Re: Aortic Valve

Posted By CCF CARDIO MD - DLB on October 25, 1998 at 10:26:02:

In Reply to: Aortic Valve posted by PAUL BELL on October 24, 1998 at 21:55:55:






     I have known I have a heart murmer since I was 19 (I'm now 44).
Recently, I had an episode of extreme shortness of breath after strenuous
work. I also had tightness in the chest and limb weakness.  I was checked
out and it was found I did not have a heart attack.  However, my doctor
ordered a stress test and echocardiogram.  As a result of these tests I
have been informed that while my heart is in generally good shape (no
blockages, good strength, etc.) my murmer is in my aortic valve.
My doctor has indicated that instead of the valve being made up of
three flaps, I only have two and there is a fair amount of leakage
back into the ventricle.  This has caused a slight expansion of the
ventricle. My doctor has indicated that this needs to be monitored (office
visit in two months, echocardiograms every six months).  If the ventricle
continues to enlarge, I will need valve replacement surgery.
  I would appreciate some information on this type of surgery.  
Specifically, I would like to know the risks, what happens, the recovery
time, physical limitations on recover,etc.  Any information would be
appreciated.
  

Dear Paul,
It sounds like you have a bicuspid aortic valve with aortic regurgitation, with signs of left ventricular dilatation. The surgery to fix this would be an aortic valve replacement. If your aorta is also dilated, potentially this would need to be repaired at the time of surgery. In a young healthy person such as yourself, with normal heart strength, the surgery would be relatively safe and low risk. The risks are those associated with open heart surgery, namely things like heart attack, stroke and death. You would probably be in the hospital 5 to 10 days. The recovery time is roughly six weeks. Once you have recovered, you should be able to go back to your usual level of activity.
I hope you find this information useful.  Information provided in the heart forum is for general purposes only.  Only your physician can provide specific diagnoses and therapies. Please feel free to write back with additional questions.
If you would like to make an appointment at the Cleveland Clinic Heart Center, please call 1-800-CCF-CARE or inquire online by using the Heart Center website at www.ccf.org/heartcenter.   The Heart Center website contains a directory of the cardiology staff that can be used to select the physician best suited to address your cardiac problem.