Balloon Pulmonary Valvotomy

About Balloon Pulmonary Valvotomy

Balloon pulmonary valvotomy is a catheter-based procedure used to treat pulmonary valve stenosis, a condition in which the valve controlling blood flow from the heart's right ventricle to the lungs is abnormally narrowed, forcing the heart to work harder and reducing blood flow to the lungs. It is often diagnosed in infants, children, or young adults, sometimes as part of a congenital heart condition present from birth. During the procedure, a cardiologist guides a catheter with a deflated balloon at its tip through a vein, usually in the groin, into the narrowed valve, then inflates the balloon to stretch it open and relieve the obstruction. The procedure is performed under sedation or general anesthesia in a catheterization laboratory, guided by X-ray and echocardiographic imaging, and typically takes one to two hours. Because it avoids open-heart surgery, recovery is usually quick, with most patients observed overnight and discharged within a day or two. India's pediatric and structural cardiology centers routinely perform balloon valvotomy for both children and adults, with careful pre-procedure imaging to confirm suitability. Families traveling for this procedure typically plan for a short stay of about a week, including pre-procedure assessment and follow-up echocardiography.