Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement (TAVR)

Every time the heart beats, the aortic valve opens and closes to allow blood to flow from the heart to the rest of the body. The aortic valve is crucial to allow for oxygen flow and keep the body functioning. But what happens if the valve becomes too narrow for blood to keep moving through? This dangerous condition is known as aortic stenosis, and it can lead to serious complications like heart failure and even death. For many years, the only treatment for this diagnosis was open-heart surgery. However, in 2002, a team at Charles Nicolle University Hospital performed the first groundbreaking procedure called Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement (TAVR). This procedure offers a life-saving and significantly less invasive alternative to surgery.

TAVR allows doctors to replace a damaged aortic valve without actually opening up the chest. Instead, a catheter, a tube used to drain fluid, is inserted through a small incision in the body and guided up to the heart through blood vessels. Once it reaches the diseased valve, a new biological valve made from animal tissue mounted on a metal frame is implanted into place. The new valve pushes the old one aside and takes over its functioning immediately.

Initially approved only for patients who were too high-risk for traditional open-heart surgery, TAVR is now widely available to all aortic stenosis patients who aren’t dealing with unsuitable complications. Various clinical trials have exemplified that compared to surgery, TAVR has the ability to provide equal or even superior outcomes, including quicker recoveries and less pain.

Just like any medical procedure, TAVR still comes with many adverse effects, including bleeding, stroke, or valve-related complications like leakage. Despite this, the overall safety of the treatment has consistently proven to be strong, particularly in older adults. Most patients are walking within a day and are discharged within 2-3 days of the procedure.

Today, TAVR has become one of the most significant advancements in cardiology, specifically due to its effectiveness and minimal invasiveness. It represents a major shift in the way physicians treat heart valve disease and offers new opportunities to patients who were once considered too weak to have direct surgery. Marking the start of a new era for expectations in cardiac care, TAVR offers a life-saving alternative to open-heart surgery and continues to improve as technology advances and evolves.

Written by Anonymous at Incisionary

American Heart Association. (n.d.). Aortic valve replacement. https://www.heart.org/en/health-topics/heart-valve-problems-and-disease/treatment-options-for-heart-valve-problems/aortic-valve-replacement

Cleveland Clinic. (n.d.). Transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR). https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/treatments/17590-transcatheter-aortic-valve-replacement-tavr

Mack, M. J., Leon, M. B., Thourani, V. H., Makkar, R., Kodali, S. K., Russo, M., … & Smith, C. R. (2019). Transcatheter aortic-valve replacement with a balloon-expandable valve in low-risk patients. The New England Journal of Medicine, 380(18), 1695–1705. https://doi.org/10.1056/NEJMoa1814052

Prisma Health. (n.d.). Transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR): An advanced alternative to open-heart surgery. Retrieved from https://cv.prismahealth.org/news/transcatheter-aortic-valve-replacement-tavr-an-advanced-alternative-to-open-heart-surgery