Aortic Regurgitation Symptoms & Treatments

A condition that allows blood to leak back into the heart

Aortic regurgitation, also known as aortic insufficiency, is a heart valve disease that occurs when the heart’s aortic valve doesn’t close tightly. Blood leaks from the aorta (the largest blood vessel) back into the left ventricle (the heart’s main pumping chamber). This can weaken the left ventricle and prevent your heart from efficiently pumping blood.

Aortic regurgitation can lead to irregular heartbeat, known as arrhythmia, heart failure, or infections such as endocarditis.

Our team in the Structural Heart and Valvular Disease Program are experienced in treating aortic insufficiency with medication and surgery, including minimally invasive techniques.

Valvular Regurgitation

A malformed or damaged valve may not close properly, allowing blood to leak backwards. This condition is called valvular regurgitation or valvular insufficiency.

Symptoms

Aortic regurgitation usually develops gradually, and you may not feel symptoms for years. However, as it worsens, you may experience:

Chest pain that increases with exercise and goes away with rest
Fainting, also known as syncope
Fatigue
Heart murmur
Palpitations, or the sensation that the heartbeat is skipping, slowing down, or racing
Shortness of breath

Causes

You can be born with aortic regurgitation, or it can develop later in life. Causes can include:

Age-related changes to the heart, such as calcium deposits building up on the aortic valve
Ankylosing spondylitis, a type of inflammatory arthritis
Congenital heart valve disease such as bicuspid aortic valve disease
Endocarditis
Lupus
Marfan syndrome
Reiter’s syndrome, another type of inflammatory arthritis
Rheumatic fever
Syphilis
Trauma to the chest

Tests

Diagnosing a potential heart or vascular condition is the first step to developing a treatment plan. Our specialists may recommend one or more diagnostic and imaging procedures.

Angiogram (Angiography)

An angiogram is a special X-ray taken as a special dye is injected through a thin, flexible tube called a catheter to detect blockages or aneurysms in blood vessels.

Cardiac Catheterization

Cardiac catheterization is a minimally invasive way to diagnose and treat a variety of heart and vascular conditions by guiding thin, flexible tubes called catheters through blood vessels to problem areas.

Chest X-ray

Chest X-rays use a small dose of radiation to create pictures of the structures inside the chest, including the lungs, heart, and chest wall.

Computerized Tomography (CT) Scan

The cardiac computed tomography scan, or cardiac CT, uses X-rays to create three-dimensional images of your heart and blood vessels.

Echocardiogram

An echocardiogram uses high-frequency sound waves to create images of your heart.

Electrocardiogram (ECG)

An electrocardiogram, also known as an ECG, measures the heart’s electrical activity.

Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI)

Magnetic resonance imaging, better known as cardiac MRI, is a combination of radio waves, magnets, and computer technology to create images of your heart and blood vessels.

Stress Tests

Stress tests are used to assess how your heart works during physical activity. There are several types of stress tests, including treadmill or bike stress tests, nuclear stress tests, stress echocardiograms, and chemically induced stress tests.

Transesophageal Echocardiogram (TEE)

Transesophageal echocardiogram allows us to take very detailed images of your heart structure from a probe in your esophagus.

Treatments

If your symptoms are mild, your doctor may recommend monitoring your condition or taking medications to treat the symptoms. In severe cases or as time goes by, you may need surgery to repair or replace the aortic valve.