At the AMITA Health Heart & Vascular Institute, a multidisciplinary team of specialists provides leading-edge treatment options for heart valve replacement in patients with aortic stenosis.
As a progressive disease, aortic stenosis develops over years, and symptoms present late in life, usually after the age of 75. Once symptoms start to appear — including angina, syncope, shortness of breath and fatigue — prognosis is poor, with mortality rates of 50 percent at two years. For patients with severe aortic stenosis, surgical aortic valve replacement (SAVR) can relieve symptoms and prolong survival. However, due to advanced age or co-morbid conditions, many patients with severe aortic stenosis are considered to be too high risk to undergo SAVR. These patients can receive medical treatment to address symptoms and attempt to slow disease progression, but most will experience a decline in function and quality of life, and have a high risk of death from heart failure or sudden cardiac death within one year of diagnosis.
