Aortic Stenosis

Aortic stenosis is the narrowing of the outlet of the heart's main pumping chamber, the left ventricle, most commonly at the aortic valve that separates it from the aorta. Severe narrowing forces the left ventricle to work harder to pump blood through the small orifice, which can thicken the heart muscle and eventually cause severe weakness of the heart. Typical symptoms, which usually develop gradually, include shortness of breath on exertion, chest pain, and dizziness or blackouts on exertion, and outcomes are worse once heart failure, loss of consciousness, or chest pain occur without valve replacement.