How is a balloon pulmonary valvuloplasty performed?
Balloon pulmonary valvuloplasty is performed as part of a procedure called a cardiac catheterization. In children, this procedure should generally be performed by pediatric cardiologists in medical centers which are equipped and qualified to care for children with congenital heart disease. For a BPV, the catheterization is generally performed using a combination of local and general anesthesia. Flexible, sterile tubes are introduced into blood vessels, usually in the groin area, and are sufficiently long to reach the inside of the heart as well as the major blood vessels. Movement of the catheters in the heart and vessels is monitored by fluoroscopy, which uses radiation energy to produce a picture on a TV monitor located in the catheterization lab. Pressures in the right ventricle (before the pulmonic valve, and therefore at higher pressure) and the pulmonary artery (after the valve, at lower pressure) are directly measured by placing the catheter tip in each area. The catheter is con
