Aortic Valve Stenosis And Its Treatment

[Abhilash Rathore]

The major causes of deaths in India, one of the most common disease being coronary artery disease. A potentially life-threatening condition, aortic stenosis occurs when the aortic valve opening becomes narrow.

These diseases restrict blood flow from the left ventricle of the heart to the aorta, which is the main blood artery of the heart. The aorta pumps oxygen-rich blood from the heart to the rest of the body.

What is aortic valve stenosis

The aortic valve is the lifeline of the body as it facilitates the passage of blood from the heart to other organs. However, sometimes this valve becomes narrow or gets blocked.

This happens for varied reasons. One of the typical causes of aortic valve stenosis is ageing. As age progresses, the muscles of the aortic valve start weakening. In some cases, calcium starts building up in the aortic valve. This leads to narrowing of the valve and thus, causes coronary artery disease.

Under specific cases, aortic valve stenosis can be congenital. It means they are born with a defect that narrows or blocks the aortic valve. Symptoms can range from exhaustion, fatigue and breathing problem.

Treatment of aortic valve stenosis

How it gets treated depends on the severity of the condition. If the coronary artery disease conditions are mild, your doctor may suggest dietary and lifestyle changes to aid your heart. However, irrespective of the situation's intensity, it is essential to monitor all the heart functions regularly.

For severe cases, there are surgical procedures that can repair or replace the ill aortic valve.

1. Repairing aortic valve: Replacement of aortic valve is the most effective way of treating aortic stenosis. However, in some rare cases, a surgeon may decide to repair the valve. The procedure adopted for repair is balloon angioplasty. Often termed as coronary angioplasty, this procedure entails inserting a catheter into the narrowed aortic valve.
2. Replacing the aortic valve: Another minimally-invasive procedure for aortic valve replacement is transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR). In TAVR, the surgeon will insert a catheter in your leg or chest. The catheter is guided to the heart, and through the catheter, a replacement valve is inserted.

Conclusion

Avoiding coronary artery disease is crucial as it keeps the blood pumping into other organs. Aortic valve stenosis may go undiagnosed for long as the symptoms are mild. Being a senior citizen, you should monitor your heart functions regularly.

If you are getting tired often or experience breathlessness, it could be a sign that your heart is not healthy enough to pump oxygen-rich blood into the body. These diseases can be managed by medication and healthy lifestyle habits.