Aortic insufficiency treatment overview

Associate Editor-In-Chief: ; Varun Kumar, M.B.B.S.; Lakshmi Gopalakrishnan, M.B.B.S.

Aortic insufficiency can be treated either medically or surgically, depending on the acuteness of presentation, the symptoms and signs associated with the disease process, and the degree of left ventricular dysfunction.

In general, acute aortic insufficiency should be treated surgically with aortic valve replacement if there are no contraindications. Chronic aortic insufficiency is managed with vasodilators such as ACE inhibitors or hydralazine to reduce the afterload. Indications for surgery include heart failure failure with a reduced ejection fraction.