Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement (TAVR)
Transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) is a minimally invasive way to repair a faulty aortic valve without removing it and without undergoing open-heart surgery.
TAVR offers new hope to people with severe aortic stenosis who aren’t safe candidates for open-heart surgery due to coexisting medical conditions.
What Happens During Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement?
The surgeon performing a TAVR procedure makes a small incision in the groin and uses sophisticated imaging technology to guide a tiny, hollow tube called a catheter through your blood vessel.
A deflated balloon with an artificial valve wrapped around it is attached to the catheter. Once it’s in position near the aortic valve, the surgeon inflates the balloon to gently nudge the faulty valve out of the way and replace it with the artificial valve. The surgeon then removes the balloon and the catheter. The new valve remains open permanently to allow normal blood flow.
Patients are awake during this painless procedure, which takes 90 minutes to two hours. Because TAVR is minimally invasive, patients experience less pain, a shorter hospital stay and a faster recovery than those who undergo open-heart surgery. Most patients leave the hospital within a day or two and can return to regular activities within three or four days.
Why Trust Hackensack Meridian Health With Your Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement?
Hackensack Meridian Health is nationally ranked for our expertise in aortic valve surgery, including transcatheter aortic valve replacement. Thousands of Hackensack Meridian Health patients with severe symptomatic aortic stenosis have benefitted from TAVR as an alternative to surgery.
Who Benefits Most From TAVR?
You may be a candidate for TAVR if you have any of the following:
- Aortic stenosis that causes signs and symptoms;
- Considered ineligible for open-heart surgery or aortic valve replacement by a cardiac surgeon;
- A low, intermediate or high risk of complications from open-heart surgery;
- Kidney or lung disease;
- A malfunctioning biological tissue valve.
