Good morning Aortic Hope community! For Topic Tuesday today, we'll be talking about IV Contrast. If your doctor has ever ordered a CT scan with contrast , you may have heard concerns like: “Is this safe for my kidneys?” or “Can the dye harm me?” Let’s break it down in simple terms, so you know what to expect and when to ask questions. What Is IV Contrast? IV contrast is a special dye that doctors inject into your vein during imaging tests like CT scans. It helps highlight blo

https://www.tctmd.com/news/valve-valve-tavr-mortality-adverse-events-similar-redo-surgery-30-days Open heart surgery is more than just a medical procedure—for most patients, it is a major life event with physical, emotional, and mental manifestations. Valve repair or replacement surgery  is one of the most common types of cardiac operations. Many patients have bioprosthetic (tissue) valves, which are designed to mimic our native valve function, while avoiding the need for lon

Welcome back, everyone! If you’ve been told you need surgery on your aortic valve, you’ll probably hear the term SAVR, or surgical aortic valve replacement . Even though it sounds intimidating, SAVR is a well-established operation that has helped millions of people live longer, healthier lives. Let’s break down what it is and why it’s done. What does the aortic valve do? The aortic valve sits between the heart and the aorta, opening and closing with every heartbeat to keep bl

🫀 Topic Tuesday: Bicuspid Aortic Valve (BAV) Heart Valve Awareness Month At Aortic Hope, we talk often about awareness — because awareness truly saves lives. Did you know that 1–2% of the population is born with a bicuspid aortic valve (BAV)? ¹ Instead of three leaflets, the aortic valve has two. It’s the most common congenital heart defect — and many people don’t discover it until adulthood. For some in our community, it was found because of a murmur. For others, it was dis