Echocardiographic relation criteria. A new selection method for mitral valvotomy with balloon catheter

PURPOSE--To find out new subjects that could be useful to select patients between 9 and 12 points, according to Block's Criteria, to mitral balloon valvotomy. METHODS--One hundred and forty patients underwent mitral balloon valvotomy. Among them, 29 (21) had between 9 and 12 points. These patients were divided into two groups: group A-patients with mitral valve area > or = 1.5cm2, immediately after balloon valvotomy and in the follow-up period; group B-patients with mitral valve area or = 1, and in only 2 patients (17) was