Balloon procedures may be recommended for mitral stenosis but are not usually considered for the aortic valve.
In a case of mitral stenosis -- where the mitral valve is tight -- a treatment called a balloon procedure is sometimes an effective way to pop open the valve.
When a balloon procedure works, a major surgery to repair or replace a tight mitral valve may not be required.
However, balloon procedures are not generally effective for aortic stenosis. In most cases where the aortic valve is tight, the diseased, thickened, or calcified valve must be replaced with an artificial valve. When valves are leaking, then it’s a different story. A leaking mitral valve can often be repaired without open heart surgery, but aortic valves are more difficult to repair so when patients have severely leaking aortic valves, usually surgery is required.