Pulmonary Stenosis

Pulmonary stenosis is a heart condition in which the valve that is located between the right ventricle and the pulmonary artery is unable to open completely. This causes the right ventricle to work harder than normal. Depending on how much pressure is exerted on the valve, the condition may be characterized as mild, moderate or severe. A severe case of pulmonary stenosis can cause shortness of breath and chest pain with physical exertion, and may even cause a blue coloration of the skin due to the insufficient amount of oxygen that is flowing to the lungs. Such cases require medical treatment. Where once an open heart surgery was the only option, today many of these repairs can be accomplished via a minimally invasive cardiac catheterization procedure that allows the patient to return home the very next day. However, if the balloon technique doesn’t help, surgical replacement of the valve may be required.