Treatments

Bicuspid Aortic Valve Treatments

The treatment Northwestern Medicine provides for bicuspid aortic valve disease (BAV) will be tailored specifically to your needs. Our team*, which may include cardiologists, cardiac surgeons, nurses, cardiac rehabilitation specialists, psychologists and social workers, all collaborate to help diagnose and manage your disease.

Because BAV may respond favorably to lifestyle modification, we encourage people to:

• Follow a sensible diet
• Quit smoking
• Pursue a more active lifestyle, under the supervision of your physician

Treatment options

There are several medical and surgical treatment options for bicuspid aortic valve, including:

Surgical treatment

In some cases, cardiac surgeons can fix BAV by performing an aortic valve repair. However, if your aortic valve is too damaged to repair, an aortic valve replacement may be your best option. You may also require surgery to repair or replace sections of your aorta. When it is determined that surgery is needed, your cardiac surgeon will discuss the option that is best for your particular needs.

Medication

The goal of medical management of BAV is to achieve optimal blood pressure, heart rate and cholesterol levels. You and your cardiologist will decide if and when medications are necessary.

Follow-up care

Even after surgical replacement of the BAV, you may still be at risk for future complications with your thoracic aorta. A pre-discharge echocardiogram (ECHO) will be performed to establish your clinical baseline after surgery. Depending on your symptoms and progress after surgery, additional ECHO studies may be recommended by your cardiologist. Seeing your cardiologist yearly for a check-up will help to determine if additional testing is required.

It is important to keep all appointments for blood work, tests and physician exams. Your cardiologist will make future medication changes and provide refills as needed. Talk with your physician about cardiac rehabilitation or routine exercise programs. If you had a sternotomy, remember to avoid lifting 20 pounds or more of weight for six to eight weeks after surgery.

To monitor the continued success of your recovery and postoperative progress, you will be contacted by your physician three to six months after surgery.

Serial testing and long-term care

Because BAV can cause complications at any time—with few or no symptoms—we encourage you to undergo serial (repeated routinely) follow-up tests throughout your life, as recommended by your cardiologist. These include:

• Echocardiograms (ECHO)
• Computed tomography
• Four-dimensional resonance imaging (4D MRI)

By monitoring your progress, we can assess changes and detect complications that may require surgery.