What is BMV of heart?

What is BMV of heart?

What is BMV of heart? BMV is short form for balloon mitral valvotomy. Earlier the mitral valve (valve between left atrium and left ventricle), when it was narrowed, used to be opened mainly by surgical procedures like closed mitral valvotomy and open mitral valvotomy. But now most of the cases of mitral valve narrowing (mitral stenosis), are opened by a technique known as balloon mitral valvotomy, also known as percutaneous transmitral commissurotomy.

A catheter (a small tube) with a balloon at its tip is introduced through a skin puncture in the groin and guided up the femoral vein (vein in the groin) to the inferior vena cava (large blood vessel returning deoxygenated blood to the heart from the lower part of the body), into the right atrium. It is then introduced into the left atrium and left ventricle through a hole made in the inter atrial septum.

Left atrium is the left upper chamber of the heart and left ventricle the left lower chamber. Right atrium is the right upper chamber and right ventricle the right lower chamber of the heart. Mitral valve is the valve between the left atrium and left ventricle.

Whole procedure is done under local anaesthesia using X-ray imaging. Once the deflated balloon is confirmed to be across the narrowed mitral valve, it is inflating using diluted radiocontrast dye so as to visualize the balloon expansion under continuous X-ray imaging. The balloon is then deflated and withdrawn. The procedure result can be confirmed by echocardiography (ultrasound imaging of the heart).

BMV - inflation of balloon across mitral valve
BMV – inflation of balloon across mitral valve