Emergency Balloon Valvuloplasty as Initial Treatment of Patients with Aortic Stenosis and Cardiogenic Shock

Abstract

Patients who have aortic stenosis with severe heart failure and cardiogenic shock usually do not survive. Since it has been shown that balloon aortic valvuloplasty may transiently improve severe left ventricular dysfunction in patients with aortic stenosis,^{1 2 3 4} we performed emergency balloon valvuloplasty in 10 patients with aortic stenosis (8 men and 2 women) who had cardiogenic shock refractory to intensive medical therapy. Valve replacement was considered to have a prohibitive risk.