Mitral Balloon Valvuloplasty as an Outpatient Procedure Using Inoue Balloon Technique

Objective: To evaluate the safety and feasibility of mitral balloon valvuloplasty (MBV) as an outpatient procedure. Background: MBV is usually done as an inpatient procedure, requiring 3–4 days of hospital admission. Only one report is available about MBV as a day case procedure in the English literature. Methods: Between October 1994 and December 1996, 128 patients underwent MBV using an Inoue balloon. Of those, 31 patients (Group I) had the procedure as outpatients and 97 patients (Group II) as inpatients. Their mean age in Group I was 29 ± 9 years and in Group II 32 ± 10 years (P < 0.3). Atrial fibrillation was present in 4 patients in Group I and in 13 patients in Group II (P < 0.99). Results: Hemodynamic study revealed that mitral valve area increased from 0.9 ± 0.2 to 1.9 ± 0.5 cm2* in Group I and from 0.8 ± 0.2 to 1.7 ± 0.5 cm2* in Group II, Left atrial pressure decreased from 24 ± 5 to 15 ±6 mm Hg* in Group I and 24 ± 6 to 16 ± 5 mmHg in Group II.* Mitral valve gradient decreased from 15 + 5 to 5 + 2 mmHg in Group I and 15 + 5 to 6 + 3 mmHg in Group II* (*P < 0.001). Patients in Group I stayed in the Preadmission Unit for a mean period of 9.5 ± 2.5 hours. Patients in Group II stayed for a mean of 2.5 days in the hospital. Severe mitral regurgitation developed in one patient in each Group and needed semiurgent mitral valve replacement without sequela. No death, convulsions, or thromboembolism were encountered, and three patients in both Groups developed minor hematoma and needed no additional treatment. Conclusion: MBV as an outpatient procedure is feasible and safe and could significantly decrease the cost of medical care.