TAVR

TAVR (Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement) is an innovative and minimally invasive interventional procedure for selected patients suffering from symptomatic aortic valve stenosis. Aortic valve stenosis is a progressive disorder that causes the narrowing of the heart's aortic valve. When this occurs, the valve is unable to open fully thereby obstructing blood flow from the heart into the aorta and consequently onto the rest of the body. The extra effort on the part of the heart to pump blood to the rest of the body weakens the heart muscle over time if not diagnosed and treated. Diagnosed patients generally experience chest discomfort, exertional breathlessness, fainting, and profound fatigue. If these symptoms are due to significant narrowing or obstruction of the aortic valve, patients generally experience worsening of their exercise capacity and long-term survival is adversely affected. Some patients are able to be treated traditionally with medical therapy, while others with more severe symptoms require surgical intervention. Many patients suffering from severe aortic valve stenosis, although in need of surgical intervention, are too high-risk to undergo a more traditional surgical method of treatment of valve replacement involving open-heart surgery. TAVR intervention may be suitable for patients with severe aortic stenosis particularly those with advanced age and other significant medical disorders or frailty, conditions which may make traditional surgery high-risk. TAVR procedure can relieve the signs and symptoms of aortic valve stenosis for recipients as well as improve survival for those who are unable to undergo invasive surgery or are at increased risk of surgical complications.

Standard valve replacement to treat aortic stenosis in patients requires an open-heart surgical procedure. TAVR has become a more feasible line of minimally invasive therapy for high-risk patients who are unable to tolerate open-heart surgery. TAVR as a procedure repairs the valve without removing the old, damaged valve. Using a catheter and stent while a patient is under general anesthesia, a replacement valve is advanced from the femoral artery to the level of the narrowed aortic valve, where it is positioned and and deployed over the old valve, effectively replacing it.

Of the many benefits, TAVR recipients likely experience a quicker recovery and shorter hospital stay as well as an improvement of symptoms and quality of life.

Please speak to your primary care physician or cardiologist to see whether or not you would benefit from consultation with Dr. Ahmed or Dr. Morine to discuss further evaluation and management options for advanced aortic stenosis.