Aortic valvuloplasty by percutaneous valve dilatation was attempted in 52 patients aged from 60 to 88 years, 20 of whom were in functional stage IV with pulmonary oedema at the time of the procedure. Forty-seven stenoses could be dilated, with haemodynamic success (50 p. 100 increase of aortic valve area) in 44 patients. Among these 44 patients, 3 had to be operated upon because of persistent functional symptoms and 3 died during their stay in hospital (2 as a result of the procedure or the cardiopathy, 1 of heart failure unrelated to the aortic stenosis or the dilatation). The primary success rate therefore was 38/52 attempts, or 72.9 p. 100. The first 11 patients regarded as initial success could be followed up for at least 6 months: functional improvement with moderate myocardial alteration persisted in 9 of them, but Doppler examination in one showed restenosis. Two patients with severe myocardial dysfunction relapsed into cardiac failure; restenosis could be dilated in one of them. Percutaneous aortic valvuloplasty is an effective treatment of calcified aortic stenosis in elderly people who remain improved for at least 6 months when myocardial lesions are mild or moderate. The procedure incompletely reduces the aortic stenosis, which may account for the left of improvement in left ventricular function in patients with severe myocardial damage prior to dilatation. For this subgroup of patients, the choice lies between percutaneous valvuloplasty, which avoids surgery, and surgery which ensures a more complete haemodynamic result in the valve.