Evaluation of Right Ventricular End Systolic Pressure before and after Percutaneous Balloon Mitral Commissurotomy

Abstract

Background: Still common in underserved regions, rheumatic mitral stenosis exerts relentless pressure on the right heart and invites arrhythmias; yet, exactly how quickly percutaneous balloon mitral commissurotomy (PBMC) eases these burdens has scarcely been charted. Methods: Eighty adults (mean age 38.7 ± 8.8 years; 83.8 % female) who underwent PBMC between April and October 2024 were reviewed retrospectively. Pre‑procedure and 24‑hour post‑procedure echocardiograms measured right ventricular end‑systolic pressure (RVESP), mitral valve area (MVA), trans‑mitral gradient, right ventricular diastolic diameter (RVDD), and left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF). Arrhythmias—premature beats and atrial tachycardia—were tallied before and after PBMC. Paired statistical tests probed the shifts. Results: Remarkably, RVESP plunged from 51.2 ± 11.5 to 42.8 ± 10.3 mmHg (p