[Complications of catheter-balloon valvuloplasty (analysis of their causes and the methods of prevention and treatment].

The authors analyse the results of 1,404 operations of catheter-balloon valvuloplasty in stenoses of the pulmonary, aortic, and mitral valves. The experience was accumulated by the leading heart surgeons of the country from 1984 to 1990. The total number of complications was 77 (5.4%), 23 (1.6%) of them were fetal. The least number of complications (1.88%) occurred in catheter-balloon valvuloplasty in pulmonary stenosis, 1% were fetal. Complications in aortic stenosis were encountered in 11.3% of cases, 4.8% were fatal. The greatest number of complications (44) were recorded in mitral stenosis with a relatively low mortality (2.7%). The authors distinguish unspecific complications connected with the use of standard diagnostic catheters and instruments, and specific complications linked with the use of balloon catheters or caused by the course of the disease, and the character of the valve affection. As the result of analysis of the causes of complications, the authors suggest a system for preparation of patients for operation and the principles of its safe accomplishment and describe the order of the acts undertaken by the surgeon for the management of complications. Analysis of complications of catheter-balloon valvuloplasty demonstrates the efficacy and mild injurious character of this method, which makes it possible to rank it among the generally accepted cardiosurgical methods for the correction of heart valvular stenoses.