis, two-dimensional echocardiography was performed before valvuloplasty in 126 patients (mean age 25.5±9.4 years) and in 30 normal controls. The 2D echocardiographic features of mitral valve leaflets: thickness, length and motion; diastolic mitral valvular excursion; chordal length; mitral annular diameter; subvalvular distance ratio; distance between mid mitral annulus to left ventricular apex, base and tip of papillary muscle and effective balloon dilating area, effective balloon dilating area/body surface area and effective balloon dilating diameter/mitral annular diameter were then correlated to the immediate post-valvuloplasty mitral valve area. For the total patients population, post-valvuloplasty valve area increased from 0.67±0.17 to 2.1±0.86 cm 2 ( P