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Facing the option of whether to have surgery or not is concerning enough in itself. However, when it is related to your heart, it carries even more weight and concern. If you have been diagnosed as having aortic valve stenosis, you perhaps considering whether heart valve replacement surgery is the proper choice for your situation. Nonetheless, to make an educated decision, one must understand what aortic stenosis is and how it is affecting your heart and body.

The aortic valve controls the flow of oxygenated blood from the left ventricle into the aorta. The aorta is the largest vessel in the body which transports blood from within to the body and it’s major organs. When one develops aortic valve stenosis, the opening that permits the blood to flow from within into the aorta starts to narrow. This narrowing causes the heart ( especially the left ventricle ) to compensate by working/pumping harder to maintain blood flow from deep inside in to the body. Without treatment (like heart valve replacement) the left ventricle will increase in size and thickness thanks to the added stress of working against the narrow opening. The heart itself will only be able to support this self-induced compensatory action for anumber of years, left untreated it’ll eventually give way to heart failure.

The progression of aortic valve stenosis is comparatively slow. Many of us could have trivial cases of aortic stenosis, but with the body’s ability to compensate, may not realize they’ve a problem till signs of this disorder occur. Symptoms that accompany aortic stenosis and eventually lead to heart valve replacement include chest pain especially with exercise, acute lightheadedness following activity, irregular pulse rate, pulsations and/or difficulty breathing. After symptoms occur, the sole true treatment is surgery. These symptoms indicate that damage to the valve has occurred and the discussion about replacement is critical.

While most doctors agree that it’s way better to hang around for surgical intervention till symptoms develop, there are the few individuals that may gain benefit from heart valve replacement prior to symptom presentation. People that suffer from aortic stenosis run a higher risk of sudden death thanks to the likelihood of heart failure. However, signs of cardiac arrest customarily precede adeadly event. However, thereis a low number of people that can suffer with severe stenosis without presenting with symptoms. One indicator could be linked to individuals that develop low blood pressure during or following exercise. This will suggest possible aortic valve stenosis and these people should seek medical recommendation as soon as possible. The decision about surgery will be acombined effort between the patient and the various expert doctors planning and implementing the hospital treatment.