calcification of aortic wall

My thirteen year old son had his yearly check up a couple of days ago and the echo showed that he has calcification in the aortic wall. His cadioligist has ordered a stress test and a holter. Mickey had a aortic valve replacement with an aortic homograft on 12-3-01. He also had prior surgries dated 11-11-96 for subaortic stenosis. Then on 7-5-00 they performed a modified konno procedure. Then on 8-30-00, the patch pulled through this atrophied area. Luckily I caught this in time.

My question is why would there be calcification in the aortic wall this soon or at all?  

Also from reading the archives on this site I found that certain vitamins can reduce calcification. I wonder why his doctors never mentioned this?  

Thank you in advance for your response to my concerns and son's problems!

[CCF-M.D.-MJM]

lauraleespears1,

I am sorry to hear about your son's illness and hope he is doing well.

Calcium deposits form on all homografts, it is just a matter of time.  They may form faster in some people than others, but there is no way to predict who those people are.

The reason your doctor never mentioned any vitamins to you is because there is no randomized study to show that any vitamins significantly reduce calcium deposit.  Vitamin companies do not do randomized trials like pharmaceutical companies and do not need FDA backing to release their product.  For some reason, people still spend billions on vitamins that are not proven to help.  From the manufacturer stand point, why should they spend the money if people still by them without the studies.

I hope this helps and good luck!

[I'mallheart]

vitamins are proven to help... the dr just dont want to tell there clients that cause they dont get a commission on them like they do drugs, by the way did you know in order for a drug to people approved in must kill certain number of mice.. Shaklee witch is the number one supplement company has a pharemutial grade quaility, patens on products..there facility is as good of quality fitzers plant.. they do millions of research... think of it this way our bodies are designed to heal them self..we are not lacking beta blockers or something...we are lacking nutrients and minerals.. especially today with all the pesticides and way they alter foods thats why we must supplement are bodies..but not with just any vitamins, cause true alot of them are bad companies, no financial backing or tests and are liver friendly.. another good company inwhich is in the Physician Manual and numerous Medical Journals is Mannatech, Glyconutirents in which help reproduce own natural stem cells..
look into this stuff