Anybody know someone in their 40's with BAVD...with a good functioning Aortic valve and no aneuryism......meaning no surgery in sight? I know that if you are on this website.....more than likely that is not the case.....but is it possible?
BAV and good functioning valve with no aneuryism
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Sure it's possible. I had no clue there was anything wrong until I developed a murmur when I was 49. Four years later I had a straight-forward, aortic valve replacement.
It's quite possible you will never need replacement; it's also possible you won't need replacement for another 20+ years.
Looking back at my own situation, the biggest regret I have is that I spent so much time worrying about my valve pre-surgery. It accomplishes nothing and so uses valuable time better spent living life to its fullest.
Possible? Happened to me. My BAV served me well right up to the day of surgery when I was 61. I ran track and cross country in high school and college and ran marathons into my late 30s until I got an orthopedic injury. Over the years I had been told by various doctors I had a murmur, but none made anything out of it until I saw a new doc when I was 60. By then it had progressed, but it was clear that it was something I was born with. At age 40 I was blissfully ignorant of my BAV. At age 60 when I finally learned of it, I got a very quick education as it was only a year later that I needed it fixed.
It's also quite possible you may never need surgery. It's not very predictable.
It's also quite possible you may never need surgery. It's not very predictable.
I have been on the roller coaster for the past few months. Had "weird" heart palpitations and very light-headed as well as a very low pulse. Went to the local echo and they said "severe"....my cardiologist said "wait a minute" and looked at the results and said insignificant progression. So yes, 41 and not headed toward surgery just yet. I was preparing myself for it but alas, back to the waiting room I go.
My cardiologist gave me some advice. He said that as soon as you put the valve in, the clock starts ticking on the next valve so the longer you wait, the better off you'll be.
I think that rather than "waiting", I'm in the research phase and will be very well prepared tomorrow if the valve were to progress further.
My cardiologist gave me some advice. He said that as soon as you put the valve in, the clock starts ticking on the next valve so the longer you wait, the better off you'll be.
I think that rather than "waiting", I'm in the research phase and will be very well prepared tomorrow if the valve were to progress further.
Another BAV patient here. Mine was not diagnosed until my early 50's and not replaced until my early-mid-60's. Pretty typical of patients needing replacement.
That said, IIRC the statistics are that only a small percentage of patients having BAV ever need to have them replaced. I think the proportion is that only about 25% of BAV patients eventually need replacements. (Can anybody verify my memory?) With that in mind, you may never need replacement. On the other hand, you are probably well advised to keep track of your valve's performance with periodic echo's so that a cardio can see if any issues develop. Better to be aware of a future need before it becomes an emergency.
Don't worry. Be happy. I did all kinds of stuff while I was waiting for the right time to replace my valve. I ran, biked, traveled, worked (a lot), raised a family, did home improvements -- the whole "normal" thing. Until I was well into "severe stenosis" territory I didn't really even notice it.
That said, IIRC the statistics are that only a small percentage of patients having BAV ever need to have them replaced. I think the proportion is that only about 25% of BAV patients eventually need replacements. (Can anybody verify my memory?) With that in mind, you may never need replacement. On the other hand, you are probably well advised to keep track of your valve's performance with periodic echo's so that a cardio can see if any issues develop. Better to be aware of a future need before it becomes an emergency.
Don't worry. Be happy. I did all kinds of stuff while I was waiting for the right time to replace my valve. I ran, biked, traveled, worked (a lot), raised a family, did home improvements -- the whole "normal" thing. Until I was well into "severe stenosis" territory I didn't really even notice it.
There are still many "unknowns" about Bicuspid issues.
There are evidently degrees of, and variations within, the Bicuspid disorder. There are even variations among patients as to how and even when the leaflets become fused together. Some of us are actually born with two leaflets. Some have three leaflets but two are somehow fused together before birth and sometimes the malformed leaflets may fuse together later in life. And there are variations as to which two leaflets are fused together. And some people's valves become so heavily calcifed over the years that it's not possible for pathology to even determine whether they had a bicuspid valve or not, though it might be suspected. And a woman born with a bicuspid and coarctation is even more rare; it's much more commonly found in men.
Happily, I didn't actually have any aneurysm. Now is that because, as a woman, I don't work as physically hard as a man might have over the decades? I don't know. Apparently the chemistry of childbirth can do a number on a bicuspid valve though.
One really interesting little bonus with BAVD is that we tend to have really clean arteries and don't usually suffer with coronary artery disease issues. So there's a little plus
And there may be many with bicuspids who never develop any noticeable issue with it, ones who live long full lives, and some who never even knew that they had one.
There are evidently degrees of, and variations within, the Bicuspid disorder. There are even variations among patients as to how and even when the leaflets become fused together. Some of us are actually born with two leaflets. Some have three leaflets but two are somehow fused together before birth and sometimes the malformed leaflets may fuse together later in life. And there are variations as to which two leaflets are fused together. And some people's valves become so heavily calcifed over the years that it's not possible for pathology to even determine whether they had a bicuspid valve or not, though it might be suspected. And a woman born with a bicuspid and coarctation is even more rare; it's much more commonly found in men.
Happily, I didn't actually have any aneurysm. Now is that because, as a woman, I don't work as physically hard as a man might have over the decades? I don't know. Apparently the chemistry of childbirth can do a number on a bicuspid valve though.
One really interesting little bonus with BAVD is that we tend to have really clean arteries and don't usually suffer with coronary artery disease issues. So there's a little plus
And there may be many with bicuspids who never develop any noticeable issue with it, ones who live long full lives, and some who never even knew that they had one.
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Thowing in my 2 cents. Diagnosed with heart murmur at age 12. Doc didn't seem to concerned. Saw GP for usual yearly physical until about 18 when I decided that I didn't need a downer like a doctor telling me what to do. I felt fine. Was physically active and no symptoms of anything. Joined Army at 22. Army physical detected murmur but they weren't too concerned so neither was I. First baby came at age 25, second little one arrived at age 27. Life moved forward. Age 56 got bacterial meningites, doctors afraid of vegetation, echo, ct and tee followed while in hosptial. Valve very calcified, but they thought it was bicuspid. Replaced in May 2008. So who knows. Just live life and keep on top of what is going on with your body. It will all be fine.
I had a congenital hear murmur, had an echo when I was 37 "just to see" and was diagnosed BAV at the time. My blood pressure was going up, so I had another echo when I was 50, they said it was calcified come every year, by 54 it was replaced. I had minimal syptoms until the last few months.
I read a study about un-treated BAV diagnosed after death. The youngest to die was 17, the oldest was over 80, the median age was early 50s. It is very possible to live a long life and not die of BAV...or live a short one and go because of BAV.
I read a study about un-treated BAV diagnosed after death. The youngest to die was 17, the oldest was over 80, the median age was early 50s. It is very possible to live a long life and not die of BAV...or live a short one and go because of BAV.
karla
Well-known member
When I was in my 40's ( I am now 53), I was exactly as you are now....I knew I had a BAV since in my 20's but everything was fine, I felt great, did anything I wanted to do. Just on the chance things might go downhill at some point, I had yearly echoes. At that point, my doc and I had hopes it would remain stable forever, as many do. In my case, it did not stay stable and when the time came for the replacement, a cath was done that showed I had developed an aneurysm as well. So that was repaired at the same time. That was 10 weeks ago today and i am a very happy girl, well on my way to doing everything I did in my 40's.
