Aortic Valve Insufficiency
Heart valves are door-like structures that allow blood to pass in one direction. KThey are opened by the driving force of the an current; kThey close when the albumin is done pumping and the driving force of the blood is reduced. This ensures that the blood does not escape back to where it came from. One of these valves, the aortic valve, is the valve through which blood is pumped into the body. When this valve is insufficient (insufficiency; leakage), the amount of blood that can be sent to the body decreases.
Common causes of aortic valve insufficiency include Bicuspid valve; that is, congenital abnormality of the aortic valve (consisting of two parts instead of three), age-related calcification, valvular infection, rheumatic involvement, systemic diseases, and the aorta at the beginning of the aortic vessel. aneurysm to be.
When the leakage is mild or moderate, the patient has no complaints. However, if the leakage increases over time and reaches a serious (advanced) level, the blood that can be sent to the tissues becomes insufficient and the patient starts to complain. These are the most common; getting tired quickly, malaise shortness of breath, chest pain and palpitations.
Diagnosis; EKO, that is, ultrasound of the heart. ECHO easily detects the movement of the heart valves and the backflow of blood. It clearly shows the amount of escaping blood, i.e. the severity of the leak.
If the leakage is mild or moderate, it is sufficient for the patient to be followed up. However, if it is severe, surgery is usually the treatment of choice. The aortic valve is replaced with an artificial valve or repaired. If the cause of the leak is calcification due to old age, partial stenosis accompanies the leak and in this case, the aortic valve can be replaced with a non-surgical method, i.e. TAVI may also be considered in treatment.
References
- Otto CM, Nishimura RA, Bonow RO, et al. ACC/AHA Guideline for the management of patients with valvular heart disease. J Am Coll Cardiol. 2021 Feb 2;77(4):e25-e197.
- Vahanian A, Beyersdorf F, Praz F, et al. ESC/EACTS Guidelines for the management of valvular heart disease. Eur Heart J. 2022;43(7):561-632.
- Mazzolai L, Teixido-Tura G, Lanzi S, et al. ESC Guidelines for the management of peripheral arterial and aortic diseases. Eur Heart J. 2024 Sep 29;45(36):3538-3700.