Transcatheter Aortic Valve Implantation (TAVI / TAVR)
Minimally invasive aortic valve replacement for severe aortic stenosis — catheter-based TAVI without open-heart surgery.
What is It?
Transcatheter Aortic Valve Implantation (TAVI), also referred to as Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement (TAVR), is a minimally invasive procedure used to replace a severely narrowed aortic valve — a condition known as aortic stenosis — without the need for open-heart surgery.
During TAVI, a new biological valve is delivered to the heart on a thin catheter passed through an artery, most commonly from the groin. The new valve is positioned inside the diseased valve and immediately takes over the critical job of regulating blood flow from the heart to the body.
At One Heart Centre, our structural heart specialists have expert training in performing TAVI using the latest generation valve technology, offering patients with severe aortic stenosis a safe, effective and less invasive treatment option.
Why is It Performed?
At One Heart Centre, our cardiologists and heart team may recommend TAVI to:
- Treat severe aortic stenosis that is causing symptoms or threatening heart function
- Relieve symptoms such as breathlessness, chest pain, dizziness and fainting
- Improve heart function and restore normal blood flow from the heart
- Reduce the risk of heart failure and sudden clinical deterioration
- Improve quality of life, physical capacity and life expectancy
- Provide an effective treatment for patients at moderate to high surgical risk, or those unsuitable for open-heart surgery
Your cardiologist and the multidisciplinary heart team at One Heart Centre will carefully assess whether TAVI is the best option for you based on your valve condition, overall health and individual risk profile.
What Does the Test Involve?
TAVI is performed in a specialised cardiac catheterisation laboratory or hybrid operating theatre under general anaesthesia or deep sedation.
A thin catheter is inserted through an artery in the groin (or occasionally the arm or chest) and guided to the heart. The new aortic valve, mounted on the catheter, is positioned inside the diseased valve. Once in the correct position, the new valve is expanded, immediately restoring normal blood flow through the heart.
The catheter is then removed and the access site is closed. The procedure usually takes 1–2 hours. Most patients remain in hospital for 2–5 days for monitoring, recovery and cardiac rehabilitation planning.
What are the Benefits?
- Highly effective treatment for severe aortic stenosis with proven outcomes
- No open-heart surgery or large chest incision required
- Faster recovery and shorter hospital stay compared with surgical valve replacement
- Rapid relief of symptoms, often within days of the procedure
- Improved quality of life, exercise capacity and long-term prognosis