Aortic Valve Regurgitation
Aortic valve regurgitation is one of the most common heart valve diseases. It occurs when the aortic valve does not close tightly, causing blood to leak back. You may not have any symptoms at first, but over time, it may radiatet of a heart rhythm disorder or Shortness of breath, and the condition may worsen, causing damage to the heart, so timely surgical intervention to treat the condition is essential.
What are the causes of aortic valve regurgitation?
Any condition that prevents the aortic valve from closing completely can cause this problem. When the valve does not close completely, some blood returns every time the heart beats. When a large amount of blood returns, the heart must work harder to get enough blood out. Blood to meet the body’s needs, causing the left ventricle of the heart to expand, and over time, the heart becomes less able to supply the body with enough blood.
Causes of aortic valve regurgitation include:
- Rheumatic heart disease (the most common cause in many developing countries).
- Internal inflammation of the lining of the heart.
- The valve deteriorates with age.
There are some other causes of aortic valve regurgitation, such as:
Other rare conditions that can damage the aortic valve and lead to reflux include:
- Marfan syndrome.
- Aneurysm of the ascending aorta in the chest, especially the aortic trunk
- and syphilis (a sexually transmitted disease).
- Damage from trauma to your chest or from a ruptured or ruptured aorta can also cause blood to flow backwards through the aortic valve.
Symptoms of aortic valve regurgitation
Symptoms of acute reflux include signs of heart failure (fatigue, fatigue), as well as cardiogenic shock (low blood pressure with organ damage).
Whereas, mild chronic valve regurgitation may not cause any symptoms for a long time. However, as your condition worsens, you may gradually develop symptoms that include:
- Chest pain.
- Fainting.
- Heart palpitations.
- Shortness of breath occurs when engaging in physical activity, lying down, or trying to sleep.
- Swelling in the ankles and feet.
Treatment of aortic valve regurgitation
Treatment for aortic valve regurgitation depends on the severity of the condition and the severity of your symptoms. If your symptoms are mild or you have no symptoms, you may only need regular medical tests, such as: having a regular echo cardiogram to check the health of the aortic valve. It is also usually recommended to make changes in Heart healthy lifestyle.
Surgical intervention to treat aortic valve regurgitation
Surgery may be needed to repair or replace the affected valve, especially if the condition and symptoms are severe.
The decision to repair or replace a damaged aortic valve depends on several factors:
- Your symptoms.
- Your age and general health.
- Whether you need heart surgery to correct another heart condition.
- If you are having another heart surgery, Professor Dr. Mohamed Al-Ghannam may perform aortic valve surgery at the same time.
Surgery to repair or replace the aortic valve may be performed as open-heart surgery. This involves making an incision in the chest, and sometimes heart surgery, aortic valve replacement, can be performed through minimally invasive surgery, which is the safest technique and is done laparoscopically.
Aortic valve replacement surgery includes:
- To repair the aortic valve, Professor Dr. Muhammad Al-Ghannam separates the connected valve cusps. He may reshape or remove excess valve tissue so that the cusps can close tightly.
- Or he or she may correct holes in the valve through a catheterization procedure to place a plug or device in the leaking replacement aortic valve.
Aortic valve replacement
The surgeon removes the damaged valve and replaces it. The alternative may be a mechanical valve or a biological valve
Sometimes, surgeons can perform minimally invasive heart surgery to replace the aortic valve, in which smaller incisions are used than those used in open heart surgery.
In conclusion, aortic valve regurgitation is a serious health problem that affects the function of the heart and blood circulation, and both early diagnosis and effective treatment with appropriate surgical intervention help to avoid serious complications.
Therefore, individuals with aortic valve problems should adhere to a healthy lifestyle and continue medical follow-up to prevent complications and ensure heart health and safety.
