The American journal of cardiology
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Multicenter Study Comparative Study Clinical Trial Controlled Clinical Trial
Methodologic issues in clinical evaluation of stenosis severity in adults undergoing aortic or mitral balloon valvuloplasty. The NHLBI Balloon Valvuloplasty Registry.
Although both catheterization and Doppler measures of valvular stenosis severity have been validated, each has specific advantages and limitations, particularly in the setting of balloon valvuloplasty. Invasive valve area and mean pressure gradient recorded immediately before and after aortic (n = 589) or mitral (n = 608) catheter balloon valvuloplasty were compared with Doppler valve area and mean pressure gradient recorded less than 30 days before and 24 to 72 hours after the procedure. For aortic stenosis, Doppler valve area ranged from 0.1 to 1.4 cm2 before and 0.2 to 2.3 cm2 after catheter balloon valvuloplasty. ⋯ Important variables affecting the differences were mitral regurgitation, interatrial shunt, cardiac output and heart rate. Nonsimultaneous studies, differing volume flow measurements, and the underlying accuracy of each technique largely account for discrepancies between these methods. The clinical use of each will depend on its ability to predict long-term patient outcome.