Impact of balloon mitral valvotomy on quality of life and psychiatric morbidity in patients with severe mitral stenosis

Objectives: To evaluate the quality of life (QoL), psychiatric comorbidities in patients with rheumatic heart disease-mitral stenosis (RHD-MS), and the impact of balloon mitral valvotomy (BMV) on the QoL and psychiatric morbidity. Materials and Methods: Fifty consecutive patients of RHD-MS were evaluated for QoL and psychiatric morbidity prior to BMV and at 3 months after the procedure. Results: The mean age of the study sample was 34.9 years (standard deviation, 11.1 years). At baseline assessment, majority (94%) had New York Heart Association Class II/III symptoms and QoL scores below average, that is, 50. About two–fifth (19 out of 50) of the patients had one or more psychiatric comorbidity, that is, depression (32%), anxiety (16%), and somatoform disorder (12%). Those with psychiatric comorbidity had poor QoL scores in social, emotional, and mental subscales (P < 0.05) at the baseline. At 3-month follow-up, there were significant improvement in symptoms and transmitral pressure gradients (P < 0.05), QoL scores (P < 0.05), and psychiatric comorbidities (P < 0.05) after BMV. Improvements in QoL were irrespective of the baseline psychiatric comorbidity. Conclusions: High prevalence of psychiatric illness and poor QoL scores were observed in patients with RHD-MS. BMV significantly improves the QoL and psychiatric comorbidities.