What is the definitive therapy for symptomatic severe aortic stenosis?

• A. Aortic valve replacement
• B. Medical therapy
• C. Balloon valvuloplasty
• D. Pacemaker

Answer: (A)

Replacing the diseased aortic valve is the definitive treatment for symptomatic severe aortic stenosis because the core issue is a fixed obstruction to blood flow that cannot be adequately addressed with medications alone. By removing the narrowed valve and placing a new one, valve replacement restores normal outflow and improves survival, whether done surgically or via a less invasive transcatheter approach depending on patient factors. Medical therapy can help manage symptoms in the short term but does not fix the underlying narrowing or change the prognosis. Balloon valvuloplasty may temporarily reduce the gradient, but its benefits are not durable, so it’s not a definitive solution in most adults. A pacemaker corrects rhythm problems but does not relieve the valve obstruction, so it does not address the root cause.