TAVR, or transcatheter aortic valve replacement, is a form of minimally invasive surgery that repairs the aortic valve in your heart. If the aortic valve is not working properly, it can cause aortic stenosis, which restricts blood flow to the rest of your body. TAVR allows your cardiologist to treat aortic stenosis without using open-heart surgery.

Who Is TAVR For?

TAVR is ideal for patients who need their aortic valve replaced but who cannot have open-heart surgery.

Your provider may suggest TAVR as a treatment option if:

• Tests show that your aortic valve is not working properly.
• Your health would be put at risk if you had open-heart surgery.

How Is TAVR Performed?

Instead of removing the valve entirely through open-heart surgery, your provider puts a replacement valve in its place. The procedure is similar to placing a stent. Your provider will thread a catheter through one of your arteries and into the damaged heart valve. The new valve expands inside the old valve and is able to regulate blood flow properly.

What Are the Benefits of TAVR?

Since the surgery is minimally invasive, there is lower risk of infection, less pain and less blood loss than with open-heart surgery. Your recovery time will also be shorter, and you will be able to perform day-to-day activities, including exercise, soon after your procedure.