| Centennial Medical Plaza | 6 Mins |
| The Medical Center of Aurora - South | 16 Mins |
| North Suburban Medical Center | 35 Mins |
| Presbyterian/St. Lukes Medical Center | 1 Mins |
| Rose Medical Center | 6 Mins |
| Sky Ridge Medical Center | 8 Mins |
| Swedish Medical Center | 30 Mins |
| Swedish Southwest ER | 17 Mins |
A congenital heart defect is a heart problem that has been present since before birth. Other terms used to describe this condition include congenital heart disease and congenital cardiovascular disease. Congenital heart defects occur in just under one out of every 100 births.
There are many different types of congenital heart defects.
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Acting like a pump, the human heart is a muscle that contracts and relaxes each time it beats. Blood comes into the chambers and is then pumped to the rest of the body to supply nourishment. The flow of blood inside the heart is controlled by valves that open and close with each heartbeat. One of the valves, the aortic valve, is composed of 3 tissue flaps, called leaflets. The aortic valve opens to move blood from the heart into the aorta. Aortic valve stenosis means the valve opening in the heart is narrow so the valve does not open all the way. As a result, the heart must work harder to pump blood to the body.
