TAVI

❤️ What Is TAVI?

TAVI is a minimally invasive procedure to replace a diseased, narrowed aortic valve — most commonly due to severe aortic stenosis — using a collapsible artificial valve delivered through a catheter.

Think of it like this:
Instead of stopping the heart and cracking open the chest…
👉 Doctors thread a new valve — crimped onto a catheter — through a blood vessel (often from the leg)…
👉 Guide it up to the heart…
👉 And deploy it inside the old, failing valve — like an umbrella opening.

The new valve pushes the old leaflets aside and immediately begins working — restoring healthy blood flow from your heart to your body.

📊 Why Would You Need TAVI?

Your aortic valve is the main exit door for blood leaving your heart. When it narrows (stenosis), your heart must work harder to push blood through. Over time, this causes:

• Shortness of breath
• Chest pain or tightness
• Dizziness or fainting
• Fatigue — even at rest
• Heart failure

Left untreated, severe aortic stenosis can be deadly. But for many patients — especially older adults or those with other medical conditions — traditional surgery is too risky.

That’s where TAVI comes in.

➤ Who Is a Candidate?

TAVI is FDA-approved and guideline-recommended for patients with severe symptomatic aortic stenosis who fall into one of these categories:

🔸 High or extreme surgical risk — due to age, frailty, lung disease, prior chest surgery, or other conditions
🔸 Intermediate surgical risk — increasingly common, with excellent outcomes
🔸 Low surgical risk — yes, even healthy patients are now being offered TAVI, based on recent landmark trials showing it’s as good — or better — than surgery for many

Your cardiologist and a Heart Team (cardiologists, cardiac surgeons, imaging specialists) will evaluate your anatomy, overall health, and preferences to decide if TAVI is right for you.

🧪 How Does TAVI Work? Step by Step

1. Preparation

• You’ll have a CT scan to map your arteries and measure your valve — ensuring the right valve size and access route.
• Blood tests, dental check (to prevent infection), and medication review.

2. The Procedure

• Done in a hybrid cath lab or operating room.
• You’ll receive either conscious sedation or general anesthesia.
• A small incision is made — most often in the femoral artery (groin). Other routes: under the collarbone (subclavian) or through the chest wall (transapical).
• The catheter is guided to your heart using live X-ray and echocardiography.
• The new valve is positioned and expanded — either by balloon or self-expanding mechanism.
• Your Heart Team watches closely as the new valve begins working immediately.

⏱️ Time: 1–3 hours. You’re often awake — and may even see your new valve working on the screen.

3. Recovery

• You’ll stay in the hospital for 1–3 days (sometimes same-day discharge for low-risk patients).
• Most patients sit up within hours and walk the next morning.
• Full recovery: days to weeks — not months.

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🆚 TAVI vs. Surgical Aortic Valve Replacement (SAVR)

👉 Bottom line: TAVI isn’t “second best” — for the right patient, it’s the best option. And that group is growing every year.

🚫 Risks? Yes — But Far Lower Than Leaving It Untreated

Like any procedure, TAVI has risks — but they’re far outweighed by the dangers of untreated severe aortic stenosis.

Possible complications:

• Vascular injury at the access site
• Need for a permanent pacemaker (due to electrical changes)
• Valve leakage (paravalvular regurgitation) — usually mild
• Stroke (rare — <2% in modern practice)
• Valve migration or malfunction (very rare)

💡 Good to know: Centers that perform high volumes of TAVI have the best outcomes. Ask how many they do per year — experience matters.

🧑‍⚕️ What Happens After TAVI?

• You’ll have follow-up visits at 30 days, 6 months, and annually.
• An echocardiogram will check how your new valve is working.
• You’ll likely take blood thinners (like aspirin or clopidogrel) for 3–6 months — sometimes longer.
• Most patients report dramatic improvements:
  → “I can climb stairs again.”
  → “I don’t get dizzy walking to the mailbox.”
  → “I feel like I did 10 years ago.”

💬 Real Patient Story

“At 84, I was told open-heart surgery would be too hard on me. I could barely walk to the bathroom without gasping. Then I had TAVI — they fixed my valve through my groin. I walked out of the hospital in 2 days. Two weeks later, I was gardening. It gave me back my independence — and my joy.”
— Leila, 84

✅ Final Thought

TAVI is more than a medical marvel — it’s a gift of time, energy, and life for patients who once had no good options.

It’s proof that innovation in heart care isn’t just about technology — it’s about compassion. It’s about recognizing that not every patient fits the surgical mold… and building a better way.

If you’ve been diagnosed with aortic stenosis — don’t assume surgery is your only path. Ask:

“Am I a candidate for TAVI?”

The answer might just give you back the life you thought you’d lost.