Hello @myhearthealth24 and welcome to Mayo Connect. You are asking good questions. These are questions that I've asked more than once.

I have moderate aortic regurgitation and stenosis from a case of Rheumatic Fever as a pre-teen. So, I've seen lots of cardiologists over the years. So far, my ejection fraction is still fairly strong (over 60%) so nobody is recommending valve replacement at this time.

Here is another discussion on this topic,
https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/atrial-valve-repairreplacement-info-please/
I do have symptoms, though, caused by diastolic dysfunction (DD) which is a mild form of heart failure. One cardiologist explained that with DD when the heart is supposed to relax, it stays stiff. So, I get exceptionally fatigued with exercise. However, there is no swelling of my lower extremities, so there is no urgency for surgery to replace or repair the valve at this time.

You say you are having symptoms. What kind of symptoms are you having? Do you know what your ejection fraction is? (It would be listed on an echocardiogram report.) What is your cardiologist saying about surgery at this time?