One of the newest minimally invasive procedures for aortic valve stenosis
is called Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement (TAVR). Aortic valve
stenosis — or aortic stenosis — occurs when the heart’s
aortic valve thickens and becomes stiff (calcifies). As a result, the
valve can’t fully open and blood flow to the body is reduced. TAVR
is a less invasive, less recovery time alternative to open-heart surgical
aortic valve replacement (SAVR) that replaces a diseased aortic valve
with a man-made valve.
TAVR is a nonsurgical, minimally invasive procedure done through a very
small opening that leaves all the chest bones in place. An interventional
cardiologist and a cardiac surgeon insert a catheter through a blood vessel
in your leg to deliver and implant an artificial valve into your heart
while leaving the old valve in place. The TAVR approach delivers a fully
collapsible replacement valve to the valve site. Once the new valve is
expanded, it “piggybacks” and pushes the old valve leaflets
out of the way and the replacement valve takes over the job of regulating
blood flow.
Benefits of TAVR
Better clinical outcomes
Less invasive with minimal scarring
Shorter hospital stay
Shorter recovery time
Less pain and anxiety
Improved quality of life
Relief of symptoms
Is TAVR An Option for You?
Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement (TAVR) or more traditional Surgical
Aortic Valve Replacement (SAVR) depends on multiple factors such as your
individual diagnosis and health risks including your age, previous heart
surgeries or strokes, COPD, diabetes, liver and kidney problems. Usually,
valve replacement requires an open-heart procedure with a “sternotomy”,
in which the chest is surgically separated (opened) for the procedure.
Touro Heart & Vascular offers the more minimally invasive procedure,
TAVR. It is not without risks, but for the right candidate, it has beneficial
treatment options for those who may not be good candidates for traditional
surgical valve replacement.
Get in touch! We're ready to help you reclaim your heart health today.
