Technology explainer
How TAVR Replaces an Aortic Valve Without Open-Heart Surgery
TAVR carries a compressed biological valve through an artery and expands it inside the diseased aortic valve. The procedure avoids opening the chest, but patient selection, vascular access and long-term valve durability still matter.
Transcatheter aortic-valve replacement, or TAVR, treats a narrowed aortic valve by placing a new valve inside it through a catheter. Unlike surgical valve replacement, the procedure usually does not require opening the chest or using a heart-lung machine.
How the valve reaches the heart
The replacement valve is made from biological tissue mounted inside an expandable metal frame. Clinicians compress it onto a delivery system and usually advance it through the femoral artery in the groin. Imaging guides the catheter through the aorta to the native valve.
How it starts working
Once positioned, the frame expands and presses the diseased leaflets outward. The replacement leaflets then take over control of blood flow. Some systems expand with a balloon, while others use a self-expanding frame.
Why selection matters
Doctors assess valve anatomy, blood-vessel size, calcium distribution and the risk of blocking nearby coronary arteries. They also consider symptoms, age, other illnesses, surgical risk and whether a patient is likely to live long enough to benefit.
What TAVR does not remove
The original valve remains in place around the new device. TAVR can cause bleeding, stroke, leakage around the valve, rhythm problems or vascular injury, although modern systems have reduced many risks. Long-term planning matters because biological valves can deteriorate and a future procedure may be required.
First appeared in
Earlier TAVR Cut Heart-Failure Events in Selected Patients With Moderate Aortic Stenosis
