TAVR - Minimally Invasive Valve Replacement

Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement

Aortic stenosis is diagnosed when the aortic valve thickens, causing the valve to open improperly and limiting blood flow from the heart to the rest of the body. In many cases, the recommended treatment is aortic valve replacement surgery, which can provide relief from symptoms and manage the condition, long-term.

Our cardiac surgeons can replace the diseased valve through an open-heart procedure or by using a minimally invasive technique called transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR).

About Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement

TAVR is performed without opening the chest. The cardiologist inserts a thin, flexible wire into a blood vessel in the leg and threads it into the heart. The new valve travels over the wire and is placed inside the patient's diseased valve. A stent around the new valve anchors it in place. The new valve immediately takes over, regulating blood flow out of the heart to the rest of the body.

Benefits of TAVR

TAVR may be an option for some patients who prefer not to have a surgical aortic valve replacement, or for patients who are at high risk of complications with a surgical aortic valve replacement. TAVR has several benefits compared to the standard, open-heart procedure:

• Less blood loss
• Quicker recovery time
• Shorter hospital stay (1-2 days)
• Decreased risk of stroke or readmission to the hospital