Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement (TAVR)

Your doctor may recommend TAVR if you meet either of these criteria:

• You have symptoms of severe aortic stenosis
• You had aortic heart valve surgery, but the valve is not working properly, and you don’t qualify for another surgical procedure

You’ll receive treatment from an interventional cardiologist — a doctor who specializes in less invasive heart care. While you lie on a table, the cardiologist inserts a soft tube called a catheter into a blood vessel. The tube carries the artificial aortic valve up to your heart. The doctor places it over your narrowed aortic valve, allowing blood to flow more freely.

TAVR doesn’t use a large incision, so you’ll recover much faster than you would after heart surgery. Most people leave the hospital after a day or two. Your doctor will explain how to take care of yourself at home, and you’ll make follow-up appointments for one month and one year after treatment.