A wire technique to cross the congenitally stenotic aortic valve

We describe a double-catheter "rendezvous" technique that allows the successful placement of a balloon valvotomy catheter retrogradely across a congenitally stenotic aortic valve when traditional single-catheter retrograde methods fail. An important therapeutic procedure that might otherwise be abandoned can be completed with only the additional procedure of a transseptal atrial puncture and a second arterial entry.