Abstract

Ffity nine patients underwent an operation between January, 1993 and April, 2000 for isolated pulmonary valve stenosis utilizing the inflow stasis technique. Patient ages ranged from 4 months to 44 years. All patients underwent preoperative two dimensional/doppler echocardiography (2D ECHO) to quantitate the peak systolic gradient between the right ventricle and pulmonary artery. Forty seven patients were studied postoperatively at one week, and forty nine were followed long term. The mean peak systolic gradient preoperatively was: 119.8 mmHg; one week postoperative: 30.07 mmHg, and long term: 17.7 mmHg. the average operative time for operative commisurotomy was one minute, thirty five seconds. There were no neurological complications. No patient required reoperation for residual stenosis. There were two perioperative deaths secondary to bleeding, (2/59)(3.3%). The overall results were good to excellent in 92%, fair in 6% and poor in 2%. Clinical examination and non invasive 2D ECHO has replaced cardiac catheterization to both confirm the clinical diagnosis and asswss the patients perioperatively. Pulmonary valvulotomy is an effective technique to alleviate isolated pulmonary valve stenosis, and is particularly applicable in emerging economies, like Vietnam.