Bicuspid Valve

[KiKiBourg]

I am a 24 yr old female who three days ago was told I have a bicuspid valve. Heart problems have never been present in my family and I really know nothing about it. I am being sent to a Cardiologist in another town ( Doctors in this town where I am from are not well trusted) in one week. I am very nervous and scared all at the same time. Does anyone have any information to help? Do you have to have surgery for this kind of heart problem or can it be monitored?

[nickppatel]

I assume you mean a bicuspid aortic valve.  You might have aortic insufficiency, which means that blood is flowing back past the aortic valve.  People with bicuspid valves also tend to form aneurysms in their aortic roots (though not always).  Sometimes, surgery is required to fix the problem, whether the valve, the aorta or both.  Find a really good cardiologist - one at a big university, if possible - and go from there.  

And RELAX - it all sounds worse than it is.  The surgeries - if you even need one, that is - typically have fantastic success rates, especially for someone so young.  Yeah, it'll be difficult for awhile, but you'll pull through fine.  Just find a top-notch cardiologist and go from there.

Last, I don't know if this will apply in your case or whether you have an aneurysm, but you should click on my name and read my old posts about ARB/ACEi therapy.  These are drugs that have been shown to reduce/stabilize aortic aneurysms.  Get educated on that issue so that if the echo reveals an aneurysm, you know to talk to the cardiologist about that.  

Feel free to send me a message if you'd like.

[KiKiBourg]

I have already had the echocardiogram done and thats how they found it. I had to have that done because I am retaining allot of fluids and I get dizzy allot. Sometimes I am short of breath.

[cinnabar67]

Don't worry.  How was this problem found - are you having symptoms?

I was also born with a valve defect.  They have been monitoring it for the last 38 years (I'm 42 now).  Surgery will probably be needed eventually but they won't do it until your heart begins to show distress at having to compensate for the issue.

The cardiologist will probably start with an echocardiogram.  Basically it's an ultrasound of your heart and the blood flow.  It's non-invasive and completely painless.