Accura balloon rupture during percutaneous trans-septal mitral commissurotomy: a rare and potentially fatal complication.

Percutaneous transseptal mitral commissurotomy (PTMC) is the treatment of choice in rheumatic mitral stenosis. The reuse of sterilised PTMC balloon catheters is widely practised to bring down the procedure cost and have proven safety and efficacy. The reused balloons may deform and are prone to rupture causing fatal complications like embolism either of the torn balloon material or air. We report a first case of Accura balloon rupture during PTMC to the best of our knowledge. Fortunately, there was no complication in our patient. Thus, during the balloon preparation it should be examined for any deformity or tear and air should be removed completely to prevent fatal outcome. The repeated use of the hardware should be limited and an informed consent regarding the possible complications of the reused hardware should be taken.