My doctor says that I was born with a “Bicuspid Aortic Valve.” He also said that it will not be a problem for many years, if at all, but I still want to know more about it. Help!
Bicuspid aortic valve occurs in about 1 1/2%of the population. The aortic valve, is the valve between the heart and the biggest blood vessel in the body, the aorta. It prevents blood from leaking back into the heart, and it allows the blood to move forward and feed oxygen and nutrients to the body. It usually has 3 leaflets that almost look like a parachute. When you are born with a bicuspid valve, you only have 2 leatflets. When this occurs, later in life you are prone to have this valve become leaky (regurgitation) or blocked (stenosis). Either condition, if severe enough, will require that the valve be replaced surgically.
To learn more about Bicuspid Aortic Valve, watch this video from VideoMD.com.
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