Aortic valve regurgitation (also known as aortic regurgitation) occurs when a backflow of blood that was just pumped out of the heart's main pumping chamber (left ventricle) has leaked back (regurgitation) through the aortic valve. This is due to the aortic valve not closing tightly.
This blood leakage may result in the heart being inefficient in pumping blood to the rest of your body. Patients with aortic valve regurgitation often experience fatigue and shortness of breath.
This condition can develop suddenly or gradually develop over many years. However, when aortic valve regurgitation becomes severe, surgery required to repair or replace the aortic valve.
As most cases of aortic valve regurgitation develops slowly, patients may have no signs or symptoms for a long period of time. However, when the condition worsens, some symptoms may appear, such as:
Conditions which damage a valve can cause regurgitation. Some causes of aortic valve regurgitation are:
Other risk factor of aortic valve regurgitation include:
The doctor will ask about the patient’s medical history and provide a physical exam which includes listening to the heart with a stethoscope. Aortic valve regurgitation generally produces a heart murmur, which can mean that blood is leaking backward through the aortic valve. Upon this first examination, the doctor will decide what tests are needed to make a diagnosis. Some of the diagnostic tests may include:
The tests will help the doctor diagnose aortic valve regurgitation, determine the severity of the condition, and decide if the patient’s aortic valve needs repair or replacement.
Treatment of aortic valve regurgitation depends on the severity of the blood leakage (regurgitation), symptoms arising from the condition,and the extent the heart function is affected.