Balloon Valvuloplasty

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Most people are born with four heart valves. However, some children with congenital heart defects may be born with less functioning valves. Sometimes valves are too narrow or stenotic. A valvuloplasty is a procedure that open a heart valve that is blocked or too narrow. It can also be called valve dilatation or valvotomy. A balloon valvuloplasty uses a balloon on the end of the catheter to perform the valvuloplasty.

The board-certified and fellowship-trained pediatric heart specialists at Norton Children’s Heart Institute, affiliated with the UofL School of Medicine, may recommend a balloon valvuloplasty if your child’s heart valve does not allow blood to flow freely through the valve.

The procedure takes place in the pediatric catheterization lab. Your child will be sedated (asleep) with medicine given by a specially trained pediatric cardiac anesthesiologist at Norton Children’s Hospital.

Your child’s doctor will insert a special catheter — a long, thin tube — into a blood vessel, usually in the leg. Your child will have a small incision where the catheter is inserted.

The doctor threads the catheter through blood vessels until it reaches the heart valve. Once it’s in the precise location, the physician inflates a tiny balloon on the end of the catheter. The balloon widens the narrowed opening in the valve. Sometimes a second, larger balloon will be used to open it more. The doctor then deflates the balloon and removes it and the catheter.

Norton Children’s Heart Institute, affiliated with the UofL School of Medicine, is the leading provider of pediatric heart care in Louisville and Southern Indiana.

Norton Children’s has a network of outreach diagnostic and treatment services conveniently located throughout Kentucky and Southern Indiana.

Valvuloplasty for Pulmonary Valve Dilations

Many pulmonary valves that are candidates for a valvuloplasty are narrow because parts of the valve are stuck together. This type of valve stenosis responds well to being gently opened with a balloon.

Some valves, such as those that are thickened, shortened or notched, do not improve enough with the balloon procedure. For those, surgery may be needed. Interventional cardiologists often will try the less invasive balloon valvuloplasty before considering open heart surgery.

Sometimes the pulmonary valve becomes leaky after a procedure to widen it.

This condition, called valve incompetence, usually is mild. It can occur after both a balloon valvuloplasty or a more invasive surgical valvuloplasty.

Valvuloplasty for Aortic Valve Dilations

The aortic valve separates blood flow from the heart’s left ventricle to the aorta. When it is too narrow, or stenotic, the heart has to work harder to pass blood through the valve. A narrow aortic valve can lead to increased pressure in the heart and heart failure.

The goal of aortic valve dilation is to make the narrowing just wide enough to reduce the pressure in the heart to safe levels, without causing a significant leak in the valve, which can be a complication from any valvuloplasty.

The interventional cardiologist tries to choose a balloon that is small enough to almost get rid of all the narrowing. Then, surgery can be avoided. In about 3% of cases, the valve becomes very leaky, even when the right-sized balloon is used. If this happens, your child may need surgery to repair the valve.

Why Choose Norton Children’s Heart Institute

  • Norton Children’s Hospital has been a pioneer in pediatric cardiothoracic surgery, performing Kentucky’s first pediatric heart transplant in 1986 and becoming the second site in the United States to perform an infant heart transplant.
  • The American Board of Thoracic Surgery has certified our cardiothoracic surgeons in congenital heart surgery.
  • The Adult Congenital Heart Association has accredited Norton Children’s Heart Adult Congenital Heart Disease Program as the only comprehensive care center in Kentucky and Indiana treating adults born with a heart defect.
  • More than 17,000 children a year visit Norton Children’s Heart Institute for advanced heart care.
  • Norton Children’s Heart Institute has offices across Kentucky and Southern Indiana to bring quality pediatric heart care closer to home.
  • The Jennifer Lawrence Cardiac Intensive Care Unit (CICU) at Norton Children’s Hospital is the largest dedicated CICU in Kentucky, equipped with 17 private rooms and the newest technology available for heart care.

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