Aortic Stenosis
Aortic stenosis is a common and serious form of valve disease. Aortic stenosis, or aortic valve stenosis, is a narrowing of the aortic valve opening that restricts blood flow from the left ventricle to the aorta. It may also affect the pressure in the left atrium. This condition usually develops during aging as calcium or scarring damages the valve and restricts the amount of blood flowing through.
Signs & Symptoms
Many people with aortic stenosis don’t experience noticeable symptoms until the blood flow becomes significantly restricted. Symptoms of aortic stenosis may include:
- Chest pain
- Rapid, fluttering heartbeat
- Trouble breathing or feeling short of breath
- Feeling dizzy or light-headed, even fainting
- Difficulty walking short distances
- Decline in activity level or reduced ability to do normal activities
Diagnosis
Aortic stenosis is diagnosed after a comprehensive physical evaluation and a complete medical history. A physician will also listen to your heart with a stethoscope. If you have aortic stenosis, a sound called a heart murmur may be heard. Other tests for diagnosing aortic valve stenosis may include:
- Echocardiogram
- Electrocardiogram (ECG or EKG)
- Chest X-ray
- Exercise tests or stress tests
- Cardiac computerized tomography (CT) scan
- Cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan
- Cardiac catheterization (may be done to see how severe aortic valve disease is or to diagnose the condition if other tests can’t)
Aortic Stenosis Diagnosis: Deborah has invested in state-of-the-art cardiac imaging technology that creates detailed images of the heart allowing for a quick and accurate diagnosis.
Aortic Stenosis Treatment: U.S. News & World Report, the global authority in hospital rankings and consumer advice, has named Deborah Heart and Lung Center as a 2024-2025 High Performing hospital for Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement (TAVR). This is the highest award a hospital can earn for U.S. News’ Best Hospitals Procedures & Conditions ratings, and is given in recognition of care that was significantly better than the national average, as measured by factors such as patient outcomes.