ABSTRACT

Prior to the introduction of transseptal left heart catheterization, left atrial and left ventricular pressures were measured via transbronchial, transthoracic, and direct percutaneous approaches. Transseptal left heart catheterization was introduced independently by Ross et al.1 and Cope2 in 1959.The procedure was later modified by Brockenbrough et al.3 and Mullins.4 Although transseptal catheterization gained enormous popularity in the 1960s, the development of the flotation pulmonary catheter in 19705 and retrograde catheterization of the left ventricle led to a significant decline in the utilization of this technique.With the introduction of percutaneous balloon mitral valvuloplasty, antegrade percutaneous aortic valvuloplasty, percutaneous repair of atrial septal defects, mitral valve repair, and electrophysiologic ablation procedures, there has been renewed interest in transseptal catheterization.