Top 5 Conditions that Require Aortic Valve Replacement

You might need aortic valve replacement surgery if your aortic valve has a problem.

Aortic valve replacement is a form of open heart surgery that helps treat problems with the heart's aortic valve, which controls blood flow from the heart to the rest of the body.

This procedure involves removing a faulty or diseased valve and replacing it with a new valve made of synthetic materials.

Because we know, “With a healthy heart, the beat goes on.”

What is Aortic Valve Replacement?

Aortic valve replacement or aortic valve repair is the procedure that helps treat a damaged or diseased aortic valve, one of the fur valves that control blood flow in the heart.

When the heart squeezes, the aortic valve opens, letting blood flow from the left heart chamber and the main artery (aorta).

The diseased valve can interface with blood flow and force it to work harder to send blood to the rest of the body.

Top 5 Conditions that Require Aortic Valve Replacement

Repair or replacement directly improves blood flow and alleviates heart valve disease symptoms. Now, here are the conditions that require aortic valve replacement:

1. Aortic valve regurgitation

Aortic regurgitation is a heart valve illness where the aortic valve doesn’t close tightly and allows blood to flow from the aorta into the left ventricle.

Causes

• Ankylosing spondylitis
• Aortic dissection
• Congenital (present at birth) valve problems
• Endocarditis
• High blood pressure
• Marfan syndrome
• Reiter syndrome 
• Syphilis
• Systemic lupus erythematosus
• Trauma to the chest

Symptoms

• Bounding pulse
• Chest pain similar to angina (rare)
• Fainting
• Fatigue
• Palpitations (sensation of the heart beating)
• Shortness of breath 
• Waking up short of breath
• Swelling of the feet, legs, or abdomen
• Uneven, rapid, racing, pounding, or fluttering pulse
• Weakness 

Diagnosis

• Aortic angiography
• Echocardiogram 
• Left heart catheterization
• MRI or CT scan of the heart
• Transthoracic echocardiogram (TTE) or transesophageal echocardiogram (TEE)

2. Aortic valve stenosis

Aortic valve stenosis or aortic stenosis is a type of heart valve illness when the valve between the lower left heart chamber and the body’s main artery is narrowed and doesn’t open fully.

Causes

• Wear and tear due to age
• Damage from infections
• Inherited or chronic conditions

Symptoms

• An irregular heart sound
• Chest pain (angina) or tightness
• Feeling faint or dizzy
• Shortness of breath
• Fatigue
• Rapid, fluttering heartbeat (palpitations)
• Not eating enough
• Not gaining enough weight

Diagnosis

• Echocardiogram
• Electrocardiogram (ECG or EKG)
• Chest X-ray
• Exercise tests or stress tests
• Cardiac computerized tomography (CT) scan
• Cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan
• Cardiac catheterization

3. Bicuspid aortic valve

The bicuspid aortic valve is a congenital heart defect. It affects the valve between the left lower heart chamber and the aorta. This valve has flaps, or cusps, that open and close with each heartbeat and Its job is to direct blood flow.

Causes

It's not clear what causes bicuspid aortic valve because it’s a hereditary congenital heart defect. Researchers believe that it may result from a genetic mutation or any abnormality.

Symptoms

1. Chest pain.
2. Shortness of breath.
3. Difficulty exercising.
4. Fainting or near fainting.

Diagnosis

1. Echocardiogram (echo).
2. Transesophageal echocardiogram.
3. CT scans.
4. Heart MRI.

4. Infective endocarditis

IE Infective endocarditis is a serious infection, which inflames the heart valves and chambers. It can be deadly. Bacteria from the body enter the bloodstream and attack these areas. IE is also known as bacterial endocarditis or endocarditis.

Causes

1. Gram-positive streptococci
2. Staphylococci
3. Enterococci infection

Symptoms

1. Fever above 100°F (38.4°C).
2. Sweats or chills, particularly night sweats.
3. Skin rash.
4. Pain, tenderness, redness, or swelling.
5. Wound or cut that won't heal.
6. Red, warm, or draining sore.
7. Sore throat
8. Sinus drainage, nasal congestion, headaches
9. Persistent dry or moist cough
10. White patches in mouth or tongue.
11. Nausea, vomiting or diarrhea.
12. Emboli (small blood clots), hemorrhages (internal bleeding) or stroke.
13. Shortness of breath.
14. Poor appetite or weight loss.
15. Muscle and joint aches.

Diagnosis

1. Blood cultures 
2. Complete blood count
3. Blood tests 
4. Echocardiogram (ultrasound of the heart)
5. Checking heart valve tissue 
6. Positron emission tomography (PET) or nuclear medicine scans

5. Aortic aneurysm

Your aorta is your body's largest artery, which carries blood and oxygen from your heart to the rest of your body. It resembles a curved candy cane and includes the ascending aorta. It goes up from the heart, and the descending aorta leads into the abdomen. An aneurysm can occur in any artery. Yet, an aortic aneurysm forms when the aorta's wall becomes weak. The force of blood flow then causes a bulge, creating the aneurysm.

Causes

1. Atherosclerosis 
2. Inflammation of the arteries.
3. Inherited conditions (such as Marfan syndrome and Ehlers-Danlos syndrome).
4. Injury to an aorta.
5. Infections, such as syphilis.

Symptoms

1. Dizziness or lightheadedness.
2. Rapid heart rate.
3. Sudden, severe chest pain, abdominal pain
4. Difficulty breathing or shortness of breath.
5. Feeling full even after a small meal.
6. Painful or difficult swallowing.
7. Swelling of your arms, neck, or face.

Diagnosis

1. CT scan.
2. CT or MRI angiography.
3. Ultrasound.

Conclusion

The aortic valve replacement procedure helps to treat issues related to the heart's aortic valve and there are conditions such as aortic valve stenosis and aortic valve regurgitation that require replacement to prevent complications.

Patients undergo tests that help surgeons determine their health or heart condition and based on the results they process the treatment.