Chrissy's Posts

Diagnosis: Bicuspid Aortic Valve

Member Since: January 29, 2026

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Chrissy Sideropoulos posted an update
3 weeks ago (June 1, 2026)
I had my reg yearly echo and received troubling news about my valve, I was born with bicuspid of my aorta, my results came back as The ascending aorta measures 46 mm (4.6 cm) Descending Thoracic Aorta Dilated. Any one else get news like this and what did your doctor... Read more.
My aorta valve was closing. It went from immediate to serious in three months so I decided to obviously do the Taver, which works for me. That's all I know about what happened. He just told me that it was closing and I could die. I mean it could just... Read more.
I was recommended for surgery when my aortic aneurism got to 4.0cm and my ejection fraction dropped below 50%. I had no symptoms. I didn't find out I had a bicuspid until after my surgery. i went from not knowing I had a heart issue to surgery in 14 months.
John, you had surgery for the anuerysm at 4.0? They usually won't to it until it's over 4.5 at least, sometimes more. Another thing for me to think about .
EF < 50% was the reason for the surgery. It kicked me into the 'severe regurgitation' category. They narrowed my aorta to 3.1cm as part of my Ross to support the relocated valve and stop any further dilation from causing future regurgitation problems. They call it, "The Seattle Shawl."
Chrissy- I received similar news in 2016. My aorta was 4.8, and I had surgery about 8 months later. Your doc will discuss steps to monitor the situation, and possibly start blood pressure meds if you are prone to high blood pressures.
John, thank you for clarifying that. My EF is still above 50%. Ill have to keep an eye on that now. I am so glad you are doing well now. I do hope your other problems get figured out, but at least you are able to run and work. My... Read more.
Kim, that is really rough. I'm so sorry. I was happy when I got a couple months break between October and December. It had been 2 years since I had a break from doctors that long. I'm mostly down to annoying stuff like my fingers don't bend/straighten completely plus my... Read more.
John, thank you for the response. just typing this is really difficult. I am also trying to prioritize my stuff. 1. Adrenal nodule doubling in size since starting rilonacept and getting all testing done for the endocrinologist 2. Get a plan together to try the Flecainide they insist I try... Read more.
I wish you luck. I constantly pepper my doctors with MyChart messages, especially when things are changing or I'm having lots of tests or I'm worried about medication interactions. I remember having to really push my surgeon's staff to talk to my rheumatologist after surgery. The surgeon didn't want me... Read more.

Surgeon Spotlight

Dr. Christopher Heid is a leading cardiac surgeon at UT Southwestern in Dallas, Texas who specializes in heart valve repair and replacement operations.