Aortic Stenosis

Aortic stenosis
Aortic stenosis is a defect that narrows or blocks the aortic valve opening, making it difficult for the heart to pump blood into the aorta — the main artery leading away from the heart — on to the rest of your body.

The defect can cause the heart to get bigger, left-sided heart failure, abnormal heart rhythms (arrhythmias), infections of the heart (endocarditis) and fainting. Treatment includes surgery to repair or replace the valve or, in young children, widening of the valve through a surgical procedure called balloon valvuloplasty, in which a balloon-like device widens the valve so that blood can flow through.