Aortic Valve Disease

Aortic valve disease includes conditions that affect the aortic valve, which controls blood flow from the heart’s main pumping chamber (left ventricle) into the aorta—the main artery that carries blood to the rest of the body. The valve normally opens wide with each heartbeat and then closes to keep blood flowing in the right direction.

Types of Aortic Valve Disease

When the aortic valve does not work properly, it can lead to serious health problems. There are two main types of aortic valve disease.

Aortic stenosis occurs when the aortic valve becomes narrow or stiff, usually due to calcium buildup. Aortic stenosis prevents the aortic valve from opening properly making it harder for blood to flow from the heart to the body. As a result, the heart must work harder to pump blood, causing the heart muscle to thicken over time.  This may cause symptoms, including shortness of breath that limits activity, chest pain and episodes of passing out or sudden death.

Aortic regurgitation occurs when the aortic valve does not fully close, allowing blood to leak backward into the heart. As a result, the heart must work harder to pump enough blood forward to the body leading to increased pressure and structural damage over time.

Treatments for Aortic Valve Disease

At the William Acquavella Heart Valve Center, our team offers the most advanced minimally invasive transcatheter and surgical treatments for aortic valve disease. Our team is also actively involved in research and clinical trials to develop new less invasive techniques to reduce recovery time and improve outcomes.

Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement (TAVR): TAVR is a minimally invasive procedure used to replace a damaged aortic valve without open-heart surgery. During this procedure a catheter is inserted through a blood vessel—usually in the leg—and guided to the heart. A new valve is then placed inside the old one to restore proper blood flow.

TAVR is especially beneficial for patients who may not be candidates for traditional surgery. It offers shorter recovery times, less discomfort, and fewer risks, helping patients return to daily life more quickly. Our center specializes in all TAVR approaches, including valve-in-valve procedures for patients with previous valve replacements.

Our cardiologists and cardiothoracic surgeons were key investigators in national clinical trials that helped establish TAVR as a safe and effective treatment. TAVR is FDA-approved and covered by Medicare and most major insurance plans.

Balloon Valvuloplasty for Aortic Stenosis: During a balloon valvuloplasty, doctors thread a catheter with a balloon at its tip through a blood vessel in your leg and guide it to your heart. There, the balloon is expanded to open the narrowed aortic valve to improve your blood flow.

Paravalvular Leak Closure: Our valve specialists can use transcatheter techniques to repair regurgitation occurring around a previously implanted aortic valve prosthesis in patients who are experiencing symptoms.

Surgery: In some cases, minimally invasive, open-heart, or “hybrid” heart surgery is necessary. The surgeons at Weill Cornell Cardiothoracic Surgery are skilled in a multitude of aortic valve techniques with exceptional outcomes. For more information about surgery options, please visit Aortic Valve Repair and Replacement | Cardiothoracic Surgery.