TAVR

When a diseased valve is discovered inside a heart and needs to be removed and replaced with a new one, the procedure is much like the one used to place a stent in an artery. No open surgery is required. The less-invasive procedure is called either transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) or sometimes referred to as transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI). This procedure is performed through small openings that do not require moving the bones.

TAVR uses a fully collapsible replacement valve that is delivered through a catheter. The new valve pushes the old valve out of the way, and the tissue in the new valve just takes over regulating blood flow. TAVR can be accomplished with a transfemoral approach (through the femoral artery) or with a transapical approach (through a small incision in the chest).

An aortic valve needs to be replaced when it fails to open correctly (called aortic valve stenosis). TAVR or TAVI is a good alternative for patients who are at higher risk of complications with surgical aortic valve replacement (open-heart surgery). The experts at Stanislaus Cardiology specialize in treating all types of cardiac problems and are experienced in TAVR.