Dorothea's Profile

In 2010, when I was 50, it was discovered wholly by chance that I had a bicuspid aortic valve and a very mild stenosis. I was told that I would probably need surgery in 20 to 25 years’ time. That seemed to be so far in the future, that it didn’t worry me a lot. Then, a few weeks ago, I went for a checkup at the cardiologist. He discovered a ‘strongly calcified valve and severe stenosis’. He immediately called the hospital and made an appointment for a heart catheterization. 10 days later I was at the University Clinic Leuven where the catheterization confirmed the cardiologist’s diagnosis. A lot of other examinations followed the day after. Before I left for home, I had a visit from the head of cardiology, who informed me that I would need an aortic valve and root replacement before the end of the year. Luckily my heart wasn’t damaged yet and they wanted to keep that advantage. Now I am waiting for an operation date; the clinic has a waiting list, so it will be sometime after mid-October.