Purpose: To evaluate the evolution of patients with critical aortic stenosis (AS) submitted to balloon aortic valvuloplasty (BAV).
Patients and methods: sixteen patients (mean age 74.0 +/- 5.1 years), 11 (68.7%) women. The study periods consisted during the 3 rd (post-1) and 15th month (post-2) after dilatation.
Results: The functional class of angina and dyspnea persisted in all patients during period post-1, in 75% of the patients, during period post-2 in relation to intra-hospital evaluation. However, in period post-1, 53% of the patients had significant reduction of aortic valve area, trend which remained in period post-2. Simultaneously, progressive (insignificant) elevation of the left ventricular aortic peak to peak gradient was noticed in the periods post-1 and post-2. Two deaths and two aortic valve replacements occurred during the study.
Conclusion: BAV is associated to maintenance of functional class improvement obtained immediately after dilatation despite the aortic valve restenosis registered by echodopplercardiography.