Definition: A procedure to widen a narrowed (stenotic) aortic valve in the heart using a balloon.
Procedure Steps:
1. Similar access to angiography (often femoral artery or vein).
2. A catheter with a balloon is guided to the aortic valve.
3. The balloon is inflated across the valve, stretching it open and fracturing the calcified plaques.
4. The balloon is deflated and removed.
Purpose / Benefits:
• Purpose: A temporary solution for severe aortic stenosis in patients who are not immediate candidates for valve replacement.
• Benefits:
o Can provide symptomatic relief.
o Can be a “bridge” to a more definitive treatment like TAVR (Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement) or open-heart surgery.