Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement (TAVR / TAVI)

What is TAVR / TAVI?

Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement (TAVR), also known as Transcatheter Aortic Valve Implantation (TAVI), is one of the most advanced non-surgical treatments available for severe aortic valve stenosis. In this condition, the aortic valve — the gateway through which oxygen-rich blood leaves the heart to supply the entire body — becomes thickened, stiff and narrowed, usually because of age-related calcium deposition. This narrowing forces the heart to pump much harder than normal, which over time leads to breathlessness, chest discomfort, fatigue and fainting spells.

Unlike conventional surgical aortic valve replacement, which requires opening the chest and stopping the heart, TAVR is performed through a small puncture in the blood vessel, usually in the groin (transfemoral route). A new, collapsible artificial valve is guided to the heart on a catheter and expanded precisely inside the diseased native valve, restoring normal blood flow immediately.

Who Needs a TAVR Procedure?

• Patients diagnosed with severe symptomatic aortic valve stenosis
• Elderly patients or those with multiple co-existing illnesses who carry high or intermediate surgical risk
• Patients who have already undergone a prior surgical valve replacement and now need a valve-in-valve TAVR
• Patients experiencing breathlessness on exertion, chest pain, giddiness or fainting due to valve narrowing

How is the TAVR Procedure Performed?

Before the procedure, detailed planning is carried out with echocardiography and CT angiography to measure the valve annulus and select the correct valve size and access route. On the day of the procedure, a catheter carrying the collapsed replacement valve is introduced through the femoral artery and advanced under real-time imaging guidance to the site of the native aortic valve. The new valve is then expanded, pushing the old diseased leaflets aside and taking over the job of regulating blood flow instantly. Most patients are awake or under light sedation, and the procedure typically takes about one to two hours.

Benefits of TAVR / TAVI

• No open-heart surgery, no chest incision and no heart-lung machine required in most cases
• Shorter hospital stay compared to surgical valve replacement
• Faster symptom relief and return to daily activities
• Lower procedural risk for elderly and high-risk patients
• Excellent long-term valve performance with newer generation devices

Recovery After TAVR

Recovery after TAVR is generally quick. Many patients are mobile within 24 hours and can be discharged within two to four days, depending on their overall health. Regular follow-up with echocardiography is advised to monitor valve function, along with guideline-directed medications to protect long-term heart health.

Why Choose Dr. Prashant Dwivedi for TAVR in Jaipur?

Dr. Prashant Dwivedi is Director & Head of the TAVR and Structural Heart Programme, trained at Mount Sinai Hospital, New York, with experience of over a thousand TAVR procedures including complex cases such as bicuspid aortic valve, valve-in-valve TAVR and TAVR-in-TAVR. Patients across Jaipur and Rajasthan trust his expertise for safe, precise and personalised structural heart care.