Patient was educated on pulmonary valve stenosis and its pathogenesis as follows:
- Pulmonary valve is the valve between the right ventricle and pulmonary artery, permitting one-way flow of blood, from the right ventricle into the pulmonary arteries.
- Pulmonary valve stenosis is a condition of narrowing of the pulmonary valve opening. Narrowing of the pulmonary valve restricts the blood flow from the right ventricle into the pulmonary circulation.
- The volume of deoxygenated blood pumped out of the right ventricle, for oxygenation into the lungs, is reduced. Also, this reduces the volume of oxygenated blood pumped out of the heart from the left ventricle, as more blood is pooled on the right side of the heart.
- The blood gets backed up in the right-side chambers of the heart, increasing the volume and pressure in the right heart, resulting in enlargement of the right ventricle mainly and in severe cases, enlargement of the right atrium.
- This increased pressure in the right side of heart can also result in increased resistance to receiving deoxygenated blood flow from the peripheries via superior and inferior vena cava, the large veins bringing venous blood from upper and lower parts of the body respectively.
- This can contribute to increased pressure and backup of blood in the peripheral veins, resulting in leakage of fluid from capillaries in the extremities, thereby, developing swelling and edema of extremities and the body.
- Reduced output of oxygenated blood from the left ventricle will result in compromised blood and oxygen supply to the vital organs and consequently, affecting their function.
- Symptoms of pulmonary stenosis might resemble that of a right heart failure with gross reduction in the volume of oxygenated blood pumped out of the left ventricle over time.
