TAVR: Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement

The Less Invasive Therapy for Severe Aortic Stenosis

You may feel overwhelmed if you have been recently diagnosed with severe aortic stenosis and this can make it harder to take the step toward treatment. But the sooner you seek care, the quicker you will be able to get back to life and all the things you love.

There is a severe aortic stenosis therapy available that may help you get back on your feet faster. It’s called TAVR, also called TAVI (transcatheter aortic valve implantation), and it is a less invasive procedure that is designed to replace a diseased aortic valve.

This procedure used to only be available for people who were too weak to undergo open heart surgery. But now, TAVR is available to more people depending on their risk for open heart surgery. The procedure is also an option for people who had their aortic valve replaced in the past, but need a new one because the replacement may no longer work well.

A TAVR Doctor can walk you through the procedure and determine if TAVR is right for you.

Your TAVR Doctor may decide that a different approach is necessary depending on various factors. Other ways to perform the TAVR procedure include:

• Subclavian Approach: Through an incision near the shoulder.
• Transapical Approach: Through an incision in the chest between the ribs.
• Transaortic Approach: Through an incision in the upper chest.