Your child’s diagnosis
Aortic stenosis
01
How blood flows
Aortic stenosis
The same region in both views. The usual view is a comparison, not a treatment result.
Aortic valve stenosis
- Less oxygen
- Mixed blood
- More oxygen
Step 1 of 3
Follow the usual direction
Blood leaves the left ventricle, crosses the aortic valve, and travels through the aorta to the body.
How to read this map
Follow the arrows to see connections. This is a map, not the shape or position of a heart. Both sides work together; the story follows one part at a time. A crossing with a white gap is not a connection; a dot marks a junction. With story controls focused, use left/right arrows, Home or End.
A close-up of valve-level aortic stenosis after birth. Narrowing above or below the valve is different and is not drawn. Severity, associated defects and effects on blood flow vary; this schematic does not measure pressure, flow speed or oxygen levels.
Colours describe this example: blue means less oxygen, red more oxygen, and purple mixing. Blood is always red in real life. Line widths and animation do not measure flow, pressure, oxygen saturation or severity.
The blood route stays connected. A narrower valve means greater resistance; animation does not show severity.
Diagram sources and scope
A close-up of valve-level aortic stenosis after birth. Narrowing above or below the valve is different and is not drawn. Severity, associated defects and effects on blood flow vary; this schematic does not measure pressure, flow speed or oxygen levels.
Original Heart Up Close connection map · Source check: 26 October 2026 · Independent clinical review pending.
Aortic stenosis
- Follow the usual direction. Blood leaves the left ventricle, crosses the aortic valve, and travels through the aorta to the body.
- Find the restricted opening. Here the aortic valve does not open as widely as usual. The obstruction is at the valve.
- Understand the pump’s work. The left ventricle must generate more pressure to push blood through the restricted opening. The effect depends on how tight the narrowing is.
A close-up of valve-level aortic stenosis after birth. Narrowing above or below the valve is different and is not drawn. Severity, associated defects and effects on blood flow vary; this schematic does not measure pressure, flow speed or oxygen levels.
02
Diagnosis and care
Diagnosis and tests
A pregnancy scan may find the condition. After birth, a murmur, an extra sound during the heartbeat, may lead to tests. Mild narrowing may cause no symptoms. A baby with severe narrowing may become pale, unusually sleepy or struggle to feed. Older children may have breathlessness, chest discomfort or fainting. These symptoms need medical assessment.
An echocardiogram, or echo, is an ultrasound scan of the heart. It shows the valve, blood flow and how well the left chamber pumps. An ECG records the heart’s electrical signals. Other scans may add detail. Sometimes the team uses a catheter test, which passes a thin tube through a blood vessel towards the heart. The team considers the findings together.
Ask what they are measuring and what changes would matter.
Care and follow-up
Mild narrowing may only need regular checks. A balloon passed through a thin tube, called a catheter, can widen a suitable valve. Surgery may repair or replace the valve. It can also relieve narrowing above or below it. The options have different benefits and limits. A valve can narrow again or leak after treatment, so more than one procedure may be needed.
The plan depends on the site of the narrowing, the valve’s shape and any leakage. Its effect on the left ventricle and other conditions also matter. Severe narrowing in a newborn needs different care from mild narrowing in a well child. Checks continue after treatment. If valve replacement is discussed, ask what each option means for future procedures and medicines.
Daily life
Discuss play, sport and PE with the team, including any activity your child particularly wants to try. Ask how school should respond if symptoms occur. Keep the advice easy for carers to find and ask when it should be updated.
03
Questions to ask
Save the questions you want to take to your next appointment. You can edit them in your Journal.
- Where exactly is the narrowing, and could you show us how it affects the route from the heart to the body?
- Is the valve also leaking, and does that change the treatment you would recommend for our child?
- How is the narrowing affecting the left ventricle, and how will you check how well it is pumping?
- What could balloon treatment improve for our child, and what might it leave unchanged or need further treatment?
- What might future valve treatment involve, and how will you decide when it is needed as our child grows?
Sources and review
Sources checked 9 October 2026. Independent clinical review pending.
- British Heart Foundation: Aortic valve stenosis
Accessed 9 October 2026
- Children’s Heart Federation: Aortic Stenosis Information Sheet
Accessed 9 October 2026