I look forward to hearing from you. That is to say, I did up until two months ago. I cant do that justice here. i.e. What a great resource! Bicuspid aortic valve is a type of abnormality of the aortic valve. Questions about Bicuspid Aortic Valve!! I have appointment with a cardiologist on Friday but in the meantime i would like to know weather in case of surgery a replacement of the valve is definitely necessary or my condition still allows some options for a surgery without replacement. This was 7 months ago. Im hoping you can help with some guidance. I am concerned about removing the coronary arteries and re attaching them again etc. Im not looking forward competitions nor marathons. Yes, moderate aortic root dilation can remain stable. In large-scale pre-participation cardiac screening programs for young, competitive athletes, BAV is one of the most commonly identified abnormalities. 2. Apologies for my slow reply. I have ramped up my walking to 30 minutes, keeping my heart rate under 100 bpm. These leaflets open and close to regulate blood flow from the heart into the aorta, and prevent blood from flowing back into the heart. My questions are: Many heart conditions can be controlled or repaired once theyre diagnosed. I cant thank you enough for your responses to all the above questions. I had a Bentall with mechanical valve done in Feb 2017. lessons) You should discuss this possibility with your doctor(s). Is strength training that involves only using ones own body weight ok with mild BAV issues, or is all strength training out? All Rights Reserved. Stories of Bicuspid Aortic Valve. I have a 15 year old son with a BAV, Aortic stenosis, Noderate regurgitation and dilatation of his ascending aorta. Dear Dr. Creswell, An early indicator of BAV is a heart murmur, which is an abnormal sound caused by the turbulent . I have regular checks, 12 to 18 months, and until about 3 years ago was told that it was hard to tell that Id had a replacement valve, it now shows slight stiffening. Im not sure theres enough information at hand to offer sound advice. Im not sure how you should best sort out the differing recommendations from your doctors. ps. Between one and two percent of all people have this defect, and it affects more men than women. In my early 40s I thought that I was getting out of breath more than I should and eventually began to feel weak or nervous during a game, but only on Sunday. However my Sinus of valsalva is dilated between 45-47mm (depending on the machine used). since the last worsening ten years ago, the situation still stable and each year I went to the doctor to have the tests, they still tell me nothing has been changed since. The aortic valve lies between the heart and the aorta, the main artery . During pregnancy. Athletes with BAV who have no stenosis or regurgitation of the aortic valve AND have no enlargement of the nearby aorta may participate fully in their sports. Based on the information Ive provided, I would greatly appreciate your advice and opinion on the matter. And judgment would be needed. I cant distinguish if its muscle pain or somewhere inside chest, its not sharp or dull, somewhere in between. My son is 16 years old and his story is very similar to many I read on your blog. It is quite frustrating, Im running with some guys that have a hard time believing that I run a marathon. Rest pulse (70 bpm|50 bpm) I got Edwards magna perimount 25mm bovine AV and Valsava graft for aortic root replacement. Post 2 years and Ive yet to get back to my high level of racing fitness and wanted to see what should be expected. Consensus guidelines from the Proceedings of the 36th Bethesda Conference recommend: The first recommendation does not include the endurance sports. I did cardio training 3 times a week and weight training twice a week for 60 years. Yes, there are many athlete patients whove had operation for BAV/aortic replacement and returned to a variety of sports. Search Heart Hospitals I met an old guy once after a run and he described me very well his running experience; he said when I accelerate, Im the only one to know. Went through the process of antibiotic therapy and. 1 year ago I gave up smoking and started endurance running. I am a 36 yo male who was first diagnosed with BAV at the age of 17. Even if its one person I help. It is very informative. He is football player and he has training 5 times per week (for about 1,5 hours each). 1, 2 Much of the data relating to its complications derive from necropsy studies since reliable . I am now in no mans land of not needing immediate surgery (per the pressure number in left ventricle) and not being able to run more than 30 min. Enjoy! 2. You might keep in mind that trans-catheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) can be used to re-replace the aortic valve. 2. 1. My personal approach to endurance athletes in this situation would be to offer operation if the patient wanted to continue to participate in endurance sports (after operation) and was willing to assume the risks of operation. I dont doubt there is variability in recovery among athletes who have operation for AVR and aortic replacement. My father has struggled with heart disease since he was 50, and I lost him [in 2008].. For those with moderate aortic stenosis, the guidelines suggest restricting activities. I cant lift over 40lbs and I cant continue my work as a tradesman as it requires lifting over the 40lb mark. In 1997, Schwarzenegger underwent heart valve surgery to correct his heart defect. However, I absolutely love being competitive at running, and dont want to jeopardize that either. I think we would expect less enlargement over time with stopping strenuous exercise. Left Ventricular Mass (LV mass/BSA 93g/m2| 114 g/m2, Septal thickness 0.93 cm|1.0-1.1 cm, Posterior wall thickness 0.93 cm|1.0 cm). Perhaps other readers will comment. Is the biggest risk (from numbness) a over-calcified valve which would cause lack of blood flow? Ordinarily, race walking is considered to be in the same category of activity as long-distance running. First, youre not alone! I have a St. Judes Bovine valve now. PS: I noticed that the option Notify me of follow-up comments by email doesnt seem to work. On Ocotber 23, 2020, we learned that Arnold Schwarzenegger had a third heart valve procedure, a re-replacement of his aortic valve replacement. Best to continue to work towards identifying cause(s) and getting any needed treatment. Hes a 30-year-old 8th grade science teacher, a cyclist and outdoorsman, who is chronicling his story with BAVfrom diagnosis, to evaluation, to preparations for upcoming valve replacement surgery. Nonetheless, I think theres considerable confusion about this condition, in terms of diagnosis, implications for the athlete, and its treatment. Ordinarily, athlete patients with mild degrees of valve regurgitation can continue to participate in their sports. Yes, as the patient grows, so will the aorta.and eventually you get to the traditional >40 mm cutoff where activity restrictions are advised. This content can also be viewed on the site it originates from. In the blog post, I talked about the circumstances when operation is needed.as well as when sports are generally safe. I just need to know if these sports are a possibility (im pretty sure football is a no given its contact nature). 1. Copyright 2021-2022 Baldwin Publishing, Inc.All rights reserved. I am a cycling Masters racer (Cat 2) for last 25 years . looking forward for healthy life without surgery any possibilities??? I was diagnosed age 4 and am now 35. In Jan 2016 My son was seen by the cardiologist and had some changes on his echo and the cardiologist said hey had mild progression of the aortic regurgitation( moderate to severe) with preserved LV function. This have affected my son psychologically since he loves playing soccer what should I do. Are we being foolish? If the valve is smaller than needed, there can be a limit to the ability of the heart to do extra workand that can show up as less speed. Yes, there are certainly individuals with BAV who go a lifetime without needing valve replacement or aortic surgery. She was originally under the impression she felt the way she did simply because she was exhausted. Arnold Schwarzenegger (The Governator) - Heart Valve Replacement. My son is a baseball player, so that is good. The lines are the edges of the valve leaflets that open and close to let blood through. eventually was told everything was ok. I would think that moderate would be a good term for 8-12 rep range, pullups (unassisted), and pushups. This also assumes that there are no other cardiac issues or medical problems to consider. Medical therapy may be useful to slow or halt the progression of aortic valve disease and aortic enlargement by reducing the blood pressure and the blood pressure across the aortic valve. Adam Pick is a heart valve patient and author of The Patient's Guide To Heart Valve Surgery. Background: Transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) has achieved satisfactory outcomes in the selected patients with bicuspid aortic valve (BAV), predominately type 1 BAV (~90%). Since you have the ready info about your aortic sizes over time, I will guess that you have a doctor or cardiologist that you are working with. Im highly considering this option, after 4 months of research and appointments with doctors. Anyway, it has slowed to 1 mm per year, and, via email, Dr. Dietz has suggested we may consider a switch to 300 mg Libersartan? If you suspect you have a heart issue, either because you have symptoms or a family history of heart problems, see a doctor. On March 30, 2018, we learned that Arnold Schwarzengger required a second heart surgery. There is recent interest and experience with aortic valve repairinstead of replacementfor patients with BAV. Website designed by Gatorworks. He had a mild BAV and was told that he can play with no restriction. His exercise stress test on 8/5/16 was fine. Etc? diagnosed wid BAV AND AS WITH AR I just thought it was muscle strain., My body cleared the blockage itself, said the game show host, who credited the aspirin he was taking for what he thought was simple muscle pain. This visit we were told it could be a few years before anything needs to be done. Thanks for my previous response a few weeks ago. He was forced to stop playing football at 11. My cardiologist has told me that, based on how my heart sounds, he doesnt think hell ever have to operate on me. To quickly review, individuals with BAV have an aortic valve with 2 unequalinstead of the usual 3 equal sizedleaflets. Follow up for development of these functional lesions is indicated. If I had to choose a valve for AVR, Id choose a tissue valve. They are located between the atria and corresponding ventricle. Jones' goal with the AHA is to help women "actively put themselves on the track to heart health." E. G. I could bench 50lbs with no need to strain and hold my breath, which wouldnt result in a massive spike in blood pressure, but if I tried to bicep curl 50lbs it would do. For example, are there data that shows what happens to aortic diameters once sports have been stopped? For his second operation, Arnold Schwarzenegger, who was 70 years old at the time of this operation, had a pulmonary valve replacement procedure performed at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, California. Willie Moses Problem is, Im getting older (52) now and Im wondering the effect age, and should I be asking for more frequent followups. Theres a saying if you watch a group of kids running around, you would never know who had a heart defect unless they lifted their shirt. This list, which may shock you, includes Olympians, Athletes, Musicians and more, all with an invisible illness. Its weird because sometimes when Im resting I can feel a little weird fluttering.. 2k erg test. Although bicuspid aortic valves can occur . Enlarged ascending aorta 42-43 mm Great article! Sometimes patients with mechanical aortic valves report that they lose a bit of their top-end athletic performance. My heart rate some time is 100. The readers here would love to hear back from you as you work through this. From the outside, these people look healthy, and some are, while others are not. Im a 44 year old male. California Governor and movie star of films including The Terminator and The Predator, Arnold Schwarzenegger marked the 10-year anniversary of his heart surgery at USCs Health Science Campus. If a large enough valve is implanted, there may be no noticeable impact on the ability of the heart to do extra work that comes with running (or any exercise). Ive starting going to the gym again and doing cardio with weights to tone up. The procedure was performed at the Cleveland Clinic. You didnt mention your age, but obviously youd hope that whatever operation is performed.lasts a lifetime. I have just one thing bothering me, and that is healing of tissue surrounding heart and also chest muscles, nerves and so on. Really helpful. Consult your doctor to see if there are any restrictions that would be specific to your case. I have been factual with him and told him worst case scenario is he is done with both and have pushed him to see the positives of exploring other things to do. My question is if my weight&lack of training or my BAV is the cause of difficulty in running. Youre right, though. Notify me of follow-up comments by email. Having a congenital heart defect means you are born with a problem with the heart's structure. Aortic dilatation is a common feature of BAV with a prevalence ranging from 20 to 84% , due to differences in assessment techniques, study population, aortic size thresholds, and heterogeneous nature of the . Aortic valve repair is sometimes possible. 3 In the most common type (type 1), there is a fusion line between the left and right coronary cusps, which extends a variable distance from the commissure (the point of attachment of the . I have found in my case( an athlete with bav)the typical response from doctors is, thats life, you cant do it anymore, be grateful for what you have. His only complaint or change is shortness of breath with stairs. Parenthetically, it may be time for an update. A bicuspid aortic valve is a common cardiovascular condition, affecting about 1% of the general population. I have a call in to his doctor but what do you think? Is that far fetched? His story is typical. I have BAV with an ascended aorta and heart murmur. Review of the clinical records of 152 patients aged 20 years and older found to have a bicuspid aortic valve at autopsy revealed aortic stenosis in only 28 percent. They included a web link to the European medical guidelines. The pertinent questions for your cardiologist is whether there is any stenosis (narrowing) or regurgitation (leakage) of the aortic valve and whether the size (diameter) of the nearby aorta is normal. Thank you very much for your answer. I applaud your efforts to search out information to help you decide on a course of action. I had it replaced in 2014 and am now 16. Thanks so much for all this info! I am young with many years ahead, I dont want to accept this just yet when I know theyre is possibilty of repair. I used to do quite some running 10 years ago (still at amateur level), I was doing lots of 10k and 20k and even I managed a marathon in 3h:26min (but at that time I didnt know about the BAV).