When the aortic valve leaks, the heart has to work harder and similar problem occur. The ventricle must pump more blood with each contraction to produce the same forward output, creating a condition called volume overload. The heart can compensate for this volume overload for many months or years provided the leakage develops slowly. Eventually, the heart begins to fail producing shortness of breath and fatigue. Individual risks of surgery can be best estimated by your cardiothoracic surgeon and cardiologist.
Risks generally depend on age, general health, specific medical conditions, and heart function.
After successful aortic valve replacement, patients can expect to return to their preoperative condition or better. Once the wounds have healed, most patients should experience few if any restrictions to activity. A patient will require preventative or prophylactic antibiotics whenever having dental work, and should always tell a doctor about their valve surgery before any surgical procedure.