Aortic Regurgitation

Question: Do you know if aortic regurgitation can be a reason to reject an application for immigration to Canada? Does it depend on the condition of aortic regurgitation? What if an operation will be made to correct it? Thanks a lot!

Answer: That's a good question, I don't want to tell you something and be wrong so here is a link to the site that states all the policies. If nothing else maybe you can get a phone number from it to get a definite response right from the source. http://www.cic.gc.ca/

Question: What is the best test/method to detect aortic regurgitation? Is an echo or a doppler better for detecting Aortic regurgitation? Color Doppler,Pulsed Dopple,Duplex Doppler,"Bedside" or continuous wave Doppler, Or is And echo better? 2d-echo,3d-echo,color echo? Or am I missing something? Basically I want to know what is the best test to detect it.

Answer: The best test is a transthoracic echo. Period. If a valve replacement is planned, then a transesophageal echo may be needed.

Question: What is the best method/test for detecting aortic regurgitation? Is an echo or a doppler better for detecting Aortic regurgitation? Color Doppler,Pulsed Dopple,Duplex Doppler,"Bedside" or continuous wave Doppler, Or is And echo better? 2d-echo,3d-echo,color echo? Or am I missing something? Basically I want to know what is the best test to detect it.

Answer: Echo, because that way they can see the blood leaking out of the valve, thats whay i get every year its the only way they can track my aortic regurgitation. I would think a 3d echo would be the best to see it(since its 3d), and color would be good also.

Question: diastolic murmur and aortic regurgitation? i am 35 yr old female, just a couple pounds underweight with a heart murmur since i was 18, maybe longer. i was once over 200 pounds due to multiple pregnancies, but that was only for a period of about 3 years. i was not overweight before that time and have now kept the weight off for the last 4 years. i am told i have an enlarged heart and moderate aortic regurgitation. my cardiologist says the time i was obese caused my heart to be enlarged. i have chest pain and shortness of breath (not on exertion) occasionally and i am worried i am a heart attack waiting to happen but he seems to be blowing me off saying i am really too young for any of this to be very serious. what causes these things in a young person?

Answer: A HEART ATTACK CAN ALSO HAPPEN @35. SEE A DIFFERENT DOC. WITH AN ENLARGED HEART THE CARDIAC MUSCLE IS WORKING EXTRA HARD TO PUMP BLOOD THROUGH THE BODY.

Question: Is aortic valve regurgitation considered coronary heart disease?

Answer: Coronary arteries are small arteries which supplies the heart. When you get coronary artery block you get heart attacks or if partially blocked you may get pains called angina. This is called coronary heart disease. Aortic valve is the valve at the outlet of left ventricle. This valve can malfunction in many ways. It can cause narrowing of the aperture which is called stenosis or cause leak of blood back into the heart which is called regurgitation. Though the both are not the same both can co-exist in the same person.

Question: Is aortic regurgitation "curable" with surgery? My son was diagnosed at birth with aortic regurgitation and I found a website that states that it is curable with surgery, however our cardiologist has never stated it like that, he states that when he has a valve replacement it will be "temp" fix until the fake valve wears out and needs replaced again. Which to me is not a cure. What is your thought?

Answer: surgery is the only way to fix it!

Question: what is the meaning of - mild aortic regurgitation seen?

Answer: This also called aortic insufficiency. When the left venticle contracts the aortic valve opens and allows the blood to flow out through the aortic arch. At the end of the contraction the three leaflets of the valve close, so that the ventricle can fill up again in diastole for the next contraction. Sometimes the valve does not close fully, allowing a portion of the pumped out blood to flow back, which puts some extra load on the heart. If it is mild generally it is not of much consequence to any one not involved in strenuous physical work.

Question: Son has aortic regurgitation, DR recommends blood pressure meds, any thoughts? My son is only 21 months old and per his visit at the pediatric cardiologist he thinks that the leak has gone from mild to moderate since his last check and recommends starting him on a blood pressure medication 3x per day I think its called something like cardthacan or something (not sure) but his blood pressure is fine 70/48 when we were there and I dont think I want him on meds 3x per day at not even 2 yrs old, the DR says this is to dilate blood vessels and minimize the leak back into the ventricle...I just wondered if anyone has any history or thoughts on this plan of treatment? Thanks in advance. A concerned confused mom ....a big concern is that the meds can cause chronic cough and lowers blood pressure which can cause dizziness pr passing out...thats a little scary for a one year old

Answer: Aortic regurgitation is a very big deal as I am sure you know. The doctor is trying to prolong the time that he may need to do surgery for as long as absolutely possible so that repeated surgeries (as the child grows and heart grows, making the prosthetic valve too small) and use of anticoagulant (aka blood thinners, Warfarin) therapy needs to be used. At 21 months you are right, your son does not have high blood pressure but we are not talking about a normal state...the doctor is trying to reduce something called afterload, which affects the AR. So neither option is optimal, but your child has a serious condition. Your options are using a blood pressure medication now VERSES open heart surgery sooner, needing to use Warfarin daily and getting weekly blood checks ....I think I might go with the blood pressure medication. This is going to be difficult, no matter...be sure you have a good relationship with his cardiologist - and if not, consider seeking another with whom feel more comfortable - but you are going to need to trust this doctor and understand his treatment plans. Good luck.

Question: How accurate is the stephoscope for hearing aortic regurgitation? Ok so the ER doc thought I was having a aortic dissection and said he thought he heard aortic insuffiency with the steposcope and wanted a CT scan done right away because he thought I was having a dissection. He also ordered a chest X ray and both of them came back showing no dissection. But I asked him about what he heard with the stephoscope and he said he's not sure, I should get a echo cardiogram. My aorta size came back normal also but when I read about aortic regurgitation it says the aorta root would be dilated. But he said he heard a mumor that seemed associated with aorta insuffiency. But wouldnt this have shown up on the chest x ray perhaps as well as my aorta root being dilated if I had it? Im just wondering, if anyone can give me advice I would be very thankful. Thanks Thanks for the answer! But what about Aortic Regurgitation, this is different from dissection right?

Answer: Smalldancer, Because of the varying symptoms and signs of aortic dissection depending on the initial intimal tear and the extent of the dissection, the proper diagnosis is sometimes difficult to make. Also, a normal X-Ray may not indicate that there is a problem. The first sign of an aortic dissection is usually heard with the stethoscope. An aortic dissection is a tear in the wall of the aorta, either in the thoracic cavity or the abdominal cavity, that causes blood to flow between the layers of the wall of the aorta and force the layers apart. Aortic dissection is a medical emergency and can quickly lead to death, even with optimal treatment. This is why the doctor ordered the scan; alternatively, he might have requested an ultra sound scan, both are more definitive than an X-Ray. The sounds heard may be a "blowing" murmur over the aorta, a heart murmur, or other abnormal sound. There are many different diagnostic tests and evaluations for this, and once suspected, time is of the essence. It would appear, from your statement, that you received the correct diagnosis and resultant treatment. You are one of the ‘lucky’ ones. ALL ANSWERS SHOULD BE THOROUGHLY RESEARCHED, IN ANY FORUM AND ESPECIALLY IN THIS ONE. - MANY ANSWERS ARE FLAWED. The information provided here should not be used during any medical emergency or for the diagnosis or treatment of any medical condition. A licensed physician should be consulted for diagnosis and treatment of any and all medical conditions. Hope this helps matador 89

Question: What happens before, during, and after an aortic valve replacement? Ok so i am 16 years old, and i have Aortic stenosis, bicuspid aortic valve, aortic regurgitation and an Enlarged aorta. I am soon going to be getting an aortic valve replacement. I am just wondering what happens before and after the surgery and how long i will be in the hospital, how long in the ICU, what kind of tubes/machines will i need? any information will help. thanks :)

Answer: Mechanical valve will last for ever. But the red blood cells will be damaged and clot will be formed in the implanted mechanical valve. In order to prevent the formation of blood clot, the patient has to take warfarin (a blood thinner) for the rest of his/her life. If pig valve is used, there is no necessity to take the medicine (warfarin) for the rest of his/her life. But the tissue valve will function only for 15 years. Since you are too young, you have to opt for mechanical valve and to take the medicine for the rest of your life. Valve replacement is indicated for virtually all who can tolerate surgery. In younger patients, the patient's own pulmonic valve can be used, providing good durability; a bioprosthesis is then used to replace the pulmonic valve (Ross procedure). Most often, the aortic valve is replaced with a mechanical or bioprosthetic valve. You will stay in an intensive care unit for the first 2 or 3 days following the operation. Your heart functions will be monitored constantly. The average hospital stay is 1 - 2 weeks. Complete recovery will take a few weeks to several months, depending on your health before surgery.