[Emergent percutaneous mitral valve repair with Inoue balloon-catheter in severe mitral stenosis and cardiogenic shock].

A 30-year-old woman with severe mitral stenosis was admitted to hospital in cardiogenic shock (tachycardia, hypotension, low cardiac output) requiring artificial ventilation. As the cardiovascular state failed to respond to drug treatment, percutaneous mitral valvoplasty (MVP) was performed as an emergency with the Inoue balloon catheter. This brought about immediate improvement in the clinical and haemodynamic condition. As later seen at open-heart surgery, the MVP had produced a tear in the anterior mitral leaflet with considerable regurgitation. Mitral valve replacement was performed as an elective procedure 4 weeks after the MVP, at a time when the patient was mobile. MVP with the Inoue catheter system can achieve a stable clinical and haemodynamic state when there is cardiogenic shock due to severe mitral stenosis and conservative measures have failed.