Search results
Most people with mild heart valve disease have long lives. But it’s important to speak to your doctor if you have any new or worsening symptoms. Moderate or severe. If your valve disease is moderate or severe with no symptoms, you should have a check-up and echocardiogram every 6 to 12 months.
- Get This Publication
British Heart Foundation is a registered charity in England...
- Get This Publication
- My Doctor Says I Have A murmur. What Is this?
- Is Valve Disease Infectious?
- Is Valve Disease Hereditary?
- Is Valve Disease Dangerous?
- I Have Chronic Valve disease. Is This Bad?
- Is Valve Disease A Problem When I Have non-cardiac Surgery?
- How Long Will My Heart Valve Last?
- Can I Travel?
A murmur is simply the noise made by blood passing through the heart and is often normal. The pulmonary artery is relatively close to the skin and blood flow may be audible through a stethoscope particularly if you are slim. This is called a ‘benign systolic flow murmur’. About 20 in 100 of all adults aged 18 and over have a murmur. Only about 2 in...
Disease may sound like an infection but it is a term used for any significant change from normal. Valve disease means that the valve has developed abnormal thickening or become damaged. It is possible but rare for a leaking or thickened valve to become infected. This is called infective endocarditis. You cannot pass valve disease onto another perso...
Valve disease is common so relatives might have valve disease by coincidence. However, relatives of people with a bicuspid aortic valve have about a 1 in 10 chance of also having a bicuspid valve. It may be worth considering an echocardiogram to check for this. Some types of mitral prolapse may run in families but this is unusual.
Provided it is treated appropriately with surgery when this is indicated the results are excellent. Valve disease may be dangerous if unrecognised and if symptoms are allowed to progress without treatment. If you have unexplained breathlessness or chest pain or dizziness on exertion you should visit your usual doctor to see whether further tests ma...
‘Chronic’ as used medically simply means long-standing. It does not mean severe. The term for disease of recent onset is ‘acute’. These distinctions are useful medically because they have different causes. For example, acute severe aortic regurgitation is almost always caused by endocarditis; chronic moderate or severe regurgitation is more likely ...
This depends on what surgery you are having, what type of valve disease and whether you have symptoms from the valve disease. Every case is different. Low risk non-cardiac surgery (e.g. cataract extraction, cosmetic surgery) is safe whatever the valve disease. Aortic or mitral regurgitation is usually safe for any types of non-cardiac surgery provi...
This is a bit like the ‘how long is a piece of string’ question. Mechanical valves do not fail and are expected to outlive the youngest patient if no complication like infection develops. How long biological valves last depends on the design, the position, the age when you have it and, to a degree other factors like high blood pressure and diabetes...
Flying is not a problem with a normally functioning repaired or replaced valve. A good rule of thumb is that if your heart is capable of letting you climb up the stairs into the plane it will not be bothered by the depressurisation during the flight. A pacemaker but not the valve itself may set off alarms in the airport; you will need to inform the...
With tissue valves, you don’t need to take a blood-thinning medicine for life – although you may have to for some months after surgery. However, this type of valve won’t last as long as a mechanical valve and may need to be replaced or repaired after 10 to 20 years.
How long will it last? A mechanical valve will almost always last for life, but you must take an anticoagulant such as warfarin to stop blood clots forming around it. Tissue valves should eliminate or alleviate your symptoms for 10 to 15 years.
Apr 28, 2023 · However, life expectancy estimates drop to about 2 years if severe aortic valve regurgitation isn’t treated and leads to congestive heart failure. According to a 2021 study, the average...
- James Roland
In research, most people (94%) had a functioning valve ten years after surgery. After 20 years, more valves had failed, with around 48% valve deterioration. For more information or to book an appointment, please contact our customer care team.
People also ask
How long does a heart valve last?
How long does a tissue valve last?
What is the life expectancy if a aortic valve regurgitation is not treated?
How long do artificial valves last?
Can a leaking heart valve affect your life expectancy?
How long do mechanical valves last?
Frequently asked questions. How long will my valve last? Most patients with artificial valves do not ever have any problems and may never need any more surgery. So, it is possible that your new artificial valve could last for the rest of your life. But, in some cases, a valve has to be replaced within a matter of years, for any number of reasons.
