“Is Heart Valve Surgery Common For My Age?” Asks Phil
Sunday, October 18th, 2009I just received a very appropriate email from Phil about age groups and heart valve surgery.
Phil writes, “Hi Adam - On Friday, I was diagnosed with severe aortic stenosis due to a bicuspid aortic valve. I’m 48 years old with three great kids and a loving wife. This was a complete shock to me and I’ve spent the weekend digesting the uncomfortable news that open heart surgery awaits me. It’s odd. Although I knew about the murmur, I was told this wouldn’t impact my heart for 10 or 20 years. Now, the doc says the valve is calcified and surgery is a must. Is heart valve surgery common for my age group? Thanks, Phil”
Phil raises some excellent points in his question. In fact, Phil’s story brings back several memories specific to my own diagnosis and surgery. Like Phil, my valve disease rapidly progressed from moderate to severe aortic stenosis. Like Phil, I had a bicuspid aortic valve. Like Phil, I was told surgery would not occur until I was in my 50’s. (FYI, at the time of my surgery… I was thirty-three.)

Picture Of Calcified Heart Valve Leaflets
Still, as we have discussed before… Every patient case is unique. As shown in the chart below, heart valve disease can impact all age categories - from newborns, to teens, to seniors, to elderly patients.







