Young Writers Society

This will sound hideously picky, but it does have a purpose in the story. xD

A character in a potential novella I've been planning has some sort of heart disease, only that I'm unsure which. It has to be congenital, i.e. a disease he was born with, and has to affect either one of the bicuspid valve or the semi lunar valves in the arteries above the heart.

Is it entirely unplausible for him to have either one of these valves to be replaced at birth or a young age by an artificial valve? I know that valvular disease is quite treatable. Also, how damaged would the valve have to be in order to have to be replaced/life threatening if it failed to operate? Even though this detail might not be mentioned within the story itself, it's a detail that I feel I have to know inside out. I get very OCD about my characters sometimes o.o

Before you answer, in the boundries of the story, there is new technology available for these sorts of defects, in essence to improve and enhance human life. This technology forms the actual foundations of the story, so I won't go into it. I was thinking that if in the world of my story, replacing the valve with this new technology would be a much easier, cheaper and better solution in the long run from a medical point of view, for his heart to be 'fixed' in this way. Does that seem believable?

The research I’ve done has only really given me two main diseases, stenosis and what is called a ‘leaky valve.’ Are there any others that would call for the replacement of a valve? :3 I was just wondering if there is anything more interesting. xD

Thanks to any who answer! If I find anyone’s reply to be particularly informative, I might offer a review here or there as thanks.

--Moo

I can't recall the name of the disease, but there is one that can result in the tearing of valves and even arteries as the connective tissue is not as tightly meshed as it should be. It is a genetic disorder, and it does display other obvious characteristics (such as very elongated limbs and fingers/toes), though sometimes those characteristics are not as prominent, so the disease goes undetected.

If left unmonitored, it is fatal, though it is treatable to a certain extent.

Another thing that is congenital that can result in valve damage is an irregularly-shaped valve. It tends to go undetected when the valve's shape doesn't affect its function, but having a misshapen valve can lead to plaque buildup and even life-threatening sepsis as bacteria and other sediments deposit on or around the valve.

Not sure about valves, but check out this page for a list of types of congenital heart disease. http://www.childrensmemorial.org/depts/ ... KgodwjY_Bw Not all of these are congenital, so make sure to read carefully. For example, my character Anna has Supraventricular tachycardia as a result of an infection (she only has half her immune system) that reached her heart when she was five. Good luck! I love medical drama