My cardiologist on my yearly appt informed me due to my echo results being 38% pressure and measurements being.08 around my aortic valve. That I needed surgery. My Tee was Jan 16 th and the Cardio (not mine) informed me when I woke up taht he did not understand why I was there that my Valve looked fine with only mod stenosis. My actual cardiologist told me I was in severe stenosis. The cardio that did my TEE also informed me that my aorta is slightly enlarged but " don't worry you are so young this is usually indicative of an aortic aneursym I wouldn't worry about thsi". This cardio who did the test does not know the history. A bicuspid aortic valve runs in my mother and a cousin of mine also my cousin also has an aortic aneurysm. Hope thsi helps for to get more information.
From your two posts, it appears to me that several things are going on here and that there may be some confusion about the actual results. If you do not have copies of your Echo and TEE Reports, I recommend that you obtain them from each provider.
Your symptoms of being SOB (short of breath) doing various activities are certainly indicative of heart issues. Leg swelling is often reduced by reducing your fluid retention with a diuretic (typically Lasix or it's generic Furosemide). Compression stockings also help. These are 'Stop Gap' measures and do NOT cure the cause of the swelling which is typically Heart related.
Ejection Fraction is the measurement that is expressed as a percentage and 38% is below normal. If that is what your Doctor was refering to as 38%, you should press him further for an explanation of the cause.
Aortic Stenosis is typically diagnosed when the effective valve area is reduced from normal. Many Cardiologists and Surgeons recommend Aortic Valve Replacement when that number is reduced to 0.8 cm sq. (0.08 cm sq would be virtually shut off and you probably would not even be able to walk around at that level in my NON-professional opinion)
There is a High Correlation of Aortic Aneurism with BiCuspid Aortic Valves. You may want to read more about this issue in the BiCuspid Aortic Valve and Connective Tissue Disorder Forum which contains a LOT of information on these conditions.
Based on your symptoms and my 'guess' as to what your numbers mean, it is probably time to start interviewing Surgeons. Surgery is the ONLY way to FIX these heart problems and Surgeons seem to have a better 'feel' for when to procede.
If you do have BAV and an Aortic Aneurism, you would be wise to find a surgeon with Extensive Experience doing Surgery of the Aorta (which is another level above 'mere Valve Replacement'). With the right kind of experienced surgeon, the risks of AVR and Aorta Repair are typically not much higher than for AVR alone.
Mass. General Hospital (MGH) and Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston are both Highly Regarded Heart Hospitals and should have surgeons with the above mentioned skills.
Feel free to ask more questions as they arise.
'AL Capshaw'
