Left ventricular filling and ejection fraction after successful percutaneous balloon mitral valvuloplasty

The effect of percutaneous balloon mitral valvuloplasty (PBMV) on left ventricular (LV) filling and ejection fraction (EF) still remains controversial. We evaluated LV filling and EF in 23 patients (19 women and four men, mean age 35.6±9.6, range 17–56 years) with mitral stenosis (MS) and sinus rhythm immediately before and after successful PBMV not complicated with significant mitral regurgitation and arrhythmia during left ventriculography. After PBMV mean mitral valve area increased from 1.4±0.2 to 2.2±0.3 cm2 (P<0.01), mean mitral valve gradient (MVG) decreased from 18.6±5.7 to 6.9±3.2 mmHg (P<0.01) and mean left atrial pressure (LAP) decreased from 26.0±8.2 to 12.3±5.2 mmHg (P<0.01). We did not determine any change in EF (before PBMV 61.8±9.3% and after PBMV 61.8±7.6% (P>0.05)). Heart rate did not change significantly before and after valvuloplasty (P>0.05). Despite the decrease in LAP and MVG, the early diastolic filling fraction of left ventricle did not change (before PBMV 59.5±7.5%, after PBMV 57.8±8.9% (P>0.05)). Also, we did not determine any increase in LV end diastolic volume index (before PBMV 89.9±27.7 cm3/m2 and after PBMV 84.6±20.9 cm3/m2 (P>0.05)). However, LV end diastolic pressure increased significantly after PBMV (from 6.6±3.0 to 11.3±4.9 mmHg (P<0.01)). We conclude that in patients with MS, LV diastolic performance is impaired and LV EF does not change acutely after PBMV.