You and your heart are always on the go
Thankfully, life expectancy is steadily rising. But unfortunately, so are diseases in the elderly, which is the case with one particular organ and its related structures which are constantly at work during a lifetime – the heart and its valves.
Your heart – a hard worker
The heart beats about 100,000 times a day to keep our circulation going. Within the heart chambers, the heart valves ensure that blood flows in the right direction. However, heart valves can become calcified. In many cases, the affected valve is the aortic valve between the left heart chamber and the aorta.
Your doctor has diagnosed aortic valve stenosis (narrowing of the aortic valve).
Aortic valve stenosis is the third most common type of cardiovascular disease. It is usually caused by degeneration of the valve, which could be a long-term consequence of inflammation or due to ‘wear and tear’ as we age. Three to five per cent of over 75-year-olds in Western Europe are affected by aortic stenosis.
What does this mean?
The aortic valve separates the left ventricle and the aorta (largest artery in the body) from one another. In cases of aortic valve stenosis, the aortic valve is narrowed. This means that the heart must exert itself excessively to pump blood around and to supply the body’s circulatory system with vital blood. Due to this constant overexertion, the heart may become weakened.
What causes this?
The aortic valve can become narrowed for a number of reasons. In old age, the most common causes are wear and calcification of the heart valve. But valvular aortic stenosis can also be caused by rheumatic fever. Bacterial infection, for example, may also cause inflammation of the aortic valve and subsequently lead to aortic stenosis. Occasionally, valvular aortic stenosis occurs as a congenital defect.
Your doctor has recommended minimally invasive surgery – What happens during the procedure?
Minimally invasive aortic valve implantation using a catheter, known as Transcatheter Aortic Valve Implantation (TAVI), is particularly suitable for older patients. It is also especially suitable for those for whom open-heart surgery is considered very risky. Similarly, it allows high-risk patients who suffer from multiple severe concomitant diseases to be treated appropriately.
“ My father always looked after me when I was growing up. Now it’s my turn to care for him and to make sure I find the best medical solution.”