A Clinical Analysis of Aortic Incompetence

Many persons appear to carry an aortic leak through life without trouble, but in others a progressing lesion evolves into the well-known syndrome of free aortic incompetence. Symptoms are distinctive, and clinical examination gives a surprisingly accurate assessment of the lesion's magnitude. However, because few persons given surgical treatment return completely to normal despite successful operation, surgery is still reserved for those patients with worsening disease.