Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement (TAVR), also known as Transcatheter Aortic Valve Implantation (TAVI), is an innovative approach to replacing the aortic valve without open-heart surgery. The TAVR procedure involves replacing the heart valve with a new one by using a catheter to thread it through vessels in the leg into the aorta and then the heart. The replacement valve is placed inside the patient’s natural aortic valve where it expands and pushes the faulty valve aside.

Percutaneous (catheter-based) TAVR procedures are options for patients who are not candidates for traditional surgical replacement. This heart valve replacement is minimally invasive which means a majority of patients will experience faster recovery times than traditional open-heart valve replacement.

Who is a candidate for TAVR?

Patients with severe aortic stenosis who are considered inoperable by a heart surgeon, might be candidates for TAVR. Typically, these patients are considered at too high a risk for traditional open-heart surgery due to advanced age, diabetes, COPD, pulmonary hypertension or other factors.　

What to expect after TAVR surgery

Following your transcatheter aortic valve replacement surgery, you will remain in OHSU's care for follow up examinations, x-rays, blood tests, and heart monitoring. Because TAVR is minimally invasive, patients experience shorter recover times and typically less complications post-surgery.

Contact us today to discuss your options with OHSU's Complex Heart Valve team so they can help you determine what procedure is right for you. Please call 503-494-7820.

 

 

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