Aortic Stenosis
The aorta is the main artery carrying blood out of the heart. When blood
leaves the heart, it flows through the aortic valve, into the aorta. In
aortic stenosis, the aortic valve does not open fully. This decreases
blood flow from the heart.
As the aortic valve becomes more narrow, the pressure increases inside
the left heart ventricle. This causes the left heart ventricle to become
thicker, which decreases blood flow and can lead to chest pain. As the
pressure continues to rise, blood may back up into the lungs, and you
may feel short of breath. Severe forms of aortic stenosis prevent enough
blood from reaching the brain and rest of the body. This can cause light-headedness
and fainting.
TAVR: Innovative Heart Valve Procedure: