Aortic valve stenosis might be managed with medication; however, surgery is usually required to repair or replace the damaged valves. Unfortunately, a lot of elderly patients who have severe aortic stenosis have comorbidities that put them at risk for surgery. Transcatheter aortic valve replacement or TAVR is a minimally invasive procedure is increasingly performed as an option for appropriate patients. This procedure involves the insertion of a new aortic valve within a damaged valve through a catheter in the groin, the heart’s apex or the aorta or its branch. The valve leaflets contained in the prostheses are sewn into big stents. Keep reading to know some things about the heart operation:
Advanced Treatment for Aortic Valve Stenosis
Aortic valve stenosis develops when the aortic valve narrows, putting a strain on the heart. Sufferers may experience symptoms like fatigue, shortness of breath, and chest pain. Untreated aortic valve stenosis can result in heart failure. The condition is common among seniors. As a patient ages, conventional heart surgery becomes riskier and a standard aortic valve replace will not be safe for older patients. But, transcatheter aortic valve replacement allows older patients to undergo aortic valve replacement without worrying about serious complications.
More Patients can Benefit from the Surgery
Traditionally, transcatheter aortic valve replacement has been reserved for patients with high or intermediate risk for open-heart surgery. But, because of the benefits of the less invasive procedure, the medical community is becoming more interested in making it available to a broader array of patients that include low-risk patients.
Patient Recovery is Faster with TAVR than Open Heart Surgery
A transcatheter aortic valve replacement procedure takes around 90 minutes to complete while open heart surgery often takes four to six hours. Patients who undergo the less invasive procedure can recover faster than they would after a conventional open-heart valve replacement. Most patients who undergo transcatheter aortic valve replacement are sedated; however, not under general anesthesia.
The Future of TAVR
Manufacturers of devices are looking to solve the technical issues of the less invasive procedure. Current devices have made it possible to view valves uniformly through smaller sheaths. The latest generation of valves is designed to eradicate AR altogether.
There have been emerging indications for the procedure. For instance, valve-in-valve TVAR includes using the procedure in bioprosthetic valve failure which is quite promising. Comparative trials are also being performed in intermediate-risk patients, in those who have serious AS and coronary artery disease and those with AR.
