@johansouthafrica
Hello Johan and welcome to Mayo Connect. You are asking good questions about the need for a valve replacement surgery. As you are quite active with no symptoms of heart problems, I can understand why you would be concerned that you are being told to have open heart surgery. If you did have an echocardiogram, then the report should tell you about your ejection fraction. It might be abbreviated "EF" on the report. Do you have a copy of that report?

As I am assuming that you do not reside in the U.S. you might not be aware of a less invasive procedure to repair aortic heart valves. It is abbreviated, TAVR. Here is a link toa link from Mayo Clinic's website with information about this procedure,
--Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement
https://www.mayoclinic.org/tests-procedures/transcatheter-aortic-valve-replacement/about/pac-20384698
As TAVR is a less invasive than open heart surgery, the recovery time can be shorter. On Connect, we have members who have posted about this procedure. Here is a link to two of those discussions,
--TAVR recovery process
https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/tavr-recovery-process/
--Aortic Valve Replacement with TAVR
https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/aortic-valve-replacement/
TAVR is most likely best done by doctors experienced in this procedure. I look forward to hearing from you again. Will continue to post with other questions and concerns?