Just when you think you know it all...

[Bunny_Rabbit]

Hey all!

I recently had an echo done and got the results today. I was told that eveything is looking great after my Valvuloplasty in September and I won't have to worry about anything for a while now. I guess I'm STILL in the waiting room. However I was told that instead of having Aortic Stenosis which they initally thought, I actually have Aortic Sclerosis. Has anyone ever heard of this? I'm looking on the net and can't seem to find a whole lot about it.

If anyone knows anything about this, or anywhere I could go to find out, I would really appriciate it.

Thanks in advance.

 

[fyrfytr]

Hey Bunny,
Great to hear the Good News. Hope everything goes well for you.
Here is what I know about Aortic Sclerosis. It is a calcific disease of the aortic valvular leaflets defined as focal leaflet thickening without significant obstruction to the left ventricular outflow. Hope that helps you some.

Dave

Keep your fires small!
_________________________________
Surgery: 4/21/03
Aortic Aneurysm Repair
AVR, with a St. Jude

 

[JimL]

Hey Bunny, it's good to hear from you again.

I was born with a bicuspid aortic valve, which means that the valve didn't open all the way, but was narrower than it should have been = stenosis, narrowing.

Over the course of time, for reasons that I don't understand (and I don't think anybody does) the two leaflets of my valve calcified. Calcified = sclerosis, hardening.

As a result, they became much less pliable, and opened less and less. Thus the hardening increases the narrowing. It would seem to me that the two go together, not either/or but both/and.

Perhaps my understanding is faulty, and someone will enlighten me. Perhaps your condition is different. Please keep us informed.

 

[ccrawford]

Hi Bunny - Jim is right on. The valve calcification is likely to worsen over time, but its hard to predict how long until some additional intervention is needed. The calcification can produce both regurgitation of the valve as well as reduced blood flow through the valve. You may notice it very slowly over a number of years or symptoms may come on quickly. In my case it took many years and I attributed my reduced capability to aging, then symptoms developed pretty quickly the month or so before surgery, and I found out that while aging was a factor, it was the slow degredation of the valve that caused me to have less stamina. Hope this helps. Chris

 

[LUVMyBirman]

I have seen that term mentioned on an echo a few years ago on my mechanical valve. How do you explain that?

 

[Bunny_Rabbit]

First of all, thanks everyone for the replies. It's great to have a site to turn to when you have a question.

With this Aortic Sclerosis, is it anything like hardening of the arteries? Is this something that cholesterol would play a part in? Does this mean that I have to give up Big Macs?! Say it ain't so!



Thanks again.

 

[lcwhitney]

Sclerosis does not come from bad eating habits like it sounds. It comes from things like mild bacterial infections, time, wear and tear on an already stressed valve that has to work harder because it is malformed or damaged in some way.

Lettitia

 

[fdegranville]

aortic sclerosis

aortic sclerosis

Hi Miss Bunny,
Glad to hear your valvuloplasty is holding up. My echos also indicate aortic sclerosis with 3+ AI. It might just be a scarring process on the valve leaflets from the rheumatic fever, but not bad enough to cause stenosis. My aortic valve diameter is low normal. I think its what they call it before it is bad enough to be called stenosis. But I may be wrong. What is your aortic valve diameter?

Glad you are well!
fdeg

PS. I'm coming to Toronto in August to conduct training for the Tiffany store there. I haven't been back for 8 years and I'm really looking forward to it.