No aortic root dialation. If echo shows a normal size, thats probably okay. Coarctation of the aorta is a narrowing that may produce an increase in the blood pressure in the upper extremities. He posed next to statues of Thomas Jefferson, Jesse Owens (whose family moved to Cleveland when he was nine, and who later attended The Ohio State University), and Abraham Lincoln. I was physically examined by a medical board at new Delhi for the post of a chemist in geological servey of India but they declared me unfit as I have BAV . Any words you have for us would be greatly appreciated. Several contemporary elite triathletes have BAV and Ive written about their stories in: Examples from other sports would include Arnold Schwarzenegger, among others. I was hoping that if the ultrasound numbers dont change much, the endurance will not decrease significantly. Stress echo revealed hypercontractile with normal response in all LV segments, no LV cavitary dialiation. I have an OnX mechanical valve. This might reasonably translate into some measurable improvement related to physical exercise. Benefits: long-term durability. My cardiologist (whom I trust) said to keep working out like I always have (good news for me). What is the average life span of a tissue valve? Shes quite the athlete. There can be issues with aches and pains even months after operation that still relate to healing. I am a keen weightlifter, which is the basis of this post. Is this the case? At the age of 12, she had a procedure to widen her valve as her heart condition continued to have an impact. But I recognize that not all cardiologists or heart surgeons would agree. The lines are the edges of the valve leaflets that open and close to let blood through. Very helpful. Yes, moderate aortic root dilation can remain stable. To quickly review, individuals with BAV have an aortic valve with 2 unequalinstead of the usual 3 equal sizedleaflets. Bicuspid Aortic Valve: Symptoms, Diagnosis & Treatment, Biological Tissue Valves: Pig, Cow, Horse & Human, The Patient's Guide To Heart Valve Surgery. We just saw them in January. I have no symptoms that I would notice, e.g. A few hours after helping the woman, she began to experience chest aches, soreness in both arms, nausea and clammy skin. what would your advice be for training & competing? Ive recently joined the gym to get fit an toned up but I cant get a clear answer from the cardiologist of what weights I cant actually do at the gym. eventually was told everything was ok. They all cause a small bit of obstruction to blood flow as it leaves the heart. You didnt mention your age, but obviously youd hope that whatever operation is performed.lasts a lifetime. Answers to your questions. Still it puzzles me that for you as for me it seems to degrade more after the diagnosis for a condition we have since birth. I am 18 now, and I am interested in weight lifting. Hi, Fantastic website, there is very little actual information on this on the web. I ran competively for a division 1 NCAA university through college and have maintained a high level of physical fitness since. Bicuspid aortic value ppg 24 mmhg after surgery and was playing football again by September. Its now 8 months after surgery and Im pretty much back in my every day life, was even granted to attend my pilot medical tests which are due in 2 weeks. The truth is that there is not much scientific information about what happens to such athletes if they do return to endurance sports. Im 31 and 1 years ago i found im BAV with modrate AI. "I feel fantastic and have already been walking the streets of Cleveland enjoying your amazing statues. Im paranoid to exercise too much for fear that I will do damage to the valve. Perhaps that info will give you some basis for discussion with your cardiologist and surgeon regarding the type of valve that is used for your re-replacement. All they said is dont really do weight where you can feel the strain in your neck ?!? Theres no reason to not be CPR certified.. Thank you sincerely for your time and information. A bicuspid aortic valve is a congenital condition, meaning that people are born with two rather than the normal three cusps on their aortic valve. That means it is a congenital heart defect. I know it can be frustrating when you get conflicting opinions regarding the safety of exercise. Advice in this area must be individualized with your doctor(s). Mild/moderate regurgitation. Like you point out, its always wise to be vigilant after surgery for things that might be amiss.and get checked out. I am now down to seeing my doctors every 3 years or so and have been doing very well. They all cause a small bit of obstruction to blood flow as it leaves the heart. host, 76, suffered a mild heart attack in 2012. Aorta diameter (34 mm|34 mm); I am 31 years old and had my BAV repaired at The Cleveland Clinic in 1999 when I was 15. No aneurysm. Before that, I had never seen a cardiologist ever. Males are affected 3:1 compared to females. Reply. I continued playing hockey routinely until I was in my late twenties. The only prudent course is to have periodic follow-up imaging to keep track of size/growth. Thanks very much for this Dr, it is really helpful to get someone elses opinion on the subject and Ill definitely raise those points with my cardiologist next time we meet. Ive yet to feel like Im back to my previous racing fitness that I once had. What have I observed and learned in the quarter century since? Bicuspid valves are quite common (1-2 percent of the population). While I do expect to have a replacement done later in life, the repair was the best decision I could have made. Can you direct us to ANY research on the effect of endurance sports on AVR patients? Even if its one person I help. that suffer from heart valve disease along with a link to the reference story about their heart valve disease and their Twitter handle can be found below: ), the famous American television anchor, suffers from, ), the Olympic Gold Medalist (Soccer) suffered from, ), a comedian and broadcaster, suffers from a. Dear Dr. Creswell, The doc says the big risk is due to the blood thinners. I am a 28yr old male, and Ive just found out about my BAV. I am perfectly happy to stick to the 10km max distance for races, but my key concern is that if I do run some faster training sessions then I might have a sudden death. All Rights Reserved. The readers here would love to hear back from you as you work through this. But like a lot of women, I thought that heart disease was an old white guys disease," the former talk show, 56, host tells PEOPLE. I wouldnt put you in the position of giving me your opinion in a public in forum but just let me know if based on the following, you think Im crazy or not. Very often, the specialists office will make note of the patients problem and make appropriate decisions about whether routine or urgent appointment scheduling is needed. I will keep you posted. Is it possible that the valve will get loose? He/she can talk with you about the generalities of operation in your circumstance. Im 52 years old and had surgery 2.5 years ago to repair an ascending aortic aneurysm (5.8 cm) and aortic tissue valve replacement. So far, none of the people that had the operation suffered any dissection. Consult your doctor to see if there are any restrictions that would be specific to your case. When we go back to re-replace a patients prosthetic valve, for some reason, it usually has to be chiseled out from the heart. My name became public 25 years ago this week. Eventually I will need valve replacement. lifting a max bench of 150 lbs Its a lot harder in the UK to see your cardiologist so you cant get the answers quickly. During that first month we recommend ample walking as the best form of exercise. As a consequence, these individuals develop earlier calcification of the valve leaflets, leading to narrowing, or stenosis. Do you think running 40 minutes five times a week at that level of beats can increase the aorta rate of growth ? Bicuspid aortic valve refers to a spectrum of deformed aortic valves with two functional leaflets or cusps which are often unequal in size. Flaps of tissue on the valve open and close with each heartbeat. Heart disease and stroke are the number one killers of women, Streisand, 74, told PEOPLE about why she helped found the organization. Replacement is much, much more common. The more common form of bicuspid aortic valve occurs in a valve with three cusps with . My daughter has played two years of varsity basketball already. The fusion (sticking together) of the valve leaflets causes abnormal valve opening and closing. Thank you for taking the time to respond to my post. Susp. I then played football my last two years of high school as well as playing hockey and throwing shot put for the track team. I'm new to this group, so I'll be rather short. Thank you so much! Thanks very much. This procedure has the particular benefit that no artificial valve (with the disadvantages described above) needs to be used. Center for Bicuspid Aortic Valve Diseases | Penn Medicine The Heart Valves - Tricuspid - Aortic - Mitral - TeachMeAnatomy Thanks! Keep us posted! You might keep in mind that trans-catheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) can be used to re-replace the aortic valve. I would think that moderate would be a good term for 8-12 rep range, pullups (unassisted), and pushups. It is believed that Schwarzenegger had a bicuspid aortic valve which led to a Ross Procedure operation performed in 1997. Bicuspid aortic valve with Marfan and other HTAD when the ascending aorta is dilated >45 mm. "Were saying to put the focus back on you and make a date with your heart.". 6 weeks later Im still experiencing symptoms that (in the back of my mind) have me thinking about the BV issue. Adam has been featured by the American Heart Association and Medical News Today. If the valve does not close completely, blood can leak into the heart. Athletes in this circumstance should collect opinions from their doctor(s) and make very careful considerations before returning to exercise. The Institute is a unique collaboration of cardiothoracic and vascular surgeons, cardiologists, pulmonologists and basic scientists all working together without the boundaries of departments or specialties. (liver cysts noted). My son is devastated, depressed, and wanted to play ball in college. Bicuspid aortic valve: A bicuspid aortic valve only has two leaflets, increasing the risk of circulatory problems and heart conditions. She partnered with the American Heart Association to encourage others to get CPR training that could potentially be life-saving. Is a CT or MRI absolutely necessary for measuring the aortic diameter? Im wondering if you can advise me. Im a 51 year old male who had aortic repair (5.8 cm) and bovine valve replacement AVR surgery 2 years ago. A CT scan made the diagnosis. My son is 15 and has grown about 4-6 inches in the last year. I had it replaced in 2014 and am now 16. Rhm, 43, tragically lost two of her family members to heart issues. There is a readable section related to BAV. Almost half of BAV subjects develop different degrees of valvular dysfunction during their lifetime. I know that there can be complication with Dacron graft or even aorta aneurysm building up but Ill stay on positive side since I have no tissue disorder and its highly unlikely that with properly working aortic valve I would develop another one in that short period of time. And during the years, this remained pretty stable. He just turned 15 he is 511 203 lbs and has a heart of gold. Dwayne E. Russell You can contact me on zdenkokosutic@yahoo.com. I made appointment with my cardio, to clear that up, dont worry :). That said I have a resting HR of ~40 (always have). Bicuspid Aortic Valve - Medscape The valve may also become stiff due to calcium deposits on the leaflets over time. Thanks. Hi Larry, Im a 44 year old male. Im not sure how those two problems would be related. Often times, especially for patients with tissue heart valve replacement devices, the valve simply wears out. His cardiologist said he cant play. Thank you to every doc and nurse on my team!". There are 2 broad categories of heart valve substitutes that can be used to replace the human aortic valve: mechanical valves or bioprosthetic (tissue) valves. I would defer to Dr. Dietz since youve already contacted him. I dont have any ayptoms. Your site has been helpful in provided a sense of peacebut an extra insight would be super encouraging. 1) Son has to stop football training as well as any physical activity, even at school (P.E. Bicuspid aortic valve (BAV) is the most frequent congenital cardiac defect, and affects 0.5-2% of live births. Is that so, or can it be measured by the echocardiogram as well? these conditions occur mostly during my exercises at the gym and Im left very lightheaded and shortness of breathe. "I am lucky to be here.". Only your cardiologist and heart surgeon will be in a position to make those considerations. Will surgery mean I can do more or less training? He loves sports and is wanting to do more and more. Do you think the jiu-jitsu (e.g. I have read that strength training is beneficial for heart health. Went through the process of antibiotic therapy and. The rest of the aorta is normal (visualized to just above the bifurcation in the abdomen). We all appreciate it. "I have heart disease, and I found out about five or four years ago, the singer, now 49, told PEOPLE in 2008. Celebrities With Endocarditis -- Know Of Any? - Heart Valve Surgery