Purpose of review
Fetal aortic valvuloplasty is intended to alter the natural history of
aortic stenosis evolving to hypoplastic left heart syndrome. The most recently reported data and advances on this procedure were reviewed.
Recent findings
The highlights of the latest experience are the advances in further understanding of the prenatal and postnatal natural history of this disease, and the way in which
fetal aortic valvuloplasty impacts on it, the identification of new predictors of biventricular outcome, and the report of postnatal survival of intervened patients. Recently reported short-term and middle-term results are encouraging. Experimental research on procedural aspects is ongoing, with no definite results. Multicenter studies are also ongoing.
Summary
In recent years, there have been advances in the understanding of the prenatal and postnatal process of
aortic stenosis evolving to hypoplastic left heart syndrome and the effects of
fetal aortic valvuloplasty, as well as the need of adequate postnatal therapeutic strategies for these patients. Procedural aspects are being studied with animal models, but still need far more experience before human application. Long-term results are still to be discovered, and multicenter studies may provide a new perspective. Continuing research is mandatory so that ultimately
fetal heart intervention finds its place among the therapeutic resources for
congenital heart disease.
