What is TAVI? Valve Replacement Without Open Surgery
A new aortic valve, delivered through a small puncture in the groin — how TAVI works and who it is for.
The aortic valve is the door through which blood leaves the heart. With age it can stiffen and narrow — a condition called aortic stenosis that causes breathlessness, chest pain and fainting. Untreated severe stenosis is dangerous, but treatment used to mean open-heart surgery.
A valve through a needle puncture
TAVI (Transcatheter Aortic Valve Implantation) replaces the valve without opening the chest. A new valve, folded inside a thin tube, is guided from a small puncture in the groin artery up to the heart, then expanded inside the old valve and starts working immediately.
What is the procedure like?
TAVI usually takes about an hour, often under local anesthesia with sedation. Most patients are out of bed the same evening and home within two or three days — there is no chest wound and no long recovery.
Who is it for?
TAVI was designed for patients in whom open surgery is high-risk — older patients or those with other illnesses. Our Heart Team evaluates every patient with CT imaging and echocardiography, and recommends TAVI or surgical replacement based on what is safest for your anatomy and age.