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[Clinical and Doppler echocardiographic follow-up of elderly patients subjected to aortic balloon valvuloplasty].

PURPOSE
To evaluate the evolution of patients with critical aortic stenosis (AS) submitted to balloon aortic valvuloplasty (BAV).


PATIENTS AND METHODS
sixteen patients (mean age 74.0 +/- 5.1 years), 11 (68.7%) women. The study periods consisted during the 3 rd (post-1) and 15th month (post-2) after dilatation.


RESULTS
The functional class of angina and dyspnea persisted in all patients during period post-1, in 75% of the patients, during period post-2 in relation to intra-hospital evaluation. However, in period post-1, 53% of the patients had significant reduction of aortic valve area, trend which remained in period post-2. Simultaneously, progressive (insignificant) elevation of the left ventricular aortic peak to peak gradient was noticed in the periods post-1 and post-2. Two deaths and two aortic valve replacements occurred during the study.


CONCLUSION
BAV is associated to maintenance of functional class improvement obtained immediately after dilatation despite the aortic valve restenosis registered by echodopplercardiography.