Description
The pulmonary valve is a heart valve that allows blood from the body to return to the lung for oxygenation. The normal pulmonary valve has three leaflets. The leaflets may be malformed, thus causing the pulmonary valve to become too narrow (stenotic) or leaky (regurgitant). If the pulmonary stenosis is severe, balloon dilatation (valvuloplasty) can be performed to relieve the obstruction. A special balloon tipped catheter is placed across the stenotic valve. The balloon is then inflated, stretching the valve open. If the pulmonary valve is severely leaky, an operation is needed to repair or replace the malformed valve.