New guidelines from the American College of Cardiology (ACC) were published just this week. Ive yet to feel like Im back to my previous racing fitness that I once had. The numbness/tingling has me constantly worriedand the slight chest pains have me always thinking is that my BV or Aorta causing issues?. So, my question then is really, what should I look out for? Okay, thats greatbut I left feeling uncomfortable with the diagnosis. Bicuspid aortic valve is a heart problem present at birth. I am 38 and very active (running, cycling, strength training etc). A bicuspid aortic valve (BAV) is the most common congenital heart defect, occurring in approximately 1%-2% of the general population. At issue are the potential long-term effects of repeated episodes of high heart rate and high blood pressure that accompany intense exercise. The singer co-founded the Womens Heart Alliance, which works to raise awareness and funds research to fight womens heart disease. Enlarged ascending aorta 42-43 mm Bicuspid Aortic Disease | Cedars-Sinai I wouldnt be happy just running I want to be the best that I can be at it. Would you recommend taking beta-blockers at this stage? Some cardiologists tell me that I can run up to 130 beats per minute ; others say theyd prefer I do power walking because pressure always rises while running. The HAART 200 is an innovative device that helps in the repair of BAV, allowing patients to avoid aortic valve replacement. I had a scan done recently and they picked up a what they called a mild dilation of the aortic root at 47mm, ascending aorta 34mm, no other issues. http://games.crossfit.com/athlete/39565 We also sign a school waiver every year. "Heart disease is the number one killer of all Americans, the number one killer of African-Americans and the number one killer of women, so I shouldve been put on notice since Im three-for-three. Just still unsure however if my bioprosthetic valve affects my cross country running times. Im a 33 yro female, diagnosed with BAV. Aortic enlargement in patients whove had valve replacement for BAV can be a vexing problem. This is the only measurement that has gone down . Hi all, And now my aortic root is 42 mm. My primary question relates to sports. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our User Agreement and Privacy Policy and Cookie Statement and Your California Privacy Rights. Theres no reason to not be CPR certified.. Perhaps the doctor could contact the specialist and request an earlier appointment, if that made sense. I am 51 and leaning towards a tissue valve because of my activities and that I am a firefighter. I found myself in emergency surgery 12 months ago with 50% leakage, an enlarged heart and an ejection fraction of 30. Sadly, we dont have a crystal ball, though to know what the future holds for any particular individual. Ive a BAV with the fusion being between my right coronary and non-coronary leaflets. Only two cusps, commissures and sinuses are seen in the less common "pure" bicuspid aortic valve subtype. Its very helpful for people with heart problems. I look forward to hearing from you. If reoperation is needed in your case, this would be something to discuss. A different set of. I have read that strength training is beneficial for heart health. She said not until it gets to 5cm. Fast forward, he is now 13 and we went yesterday for his yearly. 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 . This site complies with the HONcode standard for trustworthy health information. Interesting situation Sean Miller. Copyright 2021-2022 Baldwin Publishing, Inc.All rights reserved. looking forward for healthy life without surgery any possibilities??? Most people require treatment once symptoms develop. Most patients spend about a week in the hospital after operation and then are able to go home. However, I always performed poorly when it came to the top end fitness tests e.g. Athletes in this circumstance should collect opinions from their doctor(s) and make very careful considerations before returning to exercise. We have got two completely different opinions from our cardiologists: Rest pulse (70 bpm|50 bpm) 5 months ago was diagnosed with severe AR and 5 cm long aneurism (root 3.0 cm, sinusi valsave 4.3cm, ST 3.6cm, ascending aorta 3.6cm) on regular yearly checkout, with no syptoms. I have also had a stress test, which showed no issues at all. 2; I will update you all after his Friday appointment. BAV is present at birth (congenital). Star Jones. Mild to moderate ai I had it replaced in 2014 and am now 16. 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). I see Im not alone. In the process of how I had the slow waltz with MG UNTIL DIAGnosed, will be ready in 3 weeks. They may also disrupt the normal flow of blood through the heart. He will be rechecked with an echo, BNP blood test & MRI every 6 months. I have 5 children, so I dont want to drop dead and leave my poor wife with them all to look after on her own. Soccer is his only sport and his passion- he plays on his high school team and a travel team. Data from these studies supported the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's approval of TAVR for low-risk individuals - replacing a narrowed aortic valve through a small incision in a procedure . I think you understand the guidelines correctly. My 25 year old son was just diagnosed with BAV AR (3+). Garth was already familiar with heart diease before her diagnosis because it runs in her family. Patients need operation if there is severe stenosis or regurgitation of the aortic valve.or if the nearby aorta becomes moderately enlarged. Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window). Thanks! . Thank you for answering these questions. With aortic dissection, the aorta can develop a tear on its inside wall, leading to unraveling of its layers, and even rupture. The idea of somehow restricting the HR may be attractive as a means of curtailing strenuous activity. Barb. He is on meds to slow it down. But neither of these procedures are durable for the long-term. In March 2018 he underwent emergency surgery to have this replacement valve replaced. Unanswered questions include: Can a bioprosthetic valve wear out more quickly than expected? Together, you should be able to settle on what sports activities will be safe based on those facts. You might be wondering, with no disrespect to the great people of Cleveland, why Schwarzenegger, who surely has access to the finest hospitals under the sun, would choose to have surgery there. Almost half of BAV subjects develop different degrees of valvular dysfunction during their lifetime. I do not know aorta measurements. Really helpful. Since Im very active in sports, Id like to have your opinion on it. While my surgeon said that I can do whatever normal healthy person would do my cardiologist gave me some restrictions basically not to raise my HR over 120. Yesterday, for example, I spoke with a 71-year old patient who just had aortic valve replacement surgery due to this . We all appreciate it. Zdenko . Adam has been featured by the American Heart Association and Medical News Today. After a 6 month ramp up, will the Porcene valve take the stress of the 5 rep sets? "I had to make lifestyle and diet changes, she said. Im 32 years old and back in 09 I discovered I have a BAV. There is not much scientific evidence about what to expect. Up until this time shes played volleyball, basketball and has even run track in elementary. I had my BAV replaced in Feb. 2005 (porcine tissue) with a Dacron repair of the ascending aorta. There are simply no reports that describe the experience of athletes returning to ECer ise (or training) after aortic dissection. If youre questioning the recommendations youve received, perhaps a second opinion might be helpful. In fact, in some people they can go undiagnosed for years. Throughout the years he has played football and basketball. The risk of BAV in children of parents with BAV is probably about 10%. I read most of the posts above and I didnt find people describing the decrease in performance due to the BAV. I know what theyre saying and after that I know that I have mixed feelings because I feel depressed about not being active like I used to be, but then I feel selfish as I am not being grateful. There, they detected I had a bicuspid aortic valve." This meant the valve which controls the flow of blood from the heart's left-ventricle chamber to the main artery had only two flaps instead . One young man's complications from a bicuspid aortic valve were life-threatening, but perseverance and expert care helped him make it through. Thank you so much for your reply. Left ventricle (LV diastolic diameter 54mm|58mm, LV diastolic volume 142ml|167ml, LV systolic volume 39ml|57ml, Ejection fraction 72%|65%); Push for earlier date? In practice, the indications for aortic valve replacement for severe aortic stenosis or severe aortic regurgitation are straightforward and uncontroversial. It prevents the blood from flowing back from the aorta into the heart when the pumping chamber relaxes. Could you please give me an insight into what else could be causing these chronic episodes of shortness of breathe, lightheadedness and off-on chest pains. Im not a nurse or anyone who can help in any real way, she told PEOPLE, fighting back tears. The fusion (sticking together) of the valve leaflets causes abnormal valve opening and closing. Women are 50 percent more likely to be given a wrong diagnosis after a heart attack and are at a greater risk of dying within a year of a heart attack than men. Down side: must take blood thinners to prevent blood clots from forming on mechanical valve. I get the fact that lifting excessively can cause a spike in blood pressure, but only under certain conditions (i.e. Patients with BAV who have a normal size aorta, with no stenosis or regurgitation of the aortic valve, can participate in sports without restriction. Doc says no problem, but that seems to be contrary to what I see here. His doctor did not restrict him, but suggested that it may be time to give up the high-level play due to its high intensity training aspect (based on the The flaps are called cusps. There are many surgical options depending upon the particular circumstances. I realize that appointment availability for medical specialistsin your case, the pediatric cardiologistcan be tight. A HR limit of 120 will be tough, I would guess. The American College of Cardiology (ACC) in conjunction with the American Heart Association (AHA) has issued guidelines for the evaluation, monitoring, and treatment of individuals with BAV: In my opinion, these are useful guidelines for athletes and non-athletes, alike. That would include weightlifting. I say this based on the fact different exercises will allow for differrent weight tolerances than others, in addition, stronger people can handle more weight than others. Thank you so much! I would think that, ordinarily, a homograft would heal up along a similar timeline to other types of valve/aortic root replacement. Is there anything we can do? But, while doing my cardio stress test they discovered that I have a Bicuspid Aortic Valve. Weve known the risks and my daughter has done well to avoid scrapping for the ball etc. no tiredness, no dizziness, etc. To help correct the regurgitation, the cusps of the patients valve leaflets can be tailored, with the valve leaflets left in place. Aside from the problems with aortic valve stenosis or regurgitation or with enlargement of the aorta, individuals with BAV can also suddenly develop the problem of aortic dissection. The plasma volume and the heart rate increase, while the systemic vascular resistance decreases throughout the first trimester and plateau about halfway through pregnancy [10]. I have 4 children and a great wife. There are four valves of the heart, which are divided into two categories: Atrioventricular valves: The tricuspid valve and mitral (bicuspid) valve. Looking forward to hearing your thoughts. Does the (unreplaced) aorta enlarge over time? Robbie Benson - Actor/Director - Bicuspid Aortic Valve. 1) Son has to stop football training as well as any physical activity, even at school (P.E. As I mentioned in previous comment my recovery is going great. SPORTS FIGURES/ATHLETES. Not only the degree of aortic regurgitation, but also the degree of enlargement of the nearby aorta, should be taken into consideration when settling on limits for exercise. The Ross procedure borrows your sons pulmonary valve and uses it to replace his aortic valve and aorta. A bicuspid aortic valve (BAV) is an aortic valve that has only two leaflets instead of three. Here are some celebrities that experienced severe heart valve defects and had to have either heart valve replacement and heart valve repair surgery. The aortic valve lies between the heart and the aorta, the main artery . Kim Kardashian Doja Cat Iggy Azalea Anya Taylor-Joy Jamie Lee Curtis Natalie Portman Henry Cavill Millie Bobby Brown Tom Hiddleston Keanu Reeves. In the blog post, I talked about the circumstances when operation is needed.as well as when sports are generally safe. This blog helped me a lot in my panic days, it put me at ease when I was worrying to much, just to see and to know your enemy and to realize that you are not alone is great help. We go back in 3 months for another echo. Although bicuspid . Search Heart Hospitals I am a competitive cyclist, neither the Cardio or my Doctor said I should not be racing bikes anymore, does that sound reasonable to you, my doc did say to monitor the aortic root size yearly. How severe are the problems? I would like to thank you very much for providing me with your thoughts. Advice here will be based on opinion rather than accumulated evidence in large numbers of children with BAV. Bicuspid Aortic Valve Symptoms | Northwestern Medicine Open heart surgery is sometimes the best option, but it is not always the only option. Anything you can offer up here would be very much appreciated. But if you have a bicuspid aortic valve, you only have two cusps. I do not do any kind of sport and I want to have healthy life at make sure my situation not getting worse and I weight 90 kg. Replacement? On the bright side, there is ample evidence that, in the modern era, life-expectancy is not shortened for individuals with BAV compared to the general population. My name became public 25 years ago this week. Thanks for the infoI really appreciate what you,have to say. As a result, the valve doesn't function perfectly. My cardiologist gave me green light for everything except strenuous exercise (used to train for ironman and similar challenges). Crossref Medline Google Scholar. Bicuspid aortic valve (having only two leaflets rather than the normal three) happens in about 1% to 2% of the population and is more common among men. Sounds like youre on the right track with your upcoming visit with a specialist. Because it was just a cardiologist, not a sports cardiologist or physiotherapist. Bicuspid Aortic Valve | Circulation Then, a Dacron fabric tube can be used to reconstruct the aorta, in a so-called valve-sparing aortic root replacement. Over time, there will be some patients who develop problems with the prosthetic heart valve or enlargement of some portion of the aorta (that hasnt already been replaced) that requires operation. A 2nd opinion might help by bringing another set of eyes and ears to your problem. I am 26 yera old , I have aortic aneurisem. They all cause a small bit of obstruction to blood flow as it leaves the heart. If 5% of them dissect, this means 313,914 people. Follow up for development of these functional lesions is indicated. You are a very good man. Congenital bicuspid aortic valve after age 20 - PubMed In addition to this public search, we scanned our proprietary research database of over 1 million sources and were unable to find any specific research reports that address your goals. Aortic valve diseases in pregnancy - European Society Of Cardiology Regards Look forward to your reply and thanks for your time. Now, fully healed thanks to two stents in her arteries, Lucci is spreading the word. The more common form of bicuspid aortic valve occurs in a valve with three cusps with . 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. I did run 1-2 times/week for a 1.5 months now, the situation is getting a little better but still I feel like a 80 years old. Want to get a head start on your Oscar predictions? Coarctation of the aorta is a narrowing that may produce an increase in the blood pressure in the upper extremities. Index to blog posts and online articles, Filed Under: Heart problems Tagged With: aorta, aortic aneurysm, arotic valve, bicuspid aortic valve, congenital heart disease, heart, heart surgery. Is this a possible explanation? This award-winning website has helped over 10 million people fight heart valve disease. This procedure has the particular benefit that no artificial valve (with the disadvantages described above) needs to be used. In patients needing valve replacement because of stenosis or regurgitation, the aorta should be repaired or replaced if the aortic diameter exceeds 4.5 cm. When Ive had patients in your situation, Ive usually recommended getting the screening when its CONVENIENT. Celebrities With Heart Disease - Celebrity Heart Health Survivors with an efficiency of 69%, I have an appointment with a specilaist next week and am just wanting some, even if vague, answers. I certainly know runners, cyclists, and triathletes in that circumstance who are active and doing well. Between one and two percent of all people have this defect, and it affects more men than women. This has been true as long as I can remember in all sports I seem to have to put a lot more in to get the same out as others. Perhaps a cardiac surgeon would be able to provide even more detailed information about things like various options for operation that might be applicable in your case as well as thoughts about when operation should be performed. Operation is needed if there is severe aortic valve stenosis, severe valve regurgitation, or significant enlargement of the aorta. So I saw an incredible surgeon and we are going for the Ross Procedure in Feb. Now that we know the type of surgery does this improve my chances or one day returning the CrossFit addicted life I miss? My last CT scan in November showed a change from 4.3 (May) to 4.5 (November) however I was only given these results yesterday. CT or MRI may be more accurate. The aortic valve prevents blood from flowing back into the left ventricle of the heart. BAVD is a malformation of the aortic valve present at birth that leaves you with two flaps instead of three, tripping up blood flow to the aorta. Currently complete in 5-a-side football and have done for life. I had a Bentall with mechanical valve done in Feb 2017. I would really like for people to not have to experience what I had to experience, she continued. They all underwent aortic valve replacement. "Women are the natural caregivers; we take care of everyone else under the sun," she says. 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. No information provided by Baldwin Publishing, Inc. in any article is a substitute for medical advice or treatment for any medical condition. My sinus of valsalva is at 4.8 and my BAV is functional (discrete regurgitation). Is it like keyhole surgery? If the valve does not close completely, blood can leak into the heart. I appreciate your response, thank you for taking the time to write me back. People can live normal lives with Congenital Heart Defects. In addition, I will get a random bout of lightheadedness when standing or sitting in a awkard position. There are a lot of variables here, even from the short story youve shared. I see my cardiologist the end of May. Required fields are marked *. PDF Bicuspid aortic valve: Basics and beyond - Cleveland Clinic Journal Of Depending upon the size of the prosthetic valve, there is so e built-in obstruction to blood flow that is e aggregated during exercise. Very likely an operation will be needed at some point in the future. I am a marathoner with BAV and no other cardiac issues. This is an unfortunate situation for the athlete patient because the consensus guidelines do not yet recommend operation, yet advise against strenuous sports activities. Arnold Schwarzenegger says he feels 'fantastic' after - CNN We generally limit weight-lifting (or other sports/exercise that have a high static component) for athlete patients with BAV and mild enlargement of the aorta. View HelpingHeartsCharitys profile on Facebook, View @HelpingHeartsMDs profile on Twitter, View HelpingHeartsCharityMDs profile on Instagram. Congenital heart issues affect approximately 40,000 people born each year in the U.S. and are one of the most common types of birth defects.