Bicuspid Aortic Valve Health Article

Prognosis

Most people born with bicuspid aortic valve experience no symptoms or complications, and their lives do not differ from someone born with a normal aortic valve. In patients who do experience complications and require valve replacement, risks of the operation generally depend on age, general health, specific medical conditions, and heart function. It is better to perform the operation before any of the advanced symptoms (shortness of breath, chest pain, fainting spells) develop; in patients without advanced symptoms, the risk of a bad outcome of surgery is only 4%. If a person with advanced symptoms chooses not to undergo surgery, the risk of death within three years is more than 50%. In general, valve replacement greatly reduces the amount and severity of symptoms and allows the patient to return to their normal daily activities without discomfort after they recover from the surgery.

PERIODICALS

Braunwald, E. Heart Disease: A Textbook of Cardiovascular Medicine. Philadelphia: Saunders, 1999.

Cotran, R. S. Robbins Pathologic Basis of Disease. Philadelphia: Saunders, 1999. pp. 566-570.

Friedman, W. F. "Congenital Heart Disease In The Adult." In Harrison's Principles of Internal Medicine, edited by A.S. Fauci. New York: McGraw-Hill, 1998.

ORGANIZATIONS

American Heart Association. 7272 Greenville Ave., Dallas, TX 75231-4596. (214) 373-6300 or (800) 242-8721. inquire@heart.org. <http://www.americanheart.org>.

Congenital Heart Anomalies Support, Education, and Resources. 2112 North Wilkins Rd., Swanton, OH 43558. (419) 825-5575. <http://www.csun.edu/~hfmth006/chaser>.

WEBSITES

"Bicuspid Aortic Valve." OMIM—Online Mendelian Inheritance in Man. National Center for Biotechnology Information. <http://www3.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/htbin-post/Omim/dispmim?109730>.

Oren Traub, MD, PhD