What Is A Calcified Aortic Leaflet?
Blog Topics - Aortic Calcification; Picture Of Calcified Heart Valve Leaflet
As you can read in my story, I had my aortic and pulmonary valves replaced (via the Ross Procedure) in 2005.
At thirty five years of age, my bicuspid aortic valve was worn down. My diseased valve suffered from stenosis and regurgitation.
After surgery, my heart surgeon, Dr. Vaughn Starnes of USC Medical Center in Los Angeles, California, informed me that my aortic valve was “very, very sick… and very, very calcified.”
“Calcified?” I thought to myself, “What the heck does that mean?”
Well… It turns out that heart valves can calcify. When valve leaflets calcify, the leaflets become thickened and hardened, producing a narrow valve opening.
To give you an idea of what a calcified aortic valve looks like, please see the picture below.
According to reports, Fibro-calcific degeneration occurs mostly in the aortic valve and it most commonly impacts adults over 65 years of age.
Pretty interesting picture, right? 
Keep on tickin,
Adam
Adam Pick is the author of The Patient’s Guide To Heart Valve Surgery, a unique book which integrates the clinical facts of heart valve surgery with the personal experiences of an actual heart valve surgery patient. This special book was designed to minimize stress and enhance the patient’s recovery. To learn more about Adam’s heart valve surgery book, click here.
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