AORTIC VALVE DISEASE

Your heart has the most amazing and precious part of the entire human body, the heart valves. You probably wonder what are the implications of faulty aorta valves. The disease causing faulty aorta valves is rare, quick acting, therefore it is unpredictable. You should know what are the signs and symptoms of faulty aortic valves and causes. This blog will enlighten you on everything you need to know about aortic valve disease and faulty aortic.

What is an aortic valve?

There is a total number of four valves in the human heart; one of them is the aortic valve. Aorta is one of the arteries in the human heart and the aortic valve consists of three cusps located between the left ventricle and atrium to prevent the backflow of the blood in the heart from the artery. Ideally, the valve should allow free passage of blood from the heart into the aorta. However, you might need the expertise of the best heart surgeon in Chennai to undertake faulty aortic valve repair and replacement. Faulty aortic valve can cause two diseases together known as aortic stenosis and aortic insufficiency.

What is aortic stenosis?

Aortic stenosis occurs when the aortic valve narrows due to malfunctioning. Aortic stenosis can either be congenital or acquired. It can also be degenerative which is common in old people. Degenerative disease is characterized by thickening of the leaflets in the aortic valve that reduces the amount of blood flowing from the left ventricle into the aorta. As a result, the heart has to work twice as hard to pump the amount of blood needed in the body. Consequently, aortic stenosis can lead to heart failure and irregular heartbeats.

On the other hand, aortic insufficiency is a condition that occurs when the aortic valve fails to close resulting in the backflow of blood in the aorta into the heart. Similar to aortic stenosis, the heart also has to work overtime to pump out the extra blood in the aorta, hence leading to an enlarged heart. Usually, aortic insufficiency leads to heart failure when it occurs together with aortic stenosis.

What causes aortic valve disease?

There are several causes of aortic valve disease. These include:

Aging – it is the most common cause of aortic valve disease. It occurs when the leaflets in the aortic valve stiffen hence restricting the amount of blood that can pass from the heart into the aorta.

Other causes of aortic valve disease include:

Aortic dissection – it is a condition that occurs when there is a tear in the aorta

Chest trauma – it can also be a cause of aortic valve disease;

Syphilis, rheumatic fever, endocarditis, rheumatoid arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis, lupus erythematosus, and high blood pressure.

In addition to the causes mentioned above, faulty aortic valves can also be caused by birth defects of the aortic valve. This is called Bicuspid Aortic Valve (BAV). Bicuspid Aortic Valve is a congenital disease that occurs when the aortic valve has two leaflets instead of three leaflets. Bicuspid Aortic Valve (BAV) is prevalent in about 1-2% of people; it is therefore a common disease. People with Bicuspid Aortic Valve are more likely to develop aortic stenosis and regurgitation. In fact, Bicuspid Aortic Valve disease is the underlying cause of aortic stenosis. Additionally, patients with Bicuspid Aortic Valve (BAV) can also experience aortic valve stenosis and insufficiency in some cases. Most of the symptoms of Bicuspid Aortic Valve usually appear in adulthood.

Signs and symptoms of aortic valve disease

The signs and symptoms of aortic valve disease emanate from the physiopathology of the disease. They include:

Shortness of breath – it occurs due to the low levels of oxygen in the body; it can also be brought about by sitting or sleeping at night or climbing stairs

Chest pain – it can be caused by reduced blood supply from the coronary artery, pressure applied to the heart, or malfunctioning of the heart valves. Chest pain caused by aortic valve disease can either be described as pressure or squeezing at the center of the chest that may radiate to the arms or the back

Fatigue or weakness – it is a symptom that can be brought about by anemia, which is a condition that occurs when the body has fewer healthy red blood cells to supply oxygen to the body tissues. Weakness can also occur due to the inability of the heart to pump enough blood due to faulty aortic valves

Dizziness or fainting – it occurs due to the inadequate oxygen supply to the brain, hence light-headedness. Malfunction of the aortic valve to pump adequate blood in the body can also cause this sign and symptom of aortic valve disease due to the reduced blood circulation in the body

Palpitations – it occurs due to a higher heart rate; people describe palpitations as the heart flutters or skips a beat. Heart palpitations can also be caused by many other abnormal heart conditions. Most of the cases that cause palpitations are reported to be due to heart arrhythmia

Swelling of the legs and ankles – it occurs due to fluid retention in the lower limbs brought about by malfunctioning of the heart

Heart murmur – it is an abnormal sound that originates from the heart due to abnormalities in the heart. Heart murmurs can be detected by listening to the heart with a stethoscope. The sounds are produced due to improper heart function due to abnormal blood circulation in the heart; most murmurs are brought about by the heart valves due to abnormal narrowing of the heart valves. Nonetheless, other heart conditions can also cause heart murmurs.

Aortic valve disease treatment in Chennai

Drugs

The treatment of aortic valve disease in Chennai rarely requires the use of drugs to reduce mild cases of the disease. Nonetheless, drugs can be used to manage and control the progression of the disease. Additionally, the drugs can help to manage some of the signs and symptoms of aortic valve disease such as managing heart failure and other conditions that accompany the disease.

For example, the doctor may recommend the use of diuretics to help remove excess fluids from the body. Moreover, the physician may also recommend the use of other drugs to reduce blood pressure and improve blood circulation. Apart from taking drugs to help manage the signs and symptoms of aortic valve disease; it is also mandatory that you make some lifestyle changes, for example, by avoiding strenuous exercises if you have a moderate or a severely impaired aortic valve.

In addition, it is also important to take the prescribed medication to help control your disease. There are various treatment options available for patients with moderate to severe aortic valve disease. These treatment options include:

Surgical procedures

There are various surgical procedures that can be used to manage aortic valve disease. First, aortic valve surgery is the most traditional procedure; most clinicians concur that it has a positive prognosis. This procedure involves the replacement of the faulty heart valve with the pulmonary valve; this is known as the Ross procedure.

The aortic valve repair and replacement may also be recommended for patients with Bicuspid Aortic Valve (BAV). This is because patients with Bicuspid Aortic Valve (BAV) have a higher likelihood of developing aortic valve dilation. Therefore, aortic valve repair and replacement are recommended for patients with Bicuspid Aortic Valve (BAV).

The other surgical procedure that is effective in the management of aortic valve disease is the valve-sparing aortic root surgery. It is indicated for patients with aortic valve insufficiency or stenosis, and it helps to manage both conditions. The procedure works by repairing the aorta and replacing the aortic valve while the aortic valve remains intact.

The other treatment procedure for aortic valve disease is balloon valvuloplasty, which is mainly indicated for patients with aortic valve stenosis. In this procedure, the doctor will insert a narrow tube into your blood vessel and advance it into the heart to open the valve. Using the balloon at the tip of the catheter, the physician will open the narrowed leaves of the aortic valve. The doctor will then check whether the aortic valve is working correctly before removing the instrument from the patient’s body.

Transcatheter aortic valve replacement is another effective procedure that can be used to manage aortic valve malfunction. It is mainly indicated for patients with severe aortic valve malfunction. Notably, transcatheter aortic valve replacement therapy can significantly reduce the malfunction of the aortic valve by replacing the faulty valve with a new one. In this procedure, the physician can use various techniques to widen the valve, for example, by inserting the catheter into the patient’s heart from a large blood vessel. Moreover, the doctor can also use artificial heart valves made from animal tissue or metals such as titanium and carbon to help treat this condition. However, in most cases, the patient may need to take additional drugs to prevent the formation of blood clots due to the effects of this procedure; this is because blood thinners are often used to prevent the development of blood clots in the body.

It is important that you know that most individuals will likely develop a mild form of aortic valve disease, which rarely causes symptoms. Therefore, you should always schedule periodic screening to ensure that everything is okay. It is also essential to seek professional medical advice to help treat and manage aortic valve disease. It is worth noting that various treatment options are available to help manage aortic valve disease.