The aortic valve is the valve that separates the left ventricle from the aorta. Aortic stenosis refers to a narrowing of the aortic valve or a narrowing of the aorta directly above (supravalvar) or below (subvalvar) the valve.
This leads to abnormally high pressure in the left ventricle causing the left ventricular wall to thicken (hypertrophy). Treatment usually involves surgery, though it may be possible to stretch the valve with a balloon catheter. The catheter procedure, known as a balloon valvuloplasty, involves the insertion of a heart catheter through a vein in the leg leading to the heart.
A balloon at the tip of the catheter is placed across the valve and inflated to stretch open the stenotic valve. Most often, surgery involves repair of the existing valve. Valve replacement is not an ideal option for children because long-term mortality rates are high.
View an animated heart with Aortic Stenosis