[Balloon dilatation of the pulmonary valve within the first 40 days of life in critical valvular pulmonary stenosis, Fallot's tetralogy and following surgical or interventional high-frequency opening of pulmonary atresia].

A balloon-valvuloplasty of the pulmonary valve (BVP) was carried out in 14 patients within the first 40 days of life. Six infants had a critical valvular pulmonary stenosis with intact ventricular septum (group S), 5 infants had a pulmonary atresia with intact ventricular septum (group A), and 3 infants had a tetralogy of Fallot (group F). In 4 of the 5 patients of group A the BVP was preceded by operative opening of the pulmonary valve. In one case radiofrequency perforation of the valve during the first diagnostic cardiac catheterization could be carried out successfully. The average value of the ratio of the balloon diameter to the diameter of the pulmonary valve was 1.31 +/- 0.20. The systolic pressure in the right ventricle dropped 51 mm Hg (from 106 +/- 32 mm Hg to 55 +/- 9 mm Hg) in group S and 33 mm Hg (from 101 +/- 27 mm Hg to 68 +/- 19 mm Hg) in group A. In group F the arterial oxygen saturation increased 15%, however the pressure of the right ventricle was, after the BVP, slightly higher than before. The average residual gradients after BVP were in group S 28 +/- 15 mm Hg, in group A 34 +/- 12 mm Hg and in group F 48 +/- 18 mm Hg.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)