The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) has issued full guidance to the NHS in England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland on balloon valvuloplasty for aortic valve stenosis in adults and children.

Description

This procedure is used to treat aortic valve stenosis (narrowing), which may be congenital, or may develop later in life.

Balloon aortic valvuloplasty involves dilatation of the aortic valve orifice using a balloon during cardiac catheterisation. This avoids the need for open chest surgery.

The standard treatment involves open chest surgery to perform a valvotomy, or to replace the valve.

Coding recommendations

K35.5 Percutaneous transluminal valvuloplasty

Includes: Percutanous transluminal balloon valvuloplasty

Y53.- Approach to organ under image control

Z32.2 Aortic valve

Note: Codes within category Y53.- are used as secondary codes to classify interventions that are percutaneous and require some form of image control: if the method of image control is unspecified, Y53.9 Unspecified approach to organ under image control is assigned.