Balloon Mitral Valvotomy is a procedure for enlarging the opening of a narrowed valve. The treatment is specifically performed for the patients with mitral valve stenosis and for older patients who have aortic valve stenosis but are not able to undergo an open surgery.
The procedure involves placing catheters into the blood vessels in the groin area and guided into the chambers of the heart. The specialist then creates a tiny hole in the wall between the two upper chambers of the heart. This tiny hole provides an opening for the specialist to access the left atrium with a special catheter that has a balloon at the tip. The success rate for the treatment remains between 68-74%.
