AORTIC VALVULAR ATRESIA

Course overview

AORTIC VALVULAR ATRESIA IS A CONGENITAL CONDITION IN WHICH THE AORTIC VALVULAR CUSPS ARE FUSED AT BIRTH. IT FREQUENTLY FORMS AS A SPECTRUM OF MALFORMATIONS OF THE LEFT VENTRICULAR OUTFLOW TRACT (LVOT). THE ATRESIA CAN BE CHARACTERIZED AS SUB-VALVULAR, VALVULAR, OR SUPRA-VALVULAR, DEPENDING ON THE SITE OF THE ANOMALY. AORTIC VALVULAR ATRESIA CAN EXIST IN THE CONTINUUM OF HYPOPLASTIC LEFT HEART SYNDROME. THIS SERIOUS ANOMALY INVOLVES SEVERE HYPOPLASIA OR TOTAL ATRESIA OF THE AORTIC VALVE AND IS UNIFORMLY FATAL WITHOUT INTERVENTION. THIS ACTIVITY REVIEWS THE EVALUATION AND MANAGEMENT OF AORTIC VALVULAR ATRESIA AND EXPLAINS THE ROLE OF THE INTERPROFESSIONAL TEAM IN MANAGING PATIENTS WITH THIS CONDITION.