Outcome of rheumatic heart disease and percutaneous balloon mitral valvotomy: A tertiary care center experience

Abstract

Background: Rheumatic heart disease (RHD) is still a leading cause of valvular heart disease in India. Balloon mitral valvotomy (BMV) is simple and safe procedure to improve the quality of life in patients with severe mitral stenosis. Aim: (1) To evaluate outcome of RHD patients in tertiary care hospital in developing country like India in twenty first century. (2) To evaluate safety and efficacy of BMV. Materials and Methods: We performed retrospective analysis of 500 patients with RHD undergoing echocardiography in a tertiary care hospital in Maharashtra, India. 15% (74 patients) of them underwent balloon mitral valvuloplasty between June 2012 and November 2019 and 37.6% (188 patients) were treated with valve replacements. Results: Successful BMV was performed in 72 patients. The rate of complication was 2.7%. No mortality was noted. One hundred and eighty-eight patients underwent Valve replacements. Conclusions: Balloon mitral valvuloplasty is a technically difficult procedure and demands considerable expertise in transseptal catheterization. Percutaneous balloon mitral valvotomy is a safe and effective treatment for symptomatic severe Mitral stenosis in experienced centers.