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TAVI/TAVR: New Hope for Elderly Heart Patients
Last updated: Thursday, November 29, 2018 | 1 min reading time
TAVI is a minimally invasive procedure that offers hope to patients too old or too ill for conventional aortic valve replacement operations.
Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement/Implantation (TAVR/TAVI) is a minimally invasive treatment option for severe aortic valve stenosis (AS).
Open heart surgery to replace the aortic valve is conventionally used to treat severe AS. However, the surgical risks are often high for many elderly patients and those suffering from debilitating diseases, like poor heart function, severe lung disease and end stage renal failure.
TAVR/TAVI is now an alternative treatment option for elderly patients suffering from severe AS. Unlike open heart surgery to replace the aortic valve, with TAVR/TAVI, the patient's chest is not cut open and the heart is not stopped. The procedure can also be done under local anesthesia.
Find out more about TAVI/TAVR and if you are suitable for the procedure.
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