Glossary term · Treatment
TAVI (also: TAVR, Transcatheter aortic valve implantation, Transcatheter aortic valve replacement): TAVI is a catheter procedure that implants a new biological aortic valve inside a narrowed one, without open-heart surgery, to treat severe aortic stenosis.
TAVI, also called TAVR, is a procedure that replaces a narrowed aortic valve by passing a new biological valve through a catheter, usually from an artery in the groin. MedlinePlus explains that the new valve is expanded inside the old one without opening the chest or using a heart-lung bypass machine. It treats severe aortic stenosis.
How is TAVI done?
MedlinePlus says most patients receive sedation, though general anaesthesia is sometimes used. A small incision is made, usually in an artery in the groin or near the chest. A catheter is threaded to the heart. A balloon widens the narrowed valve and the new valve is expanded inside the old one. A pacemaker is sometimes needed afterwards.
Who is it for?
MedlinePlus says TAVI is for adults with severe aortic stenosis who have significant symptoms, or tests showing the valve is harming heart function. That includes people who are too unwell for standard valve surgery. A heart team decides whether TAVI or surgery suits you.
What are the risks?
MedlinePlus lists bleeding, blood vessel damage, stroke, heart attack, kidney failure, abnormal heart rhythms, infection of the new valve and the need for emergency open-heart surgery. The NHLBI notes the new valve can sometimes leak if it does not fit well. MedlinePlus also says it is not yet clear how long the new valve will last.
What should travelling patients ask?
- Which scans do you need to judge whether I am suitable, and can I send them in advance?
- How likely is it that I will need a pacemaker, and how would that change my plan?
- Which blood thinners will I need, and for how long?
- What follow-up scans will check the valve, and can they be done at home?
Tell any provider at home, including your dentist, that you have a replaced valve.
Questions people ask
Is TAVI only for older patients?
MedlinePlus says aortic stenosis is usually seen in older people and that TAVI is used for people with severe disease, including those too unwell for standard surgery. Whether it is right for you is a heart team decision.
How soon can I fly after TAVI?
MedlinePlus describes walking from the day after the procedure, but fitness to fly depends on your recovery, any pacemaker and the distance home. Your cardiologist will decide and should confirm this in writing.
Sources
General information, not medical or legal advice. Rules change: confirm with the official source. Your treating specialist decides on suitability, treatment and length of stay. How we write and check.