Quick answer
TAVR replaces a narrowed aortic valve without opening your chest. The cardiologist threads a collapsible valve up through an artery, usually at the groin, and expands it inside the old valve, which then takes over the blood flow. Your heart keeps beating throughout and no bypass machine is needed. It is used for severe aortic stenosis that is already causing symptoms.
Transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) is a less invasive procedure than open heart surgery, optimal for those who have been diagnosed with fatal symptomatic aortic stenosis. This minimally invasive surgical procedure repairs the valve without removing the old damaged valve. Instead, it wedges a replacement valve into the aortic valves place.
What is transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR)?
Transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) is a procedure for patients with severe and symptomatic aortic stenosis (narrowing of the aortic valve opening). TAVR is performed on a beating heart and does not require cardio-pulmonary bypass.
Where is this procedure performed?
A transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) procedure is performed in a hospital setting.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a TAVR procedure?
TAVR, or transcatheter aortic valve replacement, treats a narrowed aortic valve (aortic stenosis) without open-heart surgery. A cardiologist threads a new valve to the heart through a catheter, most often through an artery in the groin, and positions it inside the diseased valve, where it takes over blood flow.
How is TAVR performed?
The cardiologist inserts a thin catheter into a blood vessel, usually the femoral artery in the groin, and guides it to the heart with imaging. A collapsible replacement valve is placed inside the old aortic valve and expanded. Most patients receive sedation or general anesthesia, and the heart keeps beating throughout.
Who is a candidate for TAVR?
TAVR is considered for people with severe, symptomatic aortic stenosis. A cardiac heart team reviews your imaging, symptoms, and overall health to decide whether it fits you. It was first offered to patients at high surgical risk and is now an option for many intermediate-risk and selected lower-risk patients as well.
How long does TAVR take, and what is recovery like?
The procedure itself usually takes about one to two hours. Many patients stay in the hospital for roughly one to three days and return to normal activities sooner than with open-heart surgery. Your care team will give recovery instructions based on your health and how the procedure went.
What are the risks of TAVR?
As with any heart procedure, TAVR carries risks. These can include bleeding, blood-vessel injury at the catheter site, stroke, an irregular heartbeat that may need a pacemaker, and leakage around the new valve. Your heart team will weigh the risks and benefits for your situation before the procedure.
How long does a TAVR valve last?
So far, TAVR valves have held up well over several years of follow-up, and researchers are still tracking how they perform over longer periods. Durability varies from person to person. Your cardiologist will check the valve over time with follow-up visits and imaging to confirm it keeps working properly.
What our patients say
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A little blonde Russian woman named Natasha asked me to post about her renal procedure. It was done by Dr. Khorsandi at CACVI. They took absolutely amazing care of her and went above and beyond to treat her terribly high blood pressure. They lasered her renal artery. After the procedure it wouldn’t stop bleeding so they ended up staying w her at the center until 9pm. That’s when they finally had to call the ambulance to move her to E.R. All of the staff were incredibly professional and their care was second to none. Dr. Lala promised her that her high blood pressure would go away. It has and now she’s throwing out all her old med’s just like Lala promised. This group of Doctors is like no other. If you have any of these cardiac issues then you’ve found your saving grace. No need to look any further. They were incredibly patient and helpful in every medical way possible. Natasha has found a new way of living. Without her terrible pounding migraines she had on a daily basis. 5 stars all the way. They deserve all the praise possible. They provided a miracle. Thank you Dr’s Lala & Khorsandi.
On behalf of my father, a patient of CACVI, I wanted to acknowledge and praise the entire team of this organization for its outstanding surgical expertise and knowledgeable/warm supporting staff.
We had gone through countless recommendations that all claimed there was only one last option for treatment, amputation. That news is devastating for anyone to hear, and resulted in my father having little faith that the quality of his life would ever be the same...
All that changed the moment we had our first interaction with this organization. The care, knowledge, and most importantly hope that there was still options if we acted fast was single moment that turned this entire nightmare around.
Thank you CACVI for being the single most important piece to solving my father's health crisis.
Dont think twice, make the appointment and atleast go meet and see them-- for us it was the moment that changed the trajectory of our situation forever for the better.
I’m 41 years old, and I have something called May-Thurner’s Syndrome. However, it wasn’t until I saw Dr. Vasim Lala a couple years ago that I was diagnosed with it.
May-Thurner’s syndrome is when the main veins that split off into your legs is compressed by the main arteries that split off into your legs. The result is that the blood that should be coming back up through the leg veins pools at your ankles.
My whole life until I was diagnosed, I was lethargic. My legs felt heavy. I started to develop purple bruising around my ankles in my twenties. I started to get varicose veins on my calves. I thought this was normal. I was living on “hard mode” and didn’t know it.
If I was on my feet for extended periods of time, my legs would swell a lot. I thought maybe I need to lose some weight. When I started teaching a few years ago, I would be on my feet 6-8 hours a day. One day, I got home, and my left leg was so swollen my wife was concerned I had a blood clot. I went to the emergency room, and thankfully it was just superficial. I temporarily went on blood thinners and was recommended to see Dr. Lala. He changed my life.
I’d shown my purpling ankles to GP’s. They’d seen my varicose veins. But none if them put all the signs together until I saw Dr. Lala. He diagnosed me with May-Thurner’s syndrome and recommend we put stents in my veins to prevent them from being compressed by the arteries.
So we did the surgeries. Out patient procedures. My legs stopped swelling a lot. I started wearing compression socks. I had to be on blood thinners for a year, but eventually I was able to stop taking them which was great.
But I still had varicose veins in my legs because they had widened from the blood pooling in them for years. I’ve had two ablations per leg since them, which closes the affected veins, and I’ve got a new lease on life.
My legs feel lighter. They don’t swell nearly as much. The varicose veins have disappeared. Now, I’m lighter on my feet. I’m not lethargic. There’s a pep in my step. I have one more ablation each being scheduled. I’m thankful for Dr. Lala and his incredible team at CACVI for their diagnosis and treatment. It truly changed my life.
On August 27, 2025, I had my leg Angio done with Dr. K. who is best of the best. Amazing Doctor and extremely knowledgeable. The nurse who helped me, JULIAN she has a very kind heart. She has a lot of knowledge and made me feel extremely relaxed. She went above and beyond her responsibilities. It seems God made her to be kind and caring for all the patients. I salute her and look forward to having same nurse for procedure in my other leg. I came home with a big Smile. Thank you Thank you Thank you
