Right Ventricular Outflow Tract (RVOT) Interventions

Since first reported in 1982; balloon angioplasty (also referred to as balloon valvuloplasty (BVP)) remains the treatment of choice for valvar pulmonary stenosis (PS) with no major cardiac disease. In valvar PS, commonly the pulmonary valve (PV) leaflets are thin and compliant but display often partially fused commissures, resulting in dome-shaped valves which usually respond well to balloon dilation. In contrast, a small subgroup of thickened dysplastic PVs shows a lower success rate with BVP; the same is true for stenotic PVs that are commonly seen in Noonan syndrome; nevertheless, given the low incidence of complications BVP is usually still attempted.