An all-purpose dilator on a flexible wire for transatrial mitral and tricuspidal commissurotomy

The author proposed a new dilator on a flexible wire intended for an all-purpose use through transatrial approaches in mitral and tricuspidal commissurotomy. This dilator was employed in performing operations in about 500 patients with a total death rate of 2.2 per cent. An analysis of the performed operation showed the dilator to be equally convenient in using it both from the sinistral transauricular and dextral approaches via the inter atrial septum. The lethality among patients operated on from the sinistral approach comprised 0.8, from the dextral among seriously ill patients with mitral stenosis - 2.6, in restenosis - 1 and in mitral-tricuspidal stenosis - 1.7 per cent.