Abstract
The birth of therapeutic balloon dilation in the management of cardiovascular disease can be traced to Rashkind who in 1966 developed balloon atrial septostomy for palliation of patients with complete transposition of the great vessels. Actually, Dotter and Judkins anteceded Rashkind by coaxial sequential dilation of iliofemoral atherosclerotic obstruction in 1964. However, it was not until the development by Grüntzig in 1978 of a miniaturized flexible balloon catheter for percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty that therapeutic balloon dilation began to be applied to stenotic heart valves. The development of percutaneous balloon valvuloplasty was the natural consequence of the early success of surgical mechanical dilation of stenotic heart valves; first the pulmonic valve, then the mitral valve, and finally the aortic valve. The successful relief of valvular stenosis by percutaneous balloon valvuloplasty is a remarkable example of how the pioneering cardiac surgeons paved the way for interventional cardiologists to take over the treatment of heretofore, surgically managed diseases.
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