Emergency aortic valvuloplasty was performed as a last resort in 34 patients with an average age of 76 years with critical aortic stenosis in the terminal stages with congestive cardiac failure or cardiogenic shock. Emergency aortic valve replacement was considered to be too risky in these cases. The valve was dilated in all patients, resulting in a fall in mean peak-to-peak pressure gradients from 59 mmHg to 21 mmHg and an increase in valve surface area from 0.42 cm2 to 0.85 cm2. Significant improvement in myocardial function was observed immediately after the procedure with an increase of the cardiac index from 1.77 l/min/m2 to 2.07 l/min/m2 and of the ejection fraction from 28% to 35%. Complications were rare. There were no deaths or cerebrovascular accidents during the valvuloplasty procedure. Two patients died in hospital (6%) after the dilatation and two other patients who had persistent pulmonary oedema, underwent surgery; one died and the other had a good surgical result. A clear cut clinical improvement was obtained in the other 30 patients. The patients were followed up for an average of 15 +/- 7 months during which 15 died (50%), 6 +/- 5 months after dilatation. The other 15 survivors have a significant and unhoped for functional improvement. Three young patients later underwent surgical valve replacement in good clinical conditions with the same operative risk as that of standard candidates for aortic valve surgery. One other patient was operated on successfully during another relapse of cardiac failure. These results show that aortic valvuloplasty may be undertaken with a low risk even in the most critical clinical situations and that the procedure rapidly relieves the invalidating symptoms. It may be used as a bridge to surgery in patients with an unacceptable operative risk. The indications should be very flexible in young patients in terminal cardiac failure with cardiogenic shock or refractory pulmonary oedema.