Transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVI)
The aortic valve is the valve between the left ventricle of the heart and the aorta.
It consists of three leaflets that open and close, so that blood is transported smoothly and synchronously to the aorta.
With advancing age, but also in younger people sometimes (especially in bicuspid valves, that is, when the aortic valve consists of two leaflets and not three) the valve calcifies, which makes it more difficult to open (stenosis) and problematic to close (insufficiency).
Thus, symptoms develop, which initially include shortness of breath during intense physical activity and then during moderate and mild physical fatigue. Angina pectoris, i.e. chest pain during physical exertion, is also common, as well as fainting episodes, characterized by loss of consciousness and injuries and due to low blood supply.
Medication cannot treat the disease etiologically, but can only partially alleviate the patient’s discomfort. Valve stenosis worsens over time and the patients’ symptoms become increasingly severe. In addition, it has been shown that severe aortic valve stenosis is associated with increased mortality in patients.
As aortic valve stenosis is often found in increasingly older people with multiple health problems and increased comorbidity, valve surgery is dangerous, while the patient’s recovery is laborious and time-consuming.
With transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVI), older people avoid open heart surgery, in which surgery is associated with increased risk and more complications.
The operation is performed in collaboration with interventional cardiologists and vascular surgeons. Transcatheter aortic valve replacement is performed through the femoral artery. The new valve is advanced through the aorta, deployed within the existing narrowed valve and functions immediately. The operation is short and performed under anesthesia or light anesthesia, while patients remain overnight in the intensive care unit for monitoring and then for 2 to 4 days in a regular hospital ward.
Recovery is easier and shorter and patients return to their activities soon.
The procedure has been performed since 2002 and over 500,000 percutaneous aortic valve implantations have been performed worldwide.
Our experience with the new method is already very extensive and it is considered safe and suitable for people over 75 years of age.
During the procedure, percutaneously applied filters are used to prevent strokes.
The improvement of symptoms is rapid and after leaving the hospital the patient can quickly return to his activities.
