Barbara Walters Gets Heart Surgery

Barbara Walters announced May 10th on The View that she will be having heart surgery this week to replace a faulty aortic valve. "I have known of this condition for a while now," said Walters in her announcement, "and my doctors and I have decided that this is the best time to do the surgery. Since the summer is coming up, I can take a nice vacation."

Heart Disease is a Women's Health Issue

Walters spoke of the common belief that heart disease is a "man's disease," and affirmed that it is just as much a woman's disease. Men, she said, will go to their doctor and ask to be screened. Women are not as likely to ask about the possibility of heart disease. The National Women's Health Information Center says that of all American women who die each year, one in four will die from a cardiac disease.

What is Aortic Stenosis?

The aortic valve can be thought of as the gateway through which blood flows from the heart to the rest of the body. Over time calcium carried by the blood flows through the valve, and deposits of the mineral can begin to build up. The valve eventually hardens and narrows, which makes the heart work much more to supply the body with blood. This condition is known as aortic stenosis, or AS, and is a disease found in many seniors.

While stenosis can also be congenital or caused by rheumatic disease, calcium deposits to the valve represent the main cause of stenosis in individuals over age 60.

Stenosis may have no symptoms initially, but if left untreated it can be fatal. As the condition worsens, the individual may experience these symptoms: pain or tightness in the chest (angina); dizziness; shortness of breath, weakness or feeling faint during periods of increased activity, swollen ankles and feet; a fluttery heartbeat (heart palpitations.)

Because many individuals with stenosis will not notice symptoms for ten or even twenty years, a regular medical checkup plays an important role in detecting the condition. A heart murmur (an abnormal heart sound) may be detected by your physician months or even decades before any other symptoms arise.

Treatment Options for Aortic Stenosis

The most common treatment is heart valve repair or replacement. Although open heart surgery is a major surgery, this procedure has an excellent success rate. Complications, including death, occur in less than five percent of cases. A minimally invasive procedure is being developed for individuals who are at high risk for major surgery, but the technique is still considered experimental.

Other celebrities who have had heart valve replacement surgery include Barbara Bush and Robin Williams. Walters recognized that preparing to undergo any major surgery involves a certain degree of stress, but she is otherwise healthy and expects the main issue for her recovery will be fatigue in the weeks that follow the surgery.

Sources:

"Aortic valve disease" Mayo Clinic

"Barbara Walters's personal statement" The View blog

"Barbara Walters prepares for heart surgery" Dan Childs and Sheila Marikar (ABC News)

"Heart disease" National Women's Health Information Center

"Minimally invasive aortic valve surgery" Maryland Heart Center (University of Maryland)