Repeat balloon aortic valvuloplasty effectively delays surgical intervention in children with recurrent aortic stenosis.

OBJECTIVE: Balloon aortic valvuloplasty (BAV) is the primary therapy for congenital aortic stenosis (AS). Recurrent AS following initial BAV or initial surgical valvotomy (SV) may require a second BAV (BAV2). We sought to determine the longterm outcomes of BAV2. DESIGN: We reviewed all cases of BAV2, defined as BAV following primary BAV or SV between 1988 and 2009. Cases were reviewed for pre- and post-BAV2 echocardiographic and procedural details. SETTING: Tertiary care dedicated children's hospital. PATIENTS: Between 1985 and 2009, 43 patients underwent BAV2 (23 primary SV, 20 primary BAV) at median age 1.9 years (1 month-21 years) and median weight 15 (3.3-55) kg. INTERVENTIONS: BAV2 performed following primary SV or primary BAV. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: We evaluated the following endpoints: ≥ moderate AI post-BAV2, aortic valve replacement (AVR), additional BAV or SV post-BAV2, death and heart transplantation. RESULTS: The gradient decreased from 61.4 ± 16.0 mm Hg to 26.0 ± 13.6 post-BAV2 (P < 0.01). Gradient prior to BAV2 was higher in primary SV patients (66 ± 13 mm Hg) than in primary BAV patients (56 ± 18 mm Hg, P = 0.04). 24 patients had no further events after BAV2, while 19 patients (44%) experienced 23 events including: AVR (n = 8), SV (n = 6), BAV3 (n = 2), death (n = 5), and transplant (n = 1). Regression demonstrated that adverse events were associated with higher post-BAV2 gradient (P < 0.01). Repeat intervention on the aortic valve and AVR were associated with higher post BAV2 gradient (P = 0.04, P = 0.01). Prior to BAV2, 7 patients (17%) had AI > mild, compared to 21 (51%) patients after BAV2. Cox regression revealed that primary BAV was associated with development of AI > mild after BAV2 (P < 0.01). CONCLUSION: BAV2 is associated with decreased valve gradient, though with an increase in AI. However, residual AS, not AI, is associated with poor outcomes following BAV2. BAV2 effectively treats recurrent AS and postpones need for surgical intervention.

Aortic valve morphology is associated with outcomes following balloon valvuloplasty for congenital aortic stenosis.

OBJECTIVES: Evaluate the incidence of various morphologic types of congenital AS, and the association between valve morphology and long-term outcomes, including repeat BAV, AVR, and death/transplant. BACKGROUND: Reports on long-term outcomes have low agreement on the influence of morphologic type. METHODS: We queried our institutional database and hospital billing records to identify all patients who underwent balloon aortic valvuloplasty (BAV) from 1992 through 2009. We excluded cases where morphology was not clear based on the description in the pre-BAV echocardiogram report and patients who underwent single ventricle palliation. The primary outcome of the study was the occurrence of any of the following events: repeat valvuloplasty, AVR, heart transplant, or death. RESULTS: There were 147 patients in our study cohort. The most common morphology was functionally bicuspid (n = 92, 63%), followed by functionally unicuspid (n = 20, 14%), dysplastic (n = 16, 11%), true bicuspid (n = 13, 9%), and true unicuspid (n = 6, 4%). The primary endpoint was less likely to occur in patients with functionally bicuspid valves (P < 0.01) and patients with true bicuspid valves (P = 0.03), whereas it was more likely to occur in patients with functionally unicuspid valves (P = 0.02) and patients with true unicuspid valves (P = 0.05). Multivariate Cox regression analysis demonstrated that valve type other than functionally bicuspid was associated with diminished freedom from repeat intervention, death or transplant (HR 3.3, CI 1.2 - 8.6, P = 0.02). CONCLUSIONS: In our cohort, patients with functionally bicuspid aortic valves, the most common type, had improved outcomes as compared with all other morphologic types.

Twenty-five year experience with balloon aortic valvuloplasty for congenital aortic stenosis.

Balloon aortic valvuloplasty (BAV) is the primary therapy for congenital aortic stenosis (AS). Few reports describe long-term outcomes. In this study, a retrospective single-institution review was performed of patients who underwent BAV for congenital AS. The following end points were evaluated: moderate or severe aortic insufficiency (AI) by echocardiography, aortic valve replacement, repeat BAV, surgical aortic valvotomy, and transplantation or death. From 1985 to 2009, 272 patients who underwent BAV at ages 1 day to 30.5 years were followed for 5.8 ± 6.7 years. Transplantation or death occurred in 24 patients (9%) and was associated with depressed baseline left ventricular shortening fraction (LVSF) (p = 0.04). Aortic valve replacement occurred in 42 patients (15%) at a median of 3.5 years (interquartile range 75 days to 5.9 years) after BAV and was associated with post-BAV gradient ≥25 mm Hg (p = 0.02), the presence of post-BAV AI (p = 0.03), and below-average baseline LVSF (p = 0.04). AI was found in 83 patients (31%) at a median of 4.8 years (interquartile range 1.4 to 8.7) and was inversely related to post-BAV gradient ≥25 mm Hg (p <0.04). AI was associated with depressed baseline LVSF (p = 0.02). Repeat valvuloplasty (balloon or surgical) occurred in 37 patients (15%) at a median of 0.51 years (interquartile range 0.10 to 5.15) and was associated with neonatal BAV (p <0.01), post-BAV gradient ≥25 mm Hg (p = 0.03), and depressed baseline LVSF (p = 0.05). In conclusion, BAV confers long-term benefits to most patients with congenital AS. Neonates, patients with post-BAV gradients ≥25 mm Hg, and patients with lower baseline LVSF experienced worse outcomes.