Balloon Valvuloplasty (PTMC, BAV, BPV, Coarctoplasty)

What it is

Balloon valvuloplasty widens a narrowed (stenotic) heart valve by inflating a precisely sized balloon across it, delivered through a catheter. The commonest form in India is PTMC (percutaneous transvenous mitral commissurotomy) for rheumatic mitral stenosis — a disease still frequent here. Balloon aortic (BAV) and pulmonary (BPV) valvuloplasty, and balloon dilation of aortic coarctation, use the same principle at other sites.

When it's needed

Valvuloplasty is considered when echocardiography shows severe valve narrowing with symptoms — breathlessness, reduced effort tolerance, palpitations — and the valve's anatomy is suitable for a balloon procedure rather than valve replacement. The echocardiographic assessment is the deciding step, and it is one of Dr. Kumar's core areas as an advanced cardiovascular imaging specialist.

What to expect

The procedure is performed in the cath lab under local anaesthesia, usually with a short hospital stay. Most patients notice easier breathing quickly; regular echo follow-up tracks the valve over the years afterwards.