Home > Encyclopedia of Medicine > Balloon Valvuloplasty

Definition

Balloon valvuloplasty is a procedure in which a narrowed heart valve is stretched open using a procedure that does not require open heart surgery.

Purpose

There are four valves in the heart, which are located at the exit of each of the four chambers of the heart. They are called aortic valve, pulmonary valve, mitral valve, and tricuspid valve. The valves open and close to regulate the blood flow from one chamber to the next. They are vital to the efficient functioning of the heart.

In some people the valves are too narrow (a condition called stenosis). Balloon valvuloplasty is performed on children and adults to improve valve function and blood flow by enlarging the valve opening. It is a treatment for aortic, mitral, and pulmonary stenosis. Balloon valvuloplasty has the best results as a treatment for narrowed pulmonary valves. Results in treating narrowing of the mitral valve are generally...