[When should one operate for severe asymptomatic aortic stenosis?].
The most common cause of aortic stenosis is degenerative and progression of the disease is slow. Deciding to proceed to aortic valve replacement in an asymptomatic patient is always difficult. Only a minority will require valve replacement after repeated work-ups including stress testing and serial echographic examinations. In the future, stress echocardiography and BNP measurements may prove helpful in decision making.
Service de cardiologie B, groupe hospitalier Sud, avenue René-Laënnec, 80054 Amiens, France.
F
F
Lévy
C
C
Szymamski
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H
Mahjoub
C
C
Tribouilloy
D001024:Aortic Valve Stenosis / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery*; D003657:Decision Making; D018450:Disease Progression; D004452:Echocardiography; D005080:Exercise Test; D019918:Heart Valve Prosthesis Implantation; D006801:Humans; D011379:Prognosis