Our Approach to Care
Aortic stenosis is the narrowing of the aortic valve. It is one of the most common valvular heart diseases affecting patients in their 60s, 70s and 80s. The condition prevents the aortic valve from opening and closing properly. This puts an increased amount of stress and pressure on the heart. It can lead to shortness of breath, fatigue, chronic heart failure and even death, if left untreated.
Treatment usually involves implanting a new valve through an open-chest procedure. Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement (TAVR) is a treatment option for high-risk patients. It enables patients with severe and moderate aortic stenosis to receive a new heart valve without undergoing open heart surgery.
TAVR is recommended for patients who aren't candidates for open-heart surgery. These high risk patients can have certain risk factors such as advanced age, frailty and other health problems. It offers many benefits over conventional open heart surgery. With less pain, shorter procedure time and shorter recovery time, there are fewer risks for patients who are high-risk for complications. As surgeons have become more skilled in performing the procedure, patients who are at moderate operative risk can also be candidates for the surgery.