Aortic valve stenosis treatment in 99 clinics in Austria, Belgium, France, Germany, Luxembourg, and 3 other locations

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99 clinics specializing in Cardiac surgery and Vascular surgery providing treatment of Aortic valve stenosis Aortic valve stenosis is a condition where the aortic valve becomes narrowed, obstructing blood flow from the heart. It can result in symptoms such as chest pain, breathlessness, and may require valve replacement surgery.
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disease in Austria, Belgium, France, Germany, Luxembourg, Monaco, Netherlands, and Switzerland.

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Prices for popular procedures:
  1. Minimally invasive valvular heart surgery with valve repair or replacement
    by request
  2. Mechanical valve replacement
    ≈ $111,224
  3. Bio-prosthetic valve replacement
    ≈ $99,325
  4. Double valve replacement
    ≈ $93,441
  5. Transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR)
    ≈ $132,197
  6. Aortic valve replacement (AVR)
    ≈ $95,045
  7. Balloon valvuloplasty
    ≈ $75,697
  8. Percutaneous balloon aortic valvuloplasty (PBAV)
    ≈ $25,190
  9. Dual chamber pacemaker insertion
    ≈ $27,918
photo
Luzern, Switzerland
Specializations: Cardiac surgery, Vascular surgery, Thoracic surgery, Neurosurgery, Spine surgery, Orthopedic surgery, Oncology
As the central hospital, the LUKS Lucerne supplies a catchment area with around 700,000 inhabitants. The offer covers all medical areas: from allergology to laboratory read more
Prices for popular procedures:
  1. Mechanical valve replacement
    ≈ $111,224
  2. Bio-prosthetic valve replacement
    ≈ $99,325
  3. Double valve replacement
    ≈ $93,441
  4. Transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR)
    ≈ $132,197
  5. Aortic valve replacement (AVR)
    ≈ $95,045
  6. Aortography
    ≈ $6,083
  7. Ross operation
    ≈ $85,904
  8. Dual chamber pacemaker insertion
    ≈ $27,918
  9. Foam sclerotherapy (Unilateral)
    ≈ $2,777
photo
Sursee, Switzerland
Specializations: Cardiac surgery, Vascular surgery, Thoracic surgery, Neurosurgery, Orthopedic surgery, Oncology
In a rapidly growing region, LUKS Sursee offers the population extended basic care, including an emergency station and rescue service. Here, even high patient demands read more
Prices for popular procedures:
  1. Mechanical valve replacement
    ≈ $111,224
  2. Bio-prosthetic valve replacement
    ≈ $99,325
  3. Double valve replacement
    ≈ $93,441
  4. Transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR)
    ≈ $132,197
  5. Aortic valve replacement (AVR)
    ≈ $95,045
  6. Dual chamber pacemaker insertion
    ≈ $27,918
  7. Foam sclerotherapy (Unilateral)
    ≈ $2,777
  8. Heart valve replacement
    ≈ $90,222
  9. Heart valve repair
    ≈ $78,944
photo
Wolhusen, Switzerland
Specializations: Cardiac surgery, Vascular surgery, Thoracic surgery, Neurosurgery, Spine surgery, Orthopedic surgery, Oncology
The LUKS Wolhusen is an integral part of the integrated supply of the LUKS and offers the population in the catchment area an extended basic read more
Prices for popular procedures:
  1. Minimally invasive valvular heart surgery with valve repair or replacement
    by request
  2. Mechanical valve replacement
    ≈ $111,224
  3. Bio-prosthetic valve replacement
    ≈ $99,325
  4. Double valve replacement
    ≈ $93,441
  5. Transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR)
    ≈ $132,197
  6. Aortic valve replacement (AVR)
    ≈ $95,045
  7. Aortography
    ≈ $6,083
  8. Ross operation
    ≈ $85,904
  9. Dual chamber pacemaker insertion
    ≈ $27,918
photo
Zürich, Switzerland
Specializations: Cardiac surgery, Vascular surgery, Thoracic surgery, Neurosurgery, Spine surgery, Orthopedic surgery, Oncology
Languages: Albanian, Bosnian, Croatian, English, French, Italian, Portuguese, Russian, Serbian, Tamil, Thai, Turkish, Urdu, Vietnamese, German, Spanish; Castilian, Persian, Somali
Triemli Hospital is a public hospital offering its services to all insurance classes for both general and highly specialised medicine. With six departments, 34 clinics read more
Prices for popular procedures:
  1. Mechanical valve replacement
    ≈ $67,238
  2. Bio-prosthetic valve replacement
    ≈ $26,222
  3. Double valve replacement
    ≈ $31,319
  4. Transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR)
    ≈ $65,067
  5. Aortic valve replacement (AVR)
    ≈ $53,135
  6. Balloon valvuloplasty
    $32,380 - $38,034
  7. Percutaneous balloon aortic valvuloplasty (PBAV)
    ≈ $13,281
  8. Aortography
    ≈ $5,521
  9. Ross operation
    ≈ $36,349
photo
's-Hertogenbosch, Netherlands
Specializations: Cardiac surgery, Vascular surgery, Thoracic surgery, Neurosurgery, Spine surgery, Orthopedic surgery, Oncology
Together we determine what you need and from whom, so that you can live the life you want for as long as possible. We use read more
Prices for popular procedures:
  1. Mechanical valve replacement
    ≈ $123,565
  2. Bio-prosthetic valve replacement
    ≈ $167,759
  3. Double valve replacement
    ≈ $133,364
  4. Transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR)
    ≈ $236,584
  5. Aortic valve replacement (AVR)
    ≈ $97,417
  6. Balloon valvuloplasty
    ≈ $92,827
  7. Percutaneous balloon aortic valvuloplasty (PBAV)
    $11,784 - $21,920
  8. Aortography
    ≈ $9,620
  9. Ross operation
    ≈ $132,098
photo
Monaco, Monaco
Specializations: Cardiac surgery, Vascular surgery, Thoracic surgery
Languages: English, French, Russian, Spanish; Castilian, German
The Principality of Monaco and Nice Côte d'Azur international Airport are at the heart of Mediterranean Europe. Most major cities in Europe and North Africa read more
Prices for popular procedures:
  1. Minimally invasive valvular heart surgery with valve repair or replacement
    by request
  2. Mechanical valve replacement
    ≈ $111,224
  3. Bio-prosthetic valve replacement
    ≈ $99,325
  4. Double valve replacement
    ≈ $93,441
  5. Transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR)
    ≈ $132,197
  6. Aortic valve replacement (AVR)
    ≈ $95,045
  7. Aortography
    ≈ $6,083
  8. Ross operation
    ≈ $85,904
  9. Foam sclerotherapy (Unilateral)
    ≈ $2,777
photo
Basel, Switzerland
Specializations: Cardiac surgery, Vascular surgery, Thoracic surgery, Neurosurgery, Spine surgery, Orthopedic surgery, Oncology
Here at the University Hospital Basel you can expect a wide range of world-class medical services. Every year, patients from Switzerland and beyond benefit from read more
Prices for popular procedures:
  1. Aortography
    ≈ $6,083
  2. Ross operation
    ≈ $85,904
  3. Carotid endarterectomy (CEA)
    ≈ $21,035
  4. Peripheral artery angioplasty and stent placement
    ≈ $20,872
  5. Abdominal endovascular aneurysm repair (EVAR)
    ≈ $67,515
  6. Thoracic endovascular aneurysm repair (TEVAR)
    ≈ $65,733
  7. Carotid angioplasty and stenting
    ≈ $27,444
  8. Uterine artery embolization (UAE)
    ≈ $14,077
  9. Renal artery angioplasty and stenting
    ≈ $15,194
photo
Genève, Switzerland
Specializations: Cardiac surgery, Vascular surgery, Thoracic surgery, Neurosurgery, Spine surgery, Orthopedic surgery, Oncology
Our mission is multi-faceted. Its main component is of course, medical: whether ill or injured, we provide patients with the most appropriate care and read more
Prices for popular procedures:
  1. Mechanical valve replacement
    ≈ $90,259
  2. Bio-prosthetic valve replacement
    ≈ $62,476
  3. Double valve replacement
    ≈ $61,781
  4. Transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR)
    ≈ $134,952
  5. Aortic valve replacement (AVR)
    ≈ $52,000
  6. Balloon valvuloplasty
    ≈ $31,903
  7. Percutaneous balloon aortic valvuloplasty (PBAV)
    ≈ $21,569
  8. Aortography
    ≈ $6,055
  9. Ross operation
    ≈ $60,442
photo
Munich, Germany
Specializations: Cardiac surgery, Vascular surgery, Thoracic surgery, Neurosurgery, Spine surgery, Orthopedic surgery, Oncology
Languages: English, Spanish; Castilian
Klinikum rechts der Isar is the university hospital of the Technical University Munich (TUM), and provides the ideal setting in which to offer the best read more
Prices for popular procedures:
  1. Mechanical valve replacement
    ≈ $90,259
  2. Bio-prosthetic valve replacement
    ≈ $62,476
  3. Double valve replacement
    ≈ $61,781
  4. Transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR)
    ≈ $134,952
  5. Aortic valve replacement (AVR)
    ≈ $52,000
  6. Balloon valvuloplasty
    ≈ $31,903
  7. Percutaneous balloon aortic valvuloplasty (PBAV)
    ≈ $21,569
  8. Aortography
    ≈ $6,055
  9. Ross operation
    ≈ $60,442
photo
Hannover, Germany
Specializations: Cardiac surgery, Vascular surgery, Thoracic surgery, Neurosurgery, Spine surgery, Orthopedic surgery, Oncology
The MHH Hospital is a maximum care hospital with a nationwide catchment area. The university teaches medicine, dentistry, biochemistry, biomedicine, midwifery and health sciences. The read more
Prices for popular procedures:
  1. Aortography
    ≈ $6,055
  2. Ross operation
    ≈ $60,442
  3. Carotid endarterectomy (CEA)
    ≈ $20,967
  4. Foam sclerotherapy (Unilateral)
    ≈ $2,153
  5. Coronary artery bypass graft (CABG)
    ≈ $45,885
  6. Peripheral artery angioplasty and stent placement
    ≈ $19,282
  7. Abdominal endovascular aneurysm repair (EVAR)
    ≈ $69,104
  8. Thoracic endovascular aneurysm repair (TEVAR)
    ≈ $60,228
  9. Arteriovenous (AV) fistula surgery
    ≈ $7,313
photo
Munich, Germany
Specializations: Cardiac surgery, Vascular surgery, Thoracic surgery, Neurosurgery, Spine surgery, Orthopedic surgery, Oncology
With its two Munich locations, Campus Großhadern and Campus Downtown, is one of the largest university hospitals in Germany and Europe. Every year, around 500,000 read more
Prices for popular procedures:
  1. Minimally invasive valvular heart surgery with valve repair or replacement
    by request
  2. Mechanical valve replacement
    ≈ $66,813
  3. Bio-prosthetic valve replacement
    ≈ $78,573
  4. Double valve replacement
    ≈ $55,898
  5. Transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR)
    ≈ $40,689
  6. Aortic valve replacement (AVR)
    ≈ $39,010
  7. Balloon valvuloplasty
    ≈ $19,943
  8. Percutaneous balloon aortic valvuloplasty (PBAV)
    ≈ $11,891
  9. Aortography
    ≈ $3,281
photo
Leuven, Belgium
Specializations: Cardiac surgery, Vascular surgery, Thoracic surgery, Neurosurgery, Spine surgery, Orthopedic surgery, Oncology
UZ Leuven is a university hospital where patients can count on specialized care and innovative treatments, combined with human attention and respect for every person. read more
Prices for popular procedures:
  1. Minimally invasive valvular heart surgery with valve repair or replacement
    by request
  2. Mechanical valve replacement
    ≈ $90,259
  3. Bio-prosthetic valve replacement
    ≈ $62,476
  4. Double valve replacement
    ≈ $61,781
  5. Transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR)
    ≈ $134,952
  6. Aortic valve replacement (AVR)
    ≈ $52,000
  7. Aortography
    ≈ $6,055
  8. Ross operation
    ≈ $60,442
  9. Dual chamber pacemaker insertion
    ≈ $20,713
photo
Harburg, Germany
Specializations: Cardiac surgery, Vascular surgery, Thoracic surgery, Neurosurgery, Spine surgery, Orthopedic surgery, Oncology
Asklepios Klinikum Harburg is an academic teaching hospital of Universitätsklinik Hamburg-Eppendorf, Germany. The main building contains a state of the art emergency department, as well read more
Prices for popular procedures:
  1. Aortography
    ≈ $6,055
  2. Ross operation
    ≈ $60,442
  3. Carotid endarterectomy (CEA)
    ≈ $20,967
  4. Foam sclerotherapy (Unilateral)
    ≈ $2,153
  5. Peripheral artery angioplasty and stent placement
    ≈ $19,282
  6. Abdominal endovascular aneurysm repair (EVAR)
    ≈ $69,104
  7. Thoracic endovascular aneurysm repair (TEVAR)
    ≈ $60,228
  8. Arteriovenous (AV) fistula surgery
    ≈ $7,313
  9. Endovascular thrombectomy
    ≈ $18,370
photo
Seesen, Germany
Specializations: Cardiac surgery, Vascular surgery, Thoracic surgery, Neurosurgery, Spine surgery, Orthopedic surgery, Oncology
The Asklepios clinics in Schildautal were built between 1954 and 1956 by the state insurance company in Braunschweig and were a lung sanatorium until 1974. read more
Prices for popular procedures:
  1. Minimally invasive valvular heart surgery with valve repair or replacement
    by request
  2. Mechanical valve replacement
    ≈ $39,282
  3. Bio-prosthetic valve replacement
    ≈ $35,795
  4. Double valve replacement
    ≈ $32,552
  5. Transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR)
    ≈ $50,424
  6. Aortic valve replacement (AVR)
    ≈ $41,185
  7. Balloon valvuloplasty
    ≈ $43,400
  8. Percutaneous balloon aortic valvuloplasty (PBAV)
    ≈ $12,100
  9. Aortography
    ≈ $2,366
photo
Lille, France
Specializations: Cardiac surgery, Vascular surgery, Thoracic surgery, Neurosurgery, Spine surgery, Orthopedic surgery, Oncology
With a community of nearly 16,000 professionals, the Lille University Hospital is one of the largest health campuses in northern Europe. A referral and read more
Prices for popular procedures:
  1. Minimally invasive valvular heart surgery with valve repair or replacement
    by request
  2. Mechanical valve replacement
    ≈ $67,238
  3. Bio-prosthetic valve replacement
    ≈ $26,222
  4. Double valve replacement
    ≈ $31,319
  5. Transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR)
    ≈ $65,067
  6. Aortic valve replacement (AVR)
    ≈ $53,135
  7. Aortography
    ≈ $5,521
  8. Ross operation
    ≈ $36,349
  9. Carotid endarterectomy (CEA)
    ≈ $18,547
photo
Leiden, Netherlands
Specializations: Cardiac surgery, Vascular surgery, Thoracic surgery, Neurosurgery, Spine surgery, Orthopedic surgery, Oncology
Languages: English
LUMC is a modern university medical center for research, education and patient care with a high quality profile and a strong scientific orientation. In order read more
Prices for popular procedures:
  1. Minimally invasive valvular heart surgery with valve repair or replacement
    by request
  2. Mechanical valve replacement
    ≈ $67,238
  3. Bio-prosthetic valve replacement
    ≈ $26,222
  4. Double valve replacement
    ≈ $31,319
  5. Transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR)
    ≈ $65,067
  6. Aortic valve replacement (AVR)
    ≈ $53,135
  7. Balloon valvuloplasty
    ≈ $41,427
  8. Percutaneous balloon aortic valvuloplasty (PBAV)
    ≈ $13,281
  9. Aortography
    ≈ $5,521
photo
Maastricht, Netherlands
Specializations: Cardiac surgery, Vascular surgery, Thoracic surgery, Neurosurgery, Spine surgery, Orthopedic surgery, Oncology
Languages: English, German
Maastricht University Medical Center+ is known both nationally and internationally for its focus on prevention and taking an integrated approach to health care: from prevention, read more
Prices for popular procedures:
  1. Mechanical valve replacement
    ≈ $67,238
  2. Bio-prosthetic valve replacement
    ≈ $26,222
  3. Double valve replacement
    ≈ $31,319
  4. Transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR)
    ≈ $65,067
  5. Aortic valve replacement (AVR)
    ≈ $53,135
  6. Balloon valvuloplasty
    ≈ $41,427
  7. Percutaneous balloon aortic valvuloplasty (PBAV)
    ≈ $13,281
  8. Aortography
    ≈ $5,521
  9. Ross operation
    ≈ $36,349
photo
Utrecht, Netherlands
Specializations: Cardiac surgery, Vascular surgery, Thoracic surgery, Neurosurgery, Spine surgery, Orthopedic surgery, Oncology
Since everyone deserves the best possible healthcare, UMC Utrecht always sets the bar high. The result: innovative, cutting-edge medical treatment that meets the healthcare needs read more
Prices for popular procedures:
  1. Minimally invasive valvular heart surgery with valve repair or replacement
    by request
  2. Mechanical valve replacement
    ≈ $90,259
  3. Bio-prosthetic valve replacement
    ≈ $62,476
  4. Double valve replacement
    ≈ $61,781
  5. Transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR)
    ≈ $134,952
  6. Aortic valve replacement (AVR)
    ≈ $52,000
  7. Balloon valvuloplasty
    ≈ $31,903
  8. Percutaneous balloon aortic valvuloplasty (PBAV)
    ≈ $21,569
  9. Aortography
    ≈ $6,055
photo
Essen, Germany
Specializations: Cardiac surgery, Vascular surgery, Thoracic surgery, Neurosurgery, Spine surgery, Orthopedic surgery, Oncology
The University Hospital Essen is part of the University Medicine Essen hospital group . This includes 15 other subsidiaries , including the Ruhrland Clinic, the read more
Prices for popular procedures:
  1. Minimally invasive valvular heart surgery with valve repair or replacement
    by request
  2. Mechanical valve replacement
    ≈ $90,259
  3. Bio-prosthetic valve replacement
    ≈ $62,476
  4. Double valve replacement
    ≈ $61,781
  5. Transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR)
    ≈ $134,952
  6. Aortic valve replacement (AVR)
    ≈ $52,000
  7. Balloon valvuloplasty
    ≈ $31,903
  8. Percutaneous balloon aortic valvuloplasty (PBAV)
    ≈ $21,569
  9. Aortography
    ≈ $6,055
photo
Köln, Germany
Specializations: Cardiac surgery, Vascular surgery, Thoracic surgery, Neurosurgery, Spine surgery, Orthopedic surgery, Oncology
Germany is one of the world's leading medical countries worldwide. Its 33 university hospitals form the highest tier of the country's sophisticated healthcare system. The read more

Clinics grouping by rating

Clinic with the highest rating of 4.8 — Herz- und Diabeteszentrum Nordrhein-Westfalen in Bad Oeynhausen, Germany, clinic with the most reviews number of 2235 — Hôpital Paris Saint-Joseph in Paris, France.

With rating 4.0 and over — 18 clinics .

Countries with the highest number of clinics treating the diseases:

Aortic valve stenosis:

Related procedures:

Aortic stenosis – disease overview

Hemodynamic disorders in aortic stenosis

Aortic stenosis (AS) accounts for approximately 2.33% of all congenital heart defects and occurs with a frequency of 18.6 per 100,000 live births. With this pathology, a narrowing of the excretory tract of the left ventricle occurs, which interferes with the normal flow of blood into the ventricle. In this article, we will analyze in detail the features of AS: the causes, symptoms and complications of this disease.

Recall that the heart consists of four cavities (two ventricles and two atria), and also contains the same number of valves, one of which is the aortic valve. The latter normally consists of three cusps and prevents the return flow of blood from the aorta to the left atrium. The heart has two phases: systole (contraction) and diastole (relaxation).

Aortic stenosis - causes

One of the most common causes of AS is a bicuspid aortic valve (unilocular valve or other defects that are congenital anomalies also occur). Other conditions that increase the risk of stenosis include:

  • valve calcification and damage due to atherosclerosis;
  • rheumatic fever (complication of sore throat or scarlet fever, which can cause scarring of the aortic valve, making it difficult for its normal functioning).

Disease classification

Aortic stenosis is divided into three main groups:

  1. Subvalvular.
  2. Valvular.
  3. Supravalvular.

With subvalvular stenosis, narrowing of the outflow part of the left ventricle occurs, which is usually associated with the presence of a membrane or fibromuscular canal (thickening of the muscular septum).

This type of pathology can be isolated, but in some cases it is accompanied by aortic valve defects, ventricular septal defect (VSD), and also occurs as part of Sean's syndrome (a rare congenital malformation in which the left heart and aorta are affected). The course of subvalvular aortic stenosis is diverse and depends, inter alia, on the presence of concomitant conditions.

Valvular stenosis is the most common cause of a bicuspid aortic valve. Also, this type of pathology is the most common congenital malformation in adults (1-2% of the population), often accompanied by other anomalies, including hypoplasia (underdevelopment) of the mitral valve, left ventricle, ascending part of the aorta or its arch. Also, in some cases, this condition is associated with coarctation of the aorta and non-closure of the ductus arteriosus.

Supravalvular stenosis is caused by narrowing of the aorta above the valve. It can be an isolated defect, often a component of Williams syndrome. Supravalvular stenosis most often manifests itself in childhood and may be accompanied by other abnormalities, such as hypoplasia of the ascending aorta, aortic valve abnormalities, narrowing of the main branches of the aorta, and coronary artery abnormalities.

Valvular stenosis occurs most frequently (approximately 60–75% of cases). More rare forms are subvalvular (15–20%) and supravalvular (6–10%) aortic stenosis.

Hemodynamics for aortic stenosis

Aortic stenosis makes it difficult for blood to drain from the left ventricle, which leads to the following changes:

  1. The systolic pressure of the left ventricle increases, which causes an increase in the load on it and, consequently, its hypertrophy (an increase in the volume and mass of the muscles of the chamber).
  2. Systolic dysfunction of the left ventricle - thickening of its wall entails problems of relaxation of the chamber, which leads to a decrease in the ejection fraction of this chamber.
  3. As filling of the left ventricle becomes difficult, the end-diastolic pressure in the left ventricle increases and, as a consequence, the pressure in the left atrium and pulmonary veins increases. Without treatment, other heart defects can join the AS.

Thus, the consequences of impaired blood outflow from the left ventricle in severe fetal AS are:

  1. hypertrophy of the muscles of the left ventricle;
  2. changes in the inner layer of the heart (endocardial fibrosis);
  3. increased risk of acquired heart defects and heart inflammation;
  4. syndrome of underdevelopment of the left ventricle;
  5. enlargement of the aorta and an increase in the risk of its dissection.

Symptoms of the disease in children

Mild to moderate AS is most common in children. Patients do not complain at all or for a long time. Systolic murmur and early systolic click over the aortic valve are often the only signs of disease.

Critical aortic valve stenosis in a newborn

Such a defect, found in a baby at birth, is not life-threatening, but the condition worsens (quickly or over several hours or days) as the ductus arteriosus closes.

Symptoms of heart failure and respiratory failure develop, including:

  1. increased heart rate (tachycardia);
  2. lowering blood pressure (arterial hypotension);
  3. shortness of breath and an increase in the frequency of respiratory movements (tachypnea);
  4. enlargement of the liver (hepatomegaly);
  5. violation of blood flow through the body;
  6. acute renal failure;
  7. change in blood acidity;
  8. ventricular arrhythmias;
  9. shock;
  10. pulmonary edema.

Symptoms of the disease in adults

As noted earlier, the presence of certain symptoms depends on the degree of stenosis, and a slight narrowing usually does not appear for many years. It should be noted that with congenital and acquired aortic stenosis, the patient will have the same complaints and hemodynamic disturbances.

Symptoms of the disease include:

  • pain similar to that of angina pectoris;
  • dizziness;
  • rapid heartbeat;
  • frequent fainting or light-headedness;
  • shortness of breath during exercise (and in case of severe pathology - and at rest) and other symptoms of heart failure (edema in the legs, enlarged liver, etc.).

Aortic stenosis: auscultation

Auscultation is a method of examination in which a doctor uses a special device (often a phonendoscope) to listen for noises on the surface of the chest or in another location. This pathology is characterized by the presence of several auscultatory signs, however, before proceeding to them, it is necessary to understand what heart sounds are and how they are formed.

So, heart sounds are the characteristic sound of a working heart muscle. There are four heart tones:

  1. The first tone is formed due to the vibration of four components: ventricular contraction, closure of the mitral and tricuspid valves, opening of the semilunar valves and the ejection of blood from the ventricles.
  2. The second heart sound is shorter and higher in frequency than the first, occurs when the aortic and pulmonary valves are closed.
  3. The third heart sound is very weak and is caused by a rush of blood to the ventricles. It can be heard in most healthy young people.
  4. The fourth heart sound is rarely heard normally, but it can be displayed during phonocardiography (special instrumental examination). Caused by atrial contraction.

In AS, there are two characteristic auscultatory signs:

  • decrease in the strength of the aortic component in the formation of the second tone and its paradoxical splitting;
  • systolic murmur (ejection murmur) - occurs immediately after the first tone, gradually increases, and then decreases and disappears; often well performed along the carotid arteries and in the apex of the heart.

There is also such a thing as mitralization of the AS. In this condition, the relative insufficiency of the mitral valve is attached due to the expansion of its annulus fibrosus. In this case, the doctor can hear a "soft" noise that differs from that of a conventional AS.

Complications of the disease

This pathology can have the following complications:

  1. chronic heart failure;
  2. expansion of the ascending aorta and aortic dissection;
  3. infective endocarditis;
  4. acquired von Willebrand syndrome (violation of normal blood clotting);
  5. gastrointestinal bleeding;
  6. sudden cardiac death as a result of, for example, ventricular arrhythmias and acute heart failure.

Disease prognosis

The asymptomatic course may not affect life expectancy in any way. With a clinical picture characteristic of the disease, surgical intervention significantly improves the prognosis. Newborns with critical AS are at the highest risk of complications and death.

Summary

In this article, we examined the features of aortic stenosis, the causes of which are currently not fully known. This disease is characterized by a narrowing of the left ventricular outflow tract, which interferes with the flow of blood into the aorta.

The most common congenital anomaly is valve stenosis. The latter is often caused by the presence of two valve cusps instead of three. Subvalvular and supravalvular stenosis are less common.

The clinical picture of AS depends on the degree of narrowing. So, a critical stenosis in a newborn leads to circulatory failure.

Mild to moderate narrowing is usually asymptomatic, while severe stenosis causes fatigue, chest pain, fainting, and heart failure.

References:

  1. Harrison`s Principles of Internal Medicine 19/E (Vol.1). Dennis Kasper, Anthony Fauci, Stephen Hauseret all. McGraw-HillEducation 2015 ISBN: 0071802134 ISBN-13(EAN): 9780071802130.
  2. Kanwar A, Thaden JJ, Nkomo VT. Management of Patients With Aortic Valve Stenosis. Mayo Clin Proc. 2018 Apr;93(4):488-508. doi: 10.1016/j.mayocp.2018.01.020. PMID: 29622096.
  3. Interna szczeklika - duży podręcznik. Medycyna praktyczna. 2021. ISBN 9788374306522.
  4. Pediatria do LEK i PES. Anna Dobrzańska, Józef Ryżko. 2018. ISBN: 978-83-7609-855-5.

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