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Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement (TAVR) is a life-saving, minimally invasive valve replacement procedure for patients with aortic stenosis.
Aortic Stenosis
Aortic stenosis is caused by the build-up of calcium on the aortic valve’s leaflets. This impairs the aortic valve’s ability to fully open and close, resulting in the narrowed valve allowing less oxygen-rich blood to flow from the lungs to the brain and rest of the body. This can cause symptoms of severe shortness of breath and extreme fatigue, and will eventually lead to the heart muscles weakening, increasing risk of heart failure and death.
![Responsive image](https://uthealtheasttexas.com/sites/default/files/aortic_valve_healthy_vs_diseased.png)
TAVR
During the procedure, a catheter is inserted through a small incision and guided through the arteries to the heart, where a new valve is placed. This procedure was designed for patients whose hearts were considered too weak for valve replacement surgery. Because it’s less invasive than traditional open heart surgery, recovery time is much shorter and significantly less painful.
![Responsive image](https://uthealtheasttexas.com/sites/default/files/tavr_procedures.png)
In the News
In 2021, our team successfully completed our 250th TAVR procedure. Click here to read more.