This condition, known as stenosis, causes the left ventricle, or pumping chamber of the heart, to become thick as it works harder to push blood through the narrow opening. Doctors can diagnose the condition by listening with a stethoscope for a characteristic heart murmur. Other clues include an abnormal pulse, abnormal EKG or a thickened heart wall on a chest X-ray. Left untreated, aortic stenosis kills. Patients usually do not live 10 years beyond diagnosis.
Replacement is the only treatment.
It is beige with a white fabric sheath stitched to the exterior, leaving the valve's three rounded cusps exposed on top. It is similar in appearance to the stented valve, except that the latter contains a metal frame that holds its shape. The stented valve also has a rim of fabric around the top. Implanting the stentless aortic valve takes about two hours, or half an hour longer than implanting the stented valve. Surgeons earn less than they would implanting the stented standard because the new procedure is one for which Medicare reduced its payments.