Heart valve problems used to require open heart urgery, but for some patients this means prolonged hospitalization and recovery. That is why the specialists at the Virginia Mason Heart Institute proudly offer innovative, minimally invasive treatments such as TAVR and MitraClip® to patients experiencing heart valve problems.
Transcatheter aortic valve replacement, or TAVR, is a minimally-invasive heart valve replacement procedure that replaces the diseased heart valve.
During the procedure, a compressed tissue heart valve is attached to a catheter, positioned inside the narrowed native aortic valve and expanded with the support of a metal stent.
TAVR is an option for patients with severe aortic stenosis for whom traditional open-chest surgery may be too risky. This potentially life-saving procedure is most often performed with local anesthetic and moderate sedationin stead of general ansthesia.
The benefi ts of TAVR can include shorter hospital stays and faster recovery times. TAVR patients often go home from the hospital and are back to many of their usual activities within a few days.
A minimally invasive TAVR procedure for patients who have had previous open heart valve surgery to replace the aortic valve with a bioprosthetic/tissue valve and the tissue valve is now failing. Instead of the failing aortic tissue valve being replaced during another open heart valve surgery, the failing aortic tissue valve is replaced by placing a TAVR valve inside the failing aortic tissue valve.
A minimally invasive transcatheter mitral valve replacement (TMVR) procedure for patients who have had previous open heart valve surgery to replace the mitral valve with a bioprosthetic/tissue valve and the tissue valve is now failing. Instead of the failing mitral valve being replaced during another open heart valve surgery, the failing mitral tissue valve is replaced by placing a TMVR valve inside the failing mitral tissue valve.
For more information about TAVR and other heart valve procedures, contact the Heart Institute at (206) 341-1111.