What is TAVR?
Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement (TAVR) is a procedure that involves using a catheter from the leg or other approach to deliver a new aortic valve that replaces the heart’s diseased aortic valve without requiring open-heart surgery. Yale-New Haven Hospital’s valve team offers several different options for TAVR including the new FDA-approved Edwards SAPIEN valve, as well as the Medtronic COREVALVE, in clinical trials throughout the United States and widely used throughout Europe. Learn more.
Is TAVR right for you?
If your doctor has told you that you have severe aortic stenosis and that you are not a good candidate for open-heart surgery, then TAVR may be a viable option for you. For more information, or to schedule an appointment, call 203.483.3115.
TAVR: How it works
There are two different approaches for TAVR – transfemoral and transapical. In the transfemoral approach, an incision is made in the leg (or slightly higher up). In the transapical approach, an incision is made between the ribs to access the apex (lowest point) of the heart. Follow the link for short videos on both procedures.
TAVR in the media
Suffering from poor blood flow to her heart, Bertha Burroughs would get winded just walking to the end of her driveway. She managed her condition with medication for most of the 20 years she had it, but it worsened over time and doctors told her she needed a heart valve replacement ...