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Aortic Valve Implantation (TAVI)

Aortic valve replacement without open-heart surgery.

The aortic valve controls blood flow from the heart to the rest of the body. When it becomes severely narrowed — a condition called aortic stenosis — the heart has to work much harder, leading to fatigue, breathlessness, and fainting. TAVI (Transcatheter Aortic Valve Implantation) offers a way to replace the diseased valve without opening the chest, through a small puncture in the leg artery.

What Is It

TAVI (Transcatheter Aortic Valve Implantation) este o procedură prin care o valvă aortică nouă este plasată în interiorul valvei bolnave, fără operație pe cord deschis. Noua valvă este introdusă printr-un cateter subțire, de obicei prin artera femurală (la nivel inghinal).

  • Aortic stenosis means the valve that lets blood leave the heart has become stiff and narrow, usually due to calcium buildup over years
  • The heart must pump harder to push blood through the tight opening, eventually leading to heart failure symptoms
  • TAVI replaces the old valve with a new one delivered on a catheter through the leg artery — no open-heart surgery, no sternotomy
  • The new valve is expanded inside the old one and immediately begins working, restoring normal blood flow

How It Works

Procedura este planificată meticulos. Prin CT și ecografie se măsoară cu precizie dimensiunile valvei și ale vaselor de acces, pentru a alege proteza potrivită și a anticipa eventualele dificultăți.

  • A detailed CT scan maps the valve anatomy, artery sizes, and access route before the procedure
  • The Heart Team (cardiologists, cardiac surgeons, imaging specialists) reviews each case to confirm TAVI is the best option
  • During the procedure, a compressed valve is threaded through the femoral artery (in the groin) up to the heart
  • The new valve is precisely positioned and expanded inside the narrowed native valve
  • Blood flow is restored immediately — most patients notice improvement within days

Who Is It For

  • Patients with severe aortic stenosis experiencing symptoms such as breathlessness, chest pain, or fainting
  • Older patients or those with other medical conditions that make open-heart surgery high risk
  • Patients at intermediate surgical risk where TAVI offers equivalent or better outcomes
  • Individuals whose anatomy is suitable for the transfemoral (through the leg) approach
  • Each case is individually assessed by the Heart Team based on imaging, symptoms, and overall health

Techniques Used

  • Multimodality imaging — echocardiography and CT angiography for precise valve and annular sizing
  • Transfemoral access (through the leg artery) — the preferred, least invasive route
  • Balloon pre-dilation or direct valve implantation depending on valve calcification
  • Real-time fluoroscopic and hemodynamic monitoring during valve deployment
  • Post-deployment assessment for paravalvular leak (blood leaking around the new valve)
  • Conduction monitoring for AV block (a rhythm disturbance that may require a pacemaker)
  • Antithrombotic therapy optimization (blood-thinning medication tailored to each patient)
  • Long-term imaging follow-up to monitor valve function and durability
Replacing a heart valve is about more than fixing a mechanical problem. It is about giving someone back the ability to walk without stopping for breath, to live without the constant weight of a failing heart. Precision in planning and execution serves that larger purpose.