Pediatric cardiology
September 15, 2026 · via Europe PMC
Outcomes After Neonatal Balloon Pulmonary Valvuloplasty: A Contemporary Multicenter Analysis.
Elsisy MF, Deniwar A, Aly HZ, Aly S
AI summary — for doctors, generated from the abstract only
Low birth weight and genetic syndrome, rather than critical pulmonary stenosis itself, predict poor outcomes after neonatal balloon pulmonary valvuloplasty.
What was studied
Retrospective multicenter analysis of 1,519 neonates in the PHIS database (2016-2025) who had balloon valvuloplasty for isolated pulmonary stenosis, 66% critical and 34% non-critical.
Key findings
- Pulmonary valve reintervention occurred in 3.5%, similar in both groups.
- Birth weight 2 kg or less (aOR 4.7) and genetic syndrome (aOR 7.3) were linked to the adverse composite of death or arrest.
- Low birth weight also predicted reintervention (aOR 3.2).
- Critical PS increased vascular complications, hospital stay and costs but not independent risk.
Clinical relevance
Neonatologists and pediatric cardiologists can better risk-stratify babies and counsel families, knowing the procedure has low reintervention rates.
Who should care
Limitations
Administrative database study that lacks detailed anatomic and procedural data and relies on coding accuracy.
Anticipate higher risk in small or syndromic neonates, but do not delay valvuloplasty merely because PS is critical.
This is an AI-generated summary of the published abstract, not a clinical recommendation. It may not reflect the full text or subsequent updates — verify against the original source before acting on it.
Abstract
Balloon pulmonary valvuloplasty (BPV) is the standard treatment for neonates with pulmonary stenosis (PS), but outcomes in this population remain undefined. We performed a retrospective study using Pediatric Health Information System data, including neonates undergoing BPV for isolated PS from 2016 to 2025. Patients with other congenital heart disease, except atrial septal defect or patent foramen ovale, were excluded. The cohort was divided into critical PS (requirement of Prostaglandin E1) and non-critical PS. The primary safety outcome was a composite of in-hospital mortality or cardiac arrest. The primary efficacy outcome included pulmonary valve reintervention (repeat BPV or surgical pulmonary valvotomy) after the index BPV. Among 1,519 neonates, 1,004 (66%) had critical PS and 515 (34%) had non-critical PS. The reintervention rate was 3.5%, similar between groups. BW ≤ 2 kg (aOR = 4.7) and genetic syndrome (aOR = 7.3), were all independently associated with adverse composite outcome. BW ≤ 2 kg was strongly associated with pulmonary valve reintervention (aOR = 3.2). Critical PS was not independently associated with adverse safety outcome or pulmonary valve reinterventions. Critical PS was associated with more vascular complications, longer hospitalization, and higher costs. Among neonates undergoing BPV for isolated PS, low birth weight was independently associated with both major safety events and pulmonary valve reinterventions. Although critical PS increased resource utilization but was not independently associated with adverse safety outcomes or reinterventions. Low birth weight increased procedural risk, highlighting physiologic vulnerability.
DOI
10.1007/s00246-026-04481-z
PMID
42742662
Research metadata (titles, abstracts, authors, publication dates) is sourced from Europe PMC, which aggregates content from PubMed/MEDLINE, PubMed Central, and other providers under the U.S. National Library of Medicine (NLM/NCBI). NLM does not claim copyright on abstracts; the original journal publishers or authors may hold rights to the full articles. AI-generated summaries are derived only from the abstract, never the full text, and are always labeled as AI-generated.
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