Aortic valve regurgitation


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Definition

By Mayo Clinic staff

Aortic valve regurgitation — or aortic regurgitation — is a condition that occurs when your heart's aortic valve doesn't close tightly. Aortic valve regurgitation allows some of the blood that was just pumped out of your heart's main pumping chamber (left ventricle) to leak back into it.

The leakage of blood may prevent your heart from efficiently pumping blood out to the rest of your body. As a result, you may feel fatigued and short of breath.

Aortic valve regurgitation can develop suddenly or over decades. Aortic valve regurgitation has a variety of causes, ranging from congenital heart defects to complications of infectious illnesses. Once aortic valve regurgitation becomes severe, surgery is often required to repair or replace the aortic valve.

Symptoms
References
  1. Aortic regurgitation. American Heart Association. http://www.americanheart.org/print_presenter.jhtml?identifier=4448. Accessed June 20, 2011.
  2. Rakel RE, et al. Valvular heart disease. In: Rakel RE. Textbook of Family Medicine. 8th ed. Philadelphia, Pa.: Saunders Elsevier. 2011. http://www.mdconsult.com/books/page.do?eid=4-u1.0-B978-1-4377-1160-8..10027-2--s0310&isbn=978-1-4377-1160-8&uniqId=258746827-3. Accessed June 12, 2011.
  3. O'Gara P, et al. Valvular heart disease. In: Fauci AS, et al. Harrison's Online. 17th ed. New York, N.Y.: The McGraw-Hill Companies. 2008. http://www.accessmedicine.com/content.aspx?aID=2902425&searchStr=aortic+valve+insufficiency. Accessed June 18, 2011.
  4. Bashore TM, et al. Heart disease. In: McPhee SJ, et al. Current Medical Diagnosis & Treatment. 50th ed. New York, N.Y.: The McGraw-Hill Companies. 2011. http://www.accessmedicine.com/content.aspx?aID=3896&searchStr=aortic+valve+insufficiency. Accessed June 18, 2011.
  5. Congestive heart failure. American Heart Association. http://www.americanheart.org/presenter.jhtml?identifier=4585. Accessed June 20, 2011.
  6. How the healthy heart works. American Heart Association. http://www.heart.org/HEARTORG/Conditions/CongenitalHeartDefects/AboutCongenitalHeartDefects/How-the-Healthy-Heart-Works_UCM_307016_Article.jsp. Accessed June 12, 2011.
  7. Gaasch WH. Pathophysiology and clinical features of chronic aortic regurgitation in adults. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed June 20, 2011.
  8. Gaasch WH. Course and management of chronic aortic regurgitation in adults. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed June 20, 2011.
  9. Your guide to a healthy heart. National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/public/heart/other/your_guide/healthyheart.pdf. Accessed June 21, 2011.
  10. Otto CM. Acute aortic regurgitation in adults. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed June 20, 2011.
  11. Khawaja MZ, et al. Transcatheter aortic valve implantation for stenosed and regurgitant aortic valve bioprostheses. Journal of the American College of Cardiology. 2010;55:97.
  12. Grogan M (expert opinion). Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn. July 6, 2011.
DS00419 Sept. 22, 2011

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