AORTIC STENOSIS
ABOUT AORTIC STENOSIS
Aortic Stenosis is a condition where the
Aortic Valve (Between the Left Pumping Chamber)
and the Aorta (Which carries red oxygenated
blood around the body) have a narrowing , the tissue that makes up the
valves is thicker than usual . This means that it is harder for the heart
to pump blood around the body , because it has to try and get it through
a smaller
area . This usually means that the wall
of the left pumping chamber (Ventricle) is thicker than usual because it
has to work harder to get the blood through the restricted narrowing.
There are different degrees of seriousness
, and a lot will cause no symptons to be seen at all . The doctors nearly
always used to operate to sort out the condition but thanks to all
the modern techniques such as BALLOON
CATHETERIZATION it means that more
Children/Adults can be assessed for that
before surgery is decided . If surgery is needed then the Surgeons will
use a Heart/Lung Machine and then try and strech the Aortic Valve to open
it up . If it was more difficult then the Docs can pop in an Artificial
Valve or repair the one that is narrowed . It is possible that the Valve
and surrounding area may get narrower again in later life but not certain
. The results of the operation are very good
and the child will soon be able to get
back to normal in most cases .
Also the Children/Teenager/Adult would
have to have antibiotic cover if they had any teeth taken out or if they
got a deep cut so that no infection they may get ,can affect their heart
.
Below i have done a Diagram of the Heart
with Aortic Stenosis that is animated too.
The Aortic Valve area is highlighted in
Yellow.
Davey Aug 1998