How Balloon Valvuloplasty Widens a Narrowed Heart Valve Through a Catheter

The stairs gave it away. Not the first flight, but the second, where a woman in her early fifties found herself stopping to catch her breath with a hand on the rail, pretending to check her phone. Her echocardiogram later showed a mitral valve scarred by a childhood bout of rheumatic fever, its two leaflets fused at the edges like a door swollen shut in damp weather. Her cardiologist mentioned a balloon.

That word tends to land oddly in a conversation about the heart. A balloon sounds fragile, almost playful, and yet understanding how balloon valvuloplasty works reveals a procedure built on a simple mechanical idea: if a valve is stuck because its edges have grown together, controlled pressure from inside can pull those edges apart again.

This explainer walks through what happens, which valves respond, who is usually offered it and who is asked to wait, what the following weeks look like, and which myths deserve retiring. Every decision, as always, rests with the team who knows your heart.

What is a narrowed heart valve, and why does stenosis matter?

Every heartbeat pushes blood through four one-way doors. Each door is a valve: a set of thin flaps, called leaflets, that swing open to let blood through and snap shut to stop it sliding backwards. Stenosis is the medical word for a valve that has become narrowed and stiff, so the door no longer opens fully.

The heart responds the way any pump does when its outlet shrinks: it works harder. Behind a narrowed mitral valve, pressure backs up into the left atrium and then into the lungs, which is why breathlessness on exertion is so often the first thing people notice. Behind a narrowed aortic valve, the left ventricle thickens from years of pushing against resistance. The American Heart Association describes stenosis as leaflets that thicken, stiffen or fuse together, forcing the heart to strain to move blood through a smaller opening.

Three causes account for most cases. Rheumatic fever, a complication of untreated strep throat, scars the mitral valve years after the original infection and remains a leading cause of mitral stenosis worldwide, according to Mayo Clinic. Calcium deposits build up on the aortic valve with age, much as they can stiffen arteries. And some people are born with a malformed valve, most often the pulmonary valve or an aortic valve with two leaflets instead of three.

Why does the mechanism matter to a patient? Because it decides whether a balloon can help. A valve whose leaflets are fused at their edges but still reasonably supple can often be stretched open. A valve that has become a rigid, chalky mass of calcium usually cannot be, at least not for long. When a cardiologist studies your echocardiogram, an ultrasound scan of the heart, this distinction is one of the first things they are trying to settle.

How balloon valvuloplasty works, step by step

The procedure borrows its logic from plumbing rather than carpentry: instead of cutting the valve, the team stretches it from the inside. Here is how balloon valvuloplasty works in practice.

A cardiologist numbs a small area at the top of the thigh and places a sheath, a short hollow tube, into a blood vessel there. For the mitral and pulmonary valves the entry point is usually a vein; for the aortic valve it is usually an artery. Through this sheath, a catheter, a long flexible tube roughly the width of a strand of spaghetti, is advanced toward the heart while X-ray imaging shows its position in real time.

Reaching the mitral valve takes an extra step. That valve sits on the left side of the heart, and the catheter arrives on the right, so the team makes a small controlled puncture through the thin wall between the two upper chambers. This is called a transseptal puncture, and the tiny opening usually closes on its own over the following weeks.

Once a guidewire crosses the narrowed valve, a deflated balloon is threaded over it and parked exactly in the opening. The balloon is then inflated for a few seconds. Pressure splits the leaflets along their fused seams and stretches the ring that holds them. Blood flow is briefly interrupted during each inflation, which is why inflations are kept short and the heart rhythm is watched closely.

Imaging follows immediately. Echocardiography, from a probe placed in the esophagus or on the chest, measures the new opening, checks the pressure drop across the valve and looks for any new leak. If the opening remains too tight and the valve is not leaking, a slightly larger balloon or a second inflation may be used. When the team is satisfied, everything is withdrawn and the vessel is sealed with pressure or a small closure device. Johns Hopkins describes the whole approach as treating the valve without opening the chest.

Balloon mitral valvuloplasty, pulmonary and aortic: which valves respond best?

Not all narrowed valves are narrowed in the same way, and the balloon rewards one pattern above the others: leaflets fused at their edges but still pliable in the middle.

Balloon mitral valvuloplasty is the classic adult application. Rheumatic disease tends to glue the two mitral leaflets together at the points where they meet, called the commissures, while leaving the body of each leaflet relatively soft. A balloon inflated across that fused line cracks the commissures open, which is exactly the failure a surgeon would once have corrected by hand through an open chest. Mayo Clinic lists this procedure among the standard treatments for mitral stenosis when the valve anatomy is suitable.

Pulmonary valve stenosis is usually congenital, meaning present from birth, and the leaflets are often thin and dome-shaped rather than calcified. MedlinePlus notes that balloon dilation is frequently the first treatment chosen for children with this problem, and results in this setting tend to hold up well because there is little scar or calcium to reform.

Aortic stenosis is the tricky one. In children and young adults born with a two-leaflet aortic valve, ballooning can be a reasonable way to buy time and growth before a definitive operation. In older adults, though, the narrowing is mostly calcium, and calcium does not stay stretched. Cleveland Clinic and the NHS both describe adult calcific aortic stenosis as a condition for which valve replacement, surgical or catheter-based, is the usual definitive path, with ballooning reserved for particular circumstances such as stabilizing someone who is too unwell for replacement at that moment.

The tricuspid valve, on the right side of the heart, is narrowed only rarely, and ballooning it is uncommon. If your team mentions it, ask them to explain why your anatomy makes it an option.

Who balloon valvuloplasty is usually for, and who is usually asked to wait

Two questions drive the decision: is the narrowing causing enough trouble to justify intervening, and is the valve shaped in a way the balloon can fix?

People typically offered the procedure have a valve that is significantly narrowed on echocardiogram, symptoms or measurable strain on the heart that match that narrowing, and leaflets that remain flexible with limited calcium. For mitral stenosis, the team also wants to see no more than a mild leak through the valve already, because ballooning tends to increase any leak that exists. Younger adults with rheumatic mitral disease, children with pulmonary stenosis, and pregnant women whose mitral stenosis has become hard to manage with medicines are among the groups where guideline bodies consider it a reasonable first option.

Others are usually asked to wait or steered elsewhere. Someone with mild narrowing and no symptoms is often monitored rather than treated, since the risks of any procedure outweigh a benefit that has not yet arrived. A blood clot sitting in the left atrium is a firm reason to postpone mitral ballooning, because the catheter could dislodge it; the team will often use a transesophageal echocardiogram, an ultrasound probe passed into the esophagus, to check for this beforehand. Heavy calcification, thickened rigid leaflets, or a valve that already leaks moderately point toward surgery or replacement instead.

Waiting is not the same as doing nothing. Regular echocardiograms track the valve area and the pressures behind it, and the American Heart Association emphasizes that valve disease is managed over years, with the timing of any intervention adjusted as the picture changes. If you have been told to wait, it is fair to ask what specific change would move you into the treatment group, and how often you will be checked.

Balloon valvuloplasty vs valve replacement: how the options compare

The choice is rarely balloon or nothing. For most narrowed valves there are three or four routes, and the honest comparison depends on the valve involved and the person carrying it. The table below summarizes how the options differ in principle; your team will weigh them against your own anatomy and health.

Option	How it is done	Usually considered for	Main limitation
Balloon valvuloplasty	Catheter from the groin; balloon stretched across the valve under X-ray and ultrasound	Pliable, fused leaflets: rheumatic mitral stenosis, congenital pulmonary or aortic stenosis	Narrowing can return; may worsen an existing leak
Surgical repair	Open operation; surgeon separates fused leaflets and reshapes the valve	Valves too damaged for a balloon but still repairable	Recovery from open surgery; not all valves are repairable
Surgical valve replacement	Open operation; valve removed and replaced with a mechanical or tissue valve	Heavily calcified or leaking valves	Longer recovery; mechanical valves need lifelong blood thinning
Transcatheter valve replacement	Catheter delivers a new valve that expands inside the old one	Adult calcific aortic stenosis, especially when open surgery is higher risk	Anatomy must suit the device; long-term durability still being studied
Monitoring with medicines	Regular echocardiograms; medicines manage symptoms and rhythm	Mild narrowing without symptoms	Does not change the valve itself

A pattern emerges. Ballooning is the least invasive route and leaves your own valve in place, which matters if you may need a future operation or if you are young enough to face decades of follow-up. Its trade-off is durability. The NHS describes aortic valve replacement, whether surgical or catheter-based, as the standard approach when an adult aortic valve is severely narrowed, precisely because stretched calcium tends to close back in. Mitral valves fused by rheumatic scarring behave differently and often stay open for years, which is why that valve remains the balloon’s strongest case in adults.

What tests happen before balloon valvuloplasty?

Most of the work happens before anyone touches a catheter. The team is building a detailed picture of the valve so that the balloon meets no surprises.

A transthoracic echocardiogram, the standard ultrasound through the chest wall, measures the valve area, the speed of blood crossing it and the pressures in the chambers behind it. It also scores the leaflets for thickness, mobility, calcium and how far the stiffness extends into the cords beneath, all of which predict whether a balloon is likely to work. A transesophageal echocardiogram often follows for mitral cases, giving a closer view and, crucially, checking the left atrium for clot.

An electrocardiogram records the heart rhythm. Atrial fibrillation, an irregular rhythm common in long-standing mitral stenosis, changes the plan around blood thinning and clot risk. Blood tests check kidney function, because X-ray contrast dye is filtered by the kidneys, along with clotting and blood count. Some people also have a CT scan or a diagnostic catheter study to measure pressures directly.

The medicines conversation deserves its own appointment. Many people with valve disease take an anticoagulant, a medicine that slows clotting to prevent strokes, and the team will decide whether and how it is paused around the procedure. This is a decision made by the prescribing clinician on the basis of your individual clot and bleeding risk; never adjust these medicines on your own. Tell the team about every tablet and supplement you take, including over-the-counter pain relievers, which can increase bleeding.

Practical preparation is simpler. You will be asked not to eat or drink for a set period beforehand, to arrange someone to take you home, and to shower the morning of the procedure. Johns Hopkins also advises telling the team about any allergy to contrast dye, iodine or latex, and about any chance of pregnancy, since X-ray imaging is involved.

What does the procedure feel like on the day?

People arrive expecting something like surgery and often find something closer to a long, closely supervised scan.

Adults are usually awake, or lightly sedated, for balloon valvuloplasty. The groin is numbed with local anesthetic, which stings for a moment and then goes quiet. After that, most people describe pressure rather than pain as the sheath goes in. The catheter itself cannot be felt moving through the vessels, since blood vessels have no pain nerves on the inside. A monitor beeps steadily; a screen above the table shows a grey, flickering image of your heart; the team talks in short, practical sentences.

Two moments stand out. When contrast dye is injected, a warm flush spreads across the chest or pelvis for a few seconds, and some people briefly feel they have wet themselves, though they have not. When the balloon inflates, blood flow through the valve pauses, and you may feel a fullness in the chest, a fluttering heartbeat, or light-headedness. The team will warn you before each inflation and it lasts only seconds. Cleveland Clinic notes that people are monitored throughout and may be asked to hold their breath or stay very still at key points.

For mitral cases, the transesophageal probe means a numbed throat and a sensation of pressure when swallowing; deeper sedation is often used for comfort. Children and some adults have the procedure under general anesthesia instead.

The whole thing is measured in hours rather than a full day, though your team will give you a more specific estimate for your case. Afterwards the sheath is removed, the site is pressed firmly or sealed, and you lie flat for a period so the vessel can close. Bring headphones or a podcast; that flat, still stretch is the part most people find longest.

Balloon valvuloplasty risks: what can go wrong and how teams prepare

Every catheter procedure carries risk, and a balloon inflated inside a beating heart is no exception. Understanding the mechanisms helps the numbers your team gives you make sense.

The most common problems happen at the access site. Bruising is expected; a larger collection of blood under the skin, called a hematoma, or damage to the vessel wall is less common and is why you lie flat afterwards and why the site is checked repeatedly before you leave. People taking blood thinners are watched more closely.

Inside the heart, the main concern is trading a narrow valve for a leaky one. Splitting fused leaflets can occasionally tear one, so blood flows backwards through the valve, a condition called regurgitation. Johns Hopkins lists worsening regurgitation among the recognized risks, and it is the main reason people with an existing moderate leak are steered toward surgery instead. Severe new regurgitation is uncommon but may need an operation to correct.

Other recognized risks include:

• Stroke or embolism, if a fragment of clot or calcium breaks free and travels to the brain or another organ; pre-procedure imaging for clot and, where appropriate, blood thinning are the main safeguards.
• Rhythm disturbances during inflation, usually brief and self-correcting.
• Injury to the heart wall causing bleeding into the sac around the heart, a rare but serious event that the team is equipped to drain.
• A small persistent hole between the upper chambers after transseptal puncture; most close or are too small to matter.
• Kidney strain from contrast dye, particularly in people with existing kidney disease.
• Infection, allergic reaction to dye, and radiation exposure, all low but not zero.

Restenosis, the narrowing coming back, is better described as a limitation than a complication, and it is covered in its own section. Ask your team how each of these risks applies to you specifically; a person with a supple mitral valve and normal rhythm faces a different profile from someone with heavy calcium and atrial fibrillation.

Balloon valvuloplasty recovery time: the first days and weeks

Recovery from a catheter procedure has a particular shape: a demanding first few hours, a bruised first week, and then a return to ordinary life that is usually faster than people expect.

Immediately afterwards, you lie flat with the treated leg straight for several hours so the vessel can seal. Nurses check the site, the pulse in your foot and your blood pressure at regular intervals. Johns Hopkins describes an overnight hospital stay as common, with some people going home the same day depending on how the procedure went and how quickly the access site settles. Before discharge, most centers repeat an echocardiogram to record the new valve opening and confirm there is no significant leak.

At home, expect a bruise at the groin that may spread down the thigh and change color over a week or two; this is normal. A firm lump the size of a grape under the skin is also common. What is not normal is a lump that grows, bleeds, or becomes hot and painful, and those signs appear in the red-flag section below.

Activity returns in stages. Walking around the house is encouraged from the first day. Heavy lifting, straining and vigorous exercise are usually avoided for about a week to protect the puncture site, and your team will tell you when driving is sensible, since a sudden emergency stop puts pressure on the groin. Many people notice their breathing improve within days, because the mechanical obstruction has been eased, while the heart itself takes longer to remodel around its new workload.

Balloon valvuloplasty recovery time, in short, is measured in days for the wound and weeks for the heart. Keep the follow-up appointment even if you feel well; it is where the team confirms the result is holding and sets the schedule for future checks.

How long does balloon valvuloplasty last, and what does follow-up involve?

A stretched valve is a treated valve, not a new one. How long the improvement lasts depends chiefly on which valve was treated and what caused the narrowing in the first place.

Pulmonary valves ballooned in childhood often stay open for many years, sometimes into adulthood, because the thin congenital leaflets have little tendency to scar back together. MedlinePlus notes that people treated for pulmonary stenosis still need lifelong periodic checks, since some develop a leaky valve later or need a repeat procedure as they grow.

Rheumatic mitral valves opened by balloon commonly remain improved for years, but rheumatic disease is a slow, ongoing process and the commissures can gradually fuse again. Mayo Clinic describes this recurrence, called restenosis, as a recognized reason for repeat ballooning or eventual surgery. A second balloon procedure is often possible if the leaflets remain pliable.

Adult calcific aortic valves are the outlier. Calcium deposits tend to reclose the stretched opening within months, which is why guideline bodies and centers such as Cleveland Clinic frame ballooning in this setting as a bridge to valve replacement or a way to ease symptoms when replacement is not currently possible, rather than as a lasting fix.

Follow-up therefore matters more than the procedure day. A typical pattern is an echocardiogram before discharge, another within the first months, and then regular scans whose spacing your team sets. Medicines may continue: anticoagulants if you have atrial fibrillation, since the rhythm rather than the valve drives clot risk, and for people with rheumatic disease, long-term antibiotic protection against further strep infections, prescribed and reviewed by the treating clinician. None of these is changed by the procedure alone, and none should be started or stopped without that team’s direction.

How balloon valvuloplasty works for babies and children

Congenital pulmonary stenosis, and less often congenital aortic stenosis, means many of the people having this procedure are small enough to be carried into the catheter lab. The mechanics are the same; the pathway around them is different.

Diagnosis often begins with a murmur heard at a routine check, or with an echocardiogram after a prenatal scan raised a question. MedlinePlus describes pulmonary stenosis as ranging from mild forms that need only monitoring to severe forms, sometimes apparent in the first days of life, where a newborn struggles to get enough oxygen and the valve must be opened urgently. Between those extremes, the timing is chosen by a pediatric cardiology team based on the pressure difference across the valve and how the right ventricle is coping.

Children have the procedure under general anesthesia, so they are asleep and still throughout. Preparation involves a fasting period tailored to age, a pre-assessment visit where the anesthesia team meets the family, and often a chance to see the room or handle a toy version of the equipment. Most centers allow a parent to stay until the child is asleep and to be present when they wake.

The catheter enters through a vein at the top of the leg, as in adults, and the balloon is sized to the child’s valve. Because the valve will grow with the child, the aim is to relieve the obstruction now while accepting that another procedure may be needed later.

Recovery is usually brief. Children are kept lying flat for a shorter period, monitored overnight in many cases, and are typically back to normal play within days, with a bruise at the groin as the main visible sign. Comfort measures, rest and gentle activity are the focus; any medicines are decided and dosed by the pediatric team, never from a general article.

What people often get wrong about balloon valvuloplasty

Because the procedure shares its tools with angioplasty for blocked arteries, it inherits a set of assumptions that do not fit. A few are worth correcting.

The balloon removes a blockage. It does not. There is no plaque scooped out and no stent left behind in the valve. The balloon splits fused leaflets and stretches the valve ring; the valve tissue itself stays where it was. This is why it works well on fusion and poorly on solid calcium.

It is a permanent fix. The improvement is real, but the underlying disease continues. Rheumatic scarring can re-fuse the leaflets and calcium can reclose an aortic valve, which is why every guideline source stresses ongoing echocardiogram follow-up rather than discharge and goodbye.

It is the same as a transcatheter valve replacement. Both use a catheter, but one stretches your existing valve and the other implants a new one inside it. They are chosen for different valves and different reasons, as the comparison table above shows.

Feeling better means the problem is gone. Symptoms often ease quickly because the mechanical obstruction has been relieved. The heart muscle and the atrium behind the valve take longer to recover, and some changes, particularly a long-standing irregular rhythm, may not reverse at all.

It is the easy option that anyone can have. Suitability is decided by valve anatomy, not by preference. A heavily calcified or already leaky valve may make a balloon riskier than an operation. Being turned down for the balloon is a statement about the valve, not about you.

Blood thinners can stop once the valve is open. For most people on an anticoagulant, the reason is atrial fibrillation, and that rhythm is not treated by the balloon. Any change to those medicines is a decision for the prescribing clinician.

Questions to ask your care team

A good consultation about balloon valvuloplasty leaves you able to explain, in your own words, why this procedure suits your valve and what the alternatives would mean. These questions help get there.

About suitability: Which valve is narrowed, and what caused it? How pliable are the leaflets and how much calcium did the echocardiogram show? Is there any leak already, and how might the balloon affect it? Was the left atrium checked for clot? What specifically about my anatomy makes a balloon a better or worse choice than surgery or a transcatheter replacement?

About the procedure: Will I be awake, sedated or under general anesthesia? Will a transseptal puncture be needed, and what happens to that small opening afterwards? What are the chances, in my case, of needing an operation soon after if the valve leaks?

About medicines: Which of my current medicines will be paused or continued around the procedure, and who will tell me exactly when? If I take an anticoagulant, what is the plan for it before, during and after? Will anything new be prescribed, and for how long?

About afterwards: How long should I expect to stay? When can I drive, return to work, lift my children or exercise? How will we know the result is holding, and how often will I need an echocardiogram? What would prompt a repeat procedure or a move to surgery in the future?

Write the answers down, or bring someone who will. The American Heart Association encourages people with valve disease to keep a record of their valve measurements over time; it turns a series of appointments into a story you can follow, and it makes the next decision easier when it comes.

When to call your doctor

Most recoveries are uneventful, and a soft, spreading bruise at the groin is expected. Certain signs, though, mean the team needs to hear from you promptly rather than at the next scheduled visit.

Call emergency services immediately if you develop sudden severe chest pain, sudden breathlessness at rest, fainting, a face droop, weakness or numbness on one side, slurred speech or sudden confusion. These can signal a stroke, a dangerous rhythm, bleeding around the heart or a valve that has begun to leak badly, all of which need urgent assessment.

Contact your care team the same day if you notice:

• Bleeding from the puncture site that does not stop with ten minutes of firm pressure, or a lump at the site that is growing quickly.
• A leg on the treated side that becomes cold, pale, numb, or much more painful than the other.
• Fever, or redness, warmth and increasing pain at the puncture site, which can indicate infection.
• A rapid, irregular or pounding heartbeat that persists, particularly if it is new for you.
• Breathlessness that is worse than before the procedure, swelling of the ankles, or needing to sleep propped up on more pillows than usual.
• Any sign of unusual bleeding if you take an anticoagulant: blood in urine or stool, black stools, or bruising that appears without injury.

People who were told to watch for a specific issue, for example a small opening between the heart chambers or a mild leak, should follow the individual advice they were given. When in doubt, call; a team would far rather reassure you over the phone than see a treatable problem arrive late. Keep the number for the cardiology unit somewhere visible in the first weeks, and bring your discharge summary to any emergency visit so the treating clinicians know exactly what was done and when.

Frequently asked questions

Is balloon valvuloplasty the same as angioplasty?

No, although both use a balloon on a catheter. Angioplasty opens a blocked artery by compressing plaque against the vessel wall, often leaving a stent behind. Balloon valvuloplasty inflates inside a heart valve to split leaflets that have fused together, and no stent is placed in the valve. The tools are similar; the target and the mechanism are different.

How long does balloon valvuloplasty take?

The procedure itself is typically measured in hours rather than a full day, with mitral cases often taking longer because of the extra step of crossing between the heart chambers. Add time for preparation beforehand and several hours lying flat afterwards while the puncture site seals. Johns Hopkins describes an overnight stay as common, though some people go home the same day when everything settles quickly.

What is the typical balloon valvuloplasty recovery time?

The puncture site heals over about a week, during which heavy lifting and vigorous exercise are usually avoided and a spreading bruise is normal. Breathing often improves within days because the obstruction has been eased, while the heart muscle adapts over weeks. Your team will tell you when driving and work are sensible, and a follow-up echocardiogram confirms the result is holding.

What are the main balloon valvuloplasty risks?

The most frequent issues are bruising or bleeding at the groin. Less common but more serious risks include a new or worsened leak through the valve, stroke from dislodged clot or calcium, rhythm disturbances during inflation, injury to the heart wall, kidney strain from contrast dye and infection. Your individual risk depends heavily on valve anatomy and rhythm, so ask your team how each applies to you.

Balloon valvuloplasty vs valve replacement: how do doctors choose?

The valve decides. Fused but pliable leaflets with little calcium and no significant leak favor the balloon, because it is less invasive and keeps your own valve. Heavy calcification, rigid leaflets or an existing moderate leak favor surgical repair or replacement, or a transcatheter valve for adult aortic stenosis. Age, other health conditions and how the heart is coping all feed into the discussion.

Can balloon valvuloplasty be repeated if the valve narrows again?

Often, yes. If a rheumatic mitral valve re-fuses over the years and the leaflets remain reasonably flexible, a second balloon procedure is a recognized option, as Mayo Clinic notes. Children treated for pulmonary stenosis may also need a repeat as they grow. When the valve has become heavily calcified or leaky, surgery or replacement becomes the more likely next step.

Does balloon valvuloplasty hurt?

Most adults describe pressure rather than pain. The groin is numbed with local anesthetic, and blood vessels have no pain nerves on the inside, so the catheter is not felt moving. Contrast dye causes a brief warm flush, and each balloon inflation can bring a few seconds of chest fullness or fluttering. Sedation is offered for comfort, and children have general anesthesia.

What is balloon mitral valvuloplasty specifically?

It is the version of the procedure aimed at the mitral valve, most often narrowed by rheumatic scarring that fuses the two leaflets at their edges. The catheter travels up a leg vein to the right atrium, crosses to the left atrium through a small controlled puncture, and the balloon is inflated across the fused valve. It is the strongest adult application of the technique.

Will I need blood thinners after balloon valvuloplasty?

That depends on your heart rhythm and other risk factors rather than on the procedure itself. Many people with mitral stenosis have atrial fibrillation, and an anticoagulant is prescribed to lower stroke risk from that rhythm; opening the valve does not change it. Some teams also use short-term blood thinning around the procedure. Every decision about starting, pausing or continuing these medicines sits with your prescribing clinician.

Can balloon valvuloplasty treat aortic stenosis in older adults?

It can ease symptoms, but usually only for months, because calcium deposits tend to reclose the stretched opening. For this reason, Cleveland Clinic and the NHS describe surgical or transcatheter valve replacement as the usual definitive treatment for severe adult aortic stenosis, with ballooning reserved as a bridge to replacement or to stabilize someone who is too unwell for a larger procedure at that moment.

References

• MedlinePlus: Pulmonary valve stenosis
• NHS: Aortic valve replacement

This article is for general information only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice. Please consult a qualified doctor about your individual situation.