I was just reading The Washington Post when I came across an interesting story about aortic valve replacement. In addition to discussing the recent heart valve replacements of Barbara Bush and Robin Williams, the article posted its “Top 5 Facts About Aortic Valve Replacement”.

Tissue Valve Replacement Sewn In Aortic Position

I thought you might like to see some of the highlights from this article. So, here they are:

1. There is not much you can do to prevent or protect against aortic valve failure, which occurs when either the valve hardens or simply wears out, often as a function of age. (Bush was 83 and Williams was 57 at the time of their aortic valve surgeries.)

2. Aortic valves can either be leaky, allowing [1] aortic valve stenosis) so not enough blood gets past the valve.

3. About 75,000 to 99,000 [2] Ross Procedures. Not all damaged aortic valves require surgery — but they all need to be evaluated and monitored by a cardiologist. Left untreated, hardened aortic valves eventually lead to heart failure and death. (FYI, I think this number is high given my own research which estimates the number of procedures to be between 20,000 and 40,000.)

4. Common symptoms of aortic valve damage include shortness of breath, chest pain and passing out. A [3] leaky heart valve may cause no symptoms at all and may continue leaking for years without incident. (FYI, I experienced this asymptomatic condition prior to my aortic valve replacement.)

5. Being fit does not reduce your risk of aortic valve failure, but, as with all major surgeries, it increases your chances of a successful procedure and speedy recovery.

I hope that helps you learn more about aortic valve replacement surgery.

Keep on tickin!

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About The Author: [5] To learn more about Adam and his heart valve surgery book, click here.