Balloon pre-dilatation

Procedural Concepts

In patients with severe calcific aortic stenosis, balloon aortic valvuloplasty (BAV) is routinely performed in order to pre-dilate the stenosed aortic valve prior to transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI). Although pre-dilatation is considered to be essential for the preparation of the valve landing zone, there is no clear evidence to support its clinical value.