Around 1-2% of people are born with a 'bicuspid' aortic valve, with only two cusps instead of the common 'tri-leaflet' valve. People with this valve develop dysfunction of the valve (narrowing or leakage) at a much earlier age. It is also more common for them to develop enlargement of the main blood vessel coming out of the heart, the aorta, and some studies suggest that they are also at higher risk of life-threatening tears in the aortic wall. Current guidelines recommend surgical replacement of the aorta at an earlier stage in these patients. The exact mechanism for the dilatation is not clear, and some studies have suggested greater 'stiffness' in the wall of the aorta. In this study, the investigators propose to 1.) study aortic size, stiffness and flow patterns using MRI in patients with bicuspid and tricuspid valves with a narrowing (aortic stenosis, 2.) measure markers in patients' blood that may be important in the process of expansion, 3.) compare the change in MRI and blood markers at before and 12 months after surgery, in patients who are due to have aortic valve replacement surgery.
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Levels of metabolites of elastin turnover
Timeframe: 12 months