Bicuspid aortic valve is a congenital (present at birth) heart defect.
The aortic valve is one of four valves in the heart. In a normal heart, the aortic valve has three flaps; a bicuspid aortic valve only has two flaps.
Bicuspid aortic valves are often leaky because the flaps tend to not close securely. This is called aortic regurgitation. Without a secure closure of the flaps, blood can flow backwards and limit blood supply to the rest of the body. The flaps may also be thicker than usual which leads to aortic stenosis, a condition that narrows the valve and restricts blood flow.
Experts do not know what causes this type of congenital heart defect. It occurs more frequently in boys than girls and may run in families. Some babies whose mothers were exposed to illicit drugs or infections during pregnancy may be born with a bicuspid aortic valve.
Many children with a bicuspid aortic valve do not show any symptoms. The condition may go undiscovered until adulthood when symptoms are more likely to arise. If the bicuspid aortic valve causes aortic stenosis or aortic regurgitation, patients may experience:
Having a family history of heart disease may increase the risk of a baby being born with a bicuspid aortic valve. Heart-related conditions such as high cholesterol or high blood pressure can increase the chance that a bicuspid aortic valve develops problems like aortic stenosis or aortic regurgitation.
Bicuspid aortic valve is often found during testing for another health problem. If a health care provider notices an abnormality during a routine checkup, like a heart murmur, they may recommend additional testing. Tests that can identify bicuspid aortic valve include:
If a bicuspid aortic valve does not produce symptoms, it may not require treatment. As patients get older, the chance of symptoms increases, and the abnormal valve may lead to conditions that require treatment.
An aortic valve repair or replacement may be needed if the defect progresses into symptomatic aortic stenosis or aortic regurgitation.
Repairing the aortic valve can be done with either minimally invasive technology or with traditional open-heart surgery. Some patients are candidates for one or the other, and the specialist will help determine the best option. The minimally invasive approach uses catheter-based technology to guide a repair device through the arteries and into the aortic valve. Open-heart surgery involves making a large incision in the chest to access the aortic valve.
Patients with severe aortic valve disease may need a replacement valve. This can be done as either a minimally invasive procedure or open-heart surgery.
Transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) addresses severe aortic stenosis and is largely considered the most significant recent advance in minimally invasive valvular disease treatment. With catheter-based technology, the surgeon uses a percutaneous approach to make an insertion in the groin and guides an artificial aortic valve through the femoral artery to the heart. Once it reaches the diseased valve, the new valve is implanted, and it takes over function for the original valve.
The experienced specialists affiliated with Memorial Hermann use evidence-based therapies to treat and correct congenital heart defects. With a patient-centered approach, cardiologists and surgeons evaluate the severity of the condition and recommend the most comprehensive, targeted treatment plan.
Using minimally invasive procedures whenever possible, heart surgeons affiliated with Memorial Hermann are at the forefront of innovative technology to preserve each patient’s heart health.
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