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Intermountain Heart Institute at Intermountain Medical Center

(801) 507-4701Map5121 S. Cottonwood StreetMurray, UT 84107

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Overview of Aortic Valve Stenosis

Aortic valve stenosis means that the aortic valve, which allows blood to leave the heart, has narrowed and can't open all the way. The smaller opening causes high pressure in the left side of the heart (called the left ventricle), and the heart has to work harder to pump blood.

Over time, the extra work causes the walls of the left ventricle to thicken. A thick heart does not work well and is unable to pump the amount of blood your body needs. Patients feel shortness of breath, dizziness, and chest pain.

 

Normal Aortic Valve Compared to Aortic Valve Stenosis

Aortic Valve Stenosis in Depth

Learn more about aortic valve stenosis from Intermountain's Patient Education Library:

Treatments for Aortic Valve Stenosis

Your doctor will discuss your treatment options with you. Possible treatments for aortic valve stenosis include:

  • Aortic Valve Repair/Replacement, Surgical

    Many patients require open heart surgery to treat aortic stenosis. A cardiovascular surgeon removes the diseased valve and replaces it with either a mechanical or tissue valve.

  • Aortic Valve Replacement, Transcatheter

    Patients who are considered "inoperable" or very high risk for surgery may be eligible for a less invasive method of replacing the aortic valve called Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement (TAVR).

  • Valvuloplasty

    Valvuloplasty is a catheterization procedure used to treat heart valve stenosis. It involves inflating a balloon-tipped catheter inside a narrowed valve to increases the valve's mobility. This can increase the blood volume pumped out with each heartbeat.

Services and Programs

Services and programs at Intermountain Heart Institute for patients with aortic valve stenosis:

  • Cardiology – Diagnosis and Consultation

    The Cardiology program focuses on the diagnosis, medical management and prevention of cardiovascular disease. Patients who have never seen a cardiologist often start here to have their symptoms diagnosed.

  • Cardiothoracic Surgery

    Our Cardiothoracic Surgery program provides all surgeries that are clinically available in the United States – along with high volumes and excellent outcomes.

  • Heart Valve & Structural Heart Disease Program

    The Heart Valve and Structural Heart Disease (SHD) Program focuses on treating heart defects with catheter-based techniques that are less invasive than open heart surgery.

Research in Aortic Valve Stenosis

The Heart Institute currently has one or more clinical trials that are enrolling patients with aortic valve stenosis. Learn more about our clinical trials.

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