Bicuspid Aortic Valve (BAV)

This model shows a heart with a bicuspid aortic valve (BAV). A BAV is an aortic valve that only has two leaflets, instead of three. The aortic valve regulates blood flow from the heart into the aorta. The aorta is the major blood vessel that brings oxygen-rich blood to the body. A BAV may not be completely effective at stopping blood from leaking back into the heart. This leakage is called aortic regurgitation. The aortic valve may also become stiff and not open up. This is called aortic stenosis and causes the heart to pump harder than usual to get blood through the valve. The aorta may become enlarged. A BAV often exists in babies with coarctation of the aorta. BAV is also seen in diseases in which there is a blockage to blood flow on the left side of the heart. Model created by: Dr. Monique R.M. Jongbloed, Ludo de Goeje, Bert J. Wisse Textures and optimisation of the model for web: Anna Sieben Content Reviewer: Dr Monique Jongbloed