mitral valve stenosis

[tiffany496]

I've been diagnose with mitral valve stenosis about 5 years ago.  I'm 33 and feeling fine but my latest echo shows that my mitral valve has gotten narrower.  My doctor wants me to have balloon valvuplasty done. What are the risk of having this done.  Once the balloon is in, how many years can one go w/o needing a mitral valve replace?  Trying to find out if anyone out there ever had this procedure done or has done this procedure on a patient and what was the outcome.  Any advise is greatly appreciated.

Tiffany

[Cleveland Clinic]

I really think that you should ask the physician who has offered to perform the procedure what his usual risk and complications are, because this procedure is very operator dependent. It is unlikely to improve your life expectancy, but will improve symptoms if the valve is narrow enough and you have significant symptoms which limit your ability to exert yourself to your usual level of activity. If you are not limited, then this is not likely to improve your symptoms.
Now it does have significant risks, the most common and dangerous being embolic events to brain (i.e. strokes ) or to the extremities. It also has a risk of causing irreversible mitral regurgitation which may require open heart surgery to repair.
In my experience we usually wait until the onset of symptoms ( at least mild in nature) which in patients with rheumatic disease is about 20 years later than your own age is.  

[lauraboo6]

A related discussion, I had a mitral valvuloplasty was started.

[tiffany496]

Can you explain what these symptoms are that are mild in nature?  Also is it best to have it done before one plan on having a baby?

Tiffany