I dont know why this formed as I have had the problem valve replaced many years ago. Im doing cardio as they said thats fine and I was lifting free weights tonight of 10kg. 2) According to your explanation I rather not do cycling sports, but can I have low intensity sport like cycling or swimming twice a week for 90 minutes each, or 3 times for 60 minutes? I am an amateur runner, I do not participate in competitions. On March 30, 2018, we learned that Arnold Schwarzengger required a second heart surgery. I am a 60 yo female who has been active my whole life. lifting a max bench of 150 lbs Thanks! Ive seen several cardiologist and they are divided in recommendations. I would prefer not to stop. Robbie Benson - Actor/Director - Bicuspid Aortic Valve. This was caused by an aneurysm in the ascending aorta (root) that measured over 6 centimeters). Nwankwo Kanu (@papilokanu), the Olympic Gold Medalist (Soccer) suffered from Aortic Valve Defect. Your doctors will be in the best position to offer advice because they will be most familiar with your case. Its really not strenuous, maybe 10 km/h and not more that 10 push ups at once. Males are about twice as . I have: Thoracic aortic aneurysm, an abnormal bulge in the part of the aorta located in the . Again, this is a topic that is not yet well-researched. We just saw them in January. Thank you sincerely for your time and information. Its also clear-cut that patients with significant enlargement of the aorta to greater than 5.0 cm need operation for replacement of the aorta. So it is very possible to continue athletic activities after surgery. He left it pretty vague. Im not sure how you should best sort out the differing recommendations from your doctors. People can live normal lives with Congenital Heart Defects. Bicuspid aortic valve can be found in 1% to 2% of the general population . I currently run 40 -50km a week and do two 2 hour intensive yoga sessions a week. Schwarzenegger visited USC on April 16, 2007 and saluted the new Cardiovascular Thoracic Institute (CVTI), according to a press release issued by The Keck School Of Medicine at USC. When you start seeing changes with regurgitation does it progress quickly? Since Im not close to good medical care, are their specific things that I will start to notice if my heart valve is causing a problem? This has caused me a great deal of anxiety because I feel like I am being told to act like an old man before my time. enlarged LV = 350ml Would this have any affect on any of the results of the tests I have done (Echo, EKG, Chest Xray)? He wants to be normal. It sounds like youre off to a good start with your recovery. Pop Medicine > Celebrity Diagnosis . To list down the names of celebrities including entertainers, musicians, politicians, TV personalities, sports figures, etc. I had a Type A aortic dissection of the ascending aorta that extended into the descending aorta terminating near the femoral arteries. Ive heard from a fair number of endurance athletes after having aortic valve operations of one sort or another. OPTIMUM HEALTH, INC This is true at rest and may be even more so during exercise. 2. 1) Son has to stop football training as well as any physical activity, even at school (P.E. Ascending aorta is normal and so the rest. I now take diltiazem daily. John Fox, NFL coach, suffered from Aortic Valve Disease. I exercise, eat well and keep my weight down. Its probably not possible to have too much information as you think about your situation. What should I do ? Next year I would like to finish my first marathon but now I dont know whether I should keep running. All they said is dont really do weight where you can feel the strain in your neck ?!? Since you have the ready info about your aortic sizes over time, I will guess that you have a doctor or cardiologist that you are working with. Who Qualifies for TAVR. And I took him for check up every year and nothing change and he never had any symptoms. After that, most patients can gradually return to activities that put stress on the sternum and upper extremities. No aneurysm. Although bicuspid . Get your act together, Columbus! The incidence of bicuspid aortic valve and complications. Is there anything we can do? Are there any things I can do now to help minimize my risk? Measurements of aortic diameter can be made with echocardiogram. In fact, one young man died 5 years after operation (from other non related causes) and the study on his aorta tissue revealed that the device helped it to heal, presenting a healthy histology. We just dont know. Randyyour situation has many similarities to mine; I would be very interested in sharing experiences. Consensus guidelines suggest that athletes with mild aortic regurgitation and no other heart problems can participate fully in their sports. My questions are: I do not do any kind of sport and I want to have healthy life at make sure my situation not getting worse and I weight 90 kg. I am 26 yera old , I have aortic aneurisem. This is amplified when I sit with my feet up (male cross-legged) because of the tingling/numbness in feet. She advised us we should start to consider surgery but would follow up with us again in 3 months. Hi Dr Creswell, My exercise is limited to 30 minutes of moderate carido, with no weights. I certainly know of athletes who return to all forms of endurance sport as well as weight-lifting after operations like yours. Can you please shed some light on this is the sport performance supposed to gradually diminish (seems to go to zero for me) before the operation is needed? Dear Dr Creswell you seem to be such a kind cardiac surgeon to make yourself available in answering questions. We have decided to wait and watch. Often times, especially for patients with tissue heart valve replacement devices, the valve simply wears out. And now my aortic root is 42 mm. Again, there are ACC/AHA guidelines for when operation is needed: Sometimes more than one indication for operation may be present, so there is the additional guideline for patients who need operation for aortic stenosis or regurgitation: I know from discussion with athletes over the past few years that there are differences of opinion among cardiologists and heart surgeons about these guidelines. A normal aortic valve looks like the Mercedes logo, a circle broken up by three lines that meet in the middle. Many athletes with bicuspid aortic valve (BAV) may continue to participate in their sports.provided there are no other problems, either with the aortic valve or nearby aorta. Is that far fetched? In 1997, Dr. Starnes led a team of three surgeons who replaced the aortic valve in then-actor Arnold Schwarzeneggers heart. Surgeon Q&A: What is TAVR Valve-in-Valve? When the aorta is enlarged in the setting of BAV, there are a couple possibilities: the valve needs to be replacedor it doesnt: Valve repair. I otherwise feel very healthy, other than (I think) normal slowing down that comes with age. My last CT scan in November showed a change from 4.3 (May) to 4.5 (November) however I was only given these results yesterday. Consensus guidelines from the Proceedings of the 36th Bethesda Conference recommend: The first recommendation does not include the endurance sports. I am wondering if you know anything about these drugs and how they can impact aortic growth? Post 2 years and Ive yet to get back to my high level of racing fitness and wanted to see what should be expected. will need careful consideration by your physicians who know all of the pertinent details. Jeff/Doc, If untreated, it can lead to blocked blood flow. When Ive had patients in your situation, Ive usually recommended getting the screening when its CONVENIENT. Your surgeon will be in a good position to understand the exact details of operation that might be relevant when deciding whats safe.. What advise can you give to someone in my position? Mild degrees of aortic regurgitation are usually well-tolerated and do not produce symptoms. This have affected my son psychologically since he loves playing soccer what should I do. I dont know all of the important details. Anyway, his aorta was growing at a rate of 2 mm per year (he was growing faster:).and they put him on 100 mg Losartan. Consult your doctor to see if there are any restrictions that would be specific to your case. I am now 60. It can also lead to aortic stenosis , and is more . I am now in no mans land of not needing immediate surgery (per the pressure number in left ventricle) and not being able to run more than 30 min. Best to continue to work towards identifying cause(s) and getting any needed treatment. While she ended up being okay, she advised other women to be more cautious. Questions currently remain about how long such repairs will last and whether patients might require re-operation at some point in the future. Athletes with BAV who have no stenosis or regurgitation of the aortic valve AND have no enlargement of the nearby aorta may participate fully in their sports. The current guidelines suggest that sports activities do not need to be restricted for patients with BAV who have no valve regurgitation/stenosis and who have no enlargement of the nearby aorta. A bicuspid aortic valve is a congenital heart defect that affects the one-way valve between your heart and your aorta, known as the aortic valve. Dwayne E. Russell "Weve gotten a lot closer and weve learned each other on a whole different, deeper level, she told PEOPLE in 2015. Should I be doing push-ups/pull-ups? Great article! Thank you for answering these questions. Ive thought that the next visit to the pediatrician would be a good opportunity to discuss the issue. Zdenko . I feel like 95% of other people my doc sees are just happy to get back to their normal life which doesnt include pushing their bodies to extreme limits. Ive done the Philly a Marathon a coup,e times and know that its a terrific event. My son was also complaining of shortness of breath with stairs mild and feels tired more easily. Since I started running, I lost about 8 kg, my blood pressure decreased from 140/90 to 120/80-70. I like to thank you in advance for reviewing my question and also, thank you for such a great blog. Is strength training that involves only using ones own body weight ok with mild BAV issues, or is all strength training out? Im really wondering at what point should I look into flying back to Thailand or Hong Kong to get re-checked. She was originally under the impression she felt the way she did simply because she was exhausted. Early after operation, and for perhaps the first month, we typically limit activities that place stress on the shoulders and sternum. I have a call in to his doctor but what do you think? Aortic Stenosis Do medications like beta-blockers limit any potential harm? Arnold Schwarzenegger opted against a mechanical valve replacement and chose a tissue valve because he felt a mechanical valve might limit his physical activity and capacity to exercise. On Ocotber 23, 2020, we learned that Arnold Schwarzenegger had a third heart valve procedure, a re-replacement of his aortic valve replacement. I met an old guy once after a run and he described me very well his running experience; he said when I accelerate, Im the only one to know. Im paranoid to exercise too much for fear that I will do damage to the valve. There have been reports of lingering effects (decreased function of the left or right ventricles) for several days after marathon runs. For most athletes with only mild enlargement of the aorta and no problems with the aortic valve, there should be no activity restrictions. Although bicuspid aortic valve is typically asymp tomatic at fi rst, it is commonly associ-ated with progressive valvulopathy and tho-racic aortic disease. Its very helpful for people with heart problems. What is the average life span of a tissue valve? Have completed an excercise stress test and signed off as ok on reaching level 13. Thank you for the blog that addresses the athletes point of view, and feelings. Im highly considering this option, after 4 months of research and appointments with doctors. Also he told me I can lift weights and do other activities. Diagnosis was made because pulse dropped to 30 (normally 52), and pacemaker was thought to be needed (no symptoms other than low pulse for a few days). However, his ascending aorta has been enlarging: 11/27/13 31 mm (echo), 6/10/15 39 mm (echo), 7/8/16 41 mm MRI). In large-scale pre-participation cardiac screening programs for young, competitive athletes, BAV is one of the most commonly identified abnormalities. Glad to hear that youre recovering, Zdenko. Women are 50 percent more likely to be given a wrong diagnosis after a heart attack and are at a greater risk of dying within a year of a heart attack than men. From afar, its hard to know what might be responsible for your symptoms. Etc? We see his pediatric cardiologist every 6 months. Your suggestion about a 2nd opinion is a good one. A 2nd opinion might help by bringing another set of eyes and ears to your problem. Probably wise to follow the advice of your doctors who know the details of your situation. The increased stroke volume and cardiac output may cause . Arnold Schwarzenegger Helped Greta Thunberg Get a Tesla, Where to Watch the Biggest 2023 Awards Contenders. Hi Larry, Could he be over-cautious? This year (her junior year) her Cardio doc is saying that she cant in good conscious clear her for basketball (the sport my daughter LOVES). A few hours after helping the woman, she began to experience chest aches, soreness in both arms, nausea and clammy skin. Do we have a choice with him only being 15??? For healthy individuals who have BAV with no other heart or aortic problems, follow-up imaging with echocardiogram and/or CT could probably be undertaken annually, or perhaps less often once stability is ensured. I appreciate your input. I take bisoprolol (low dose) and my pressure is currently normal . Arrhythmias may sometimes manifest many years after surgical repair of congenital heart defects. Although bicuspid aortic valves can occur . I am mostly a runner, 4 times a week, with 10 21 km races. lessons) Also I seemed to get quite sweaty the following hours after a hard training session. Since Im very active in sports, Id like to have your opinion on it. And lastly, the degree of healing in the remaining (unoperated) aorta probably has a big impact on the potential risk.