Transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) is a minimally invasive procedure used to treat aortic valve stenosis, which is a condition where the hearts aortic valve thickens and becomes stiff and narrow. During the procedure, a doctor inserts a flexible, hollow tube called a catheter into a blood vessel in the leg or chest and guides it to the heart. A replacement valve goes through the tube and is placed in the area of the aortic valve. A balloon on the catheter tip widens to press the new valve into place. Some TAVR valves expand without the use of a balloon. The procedure is less invasive than open-heart valve surgery and uses smaller incisions. TAVR is performed using one of two approaches, allowing the cardiologist or surgeon to choose which one provides the best and safest way to access the valve:

• Entering through the femoral artery (large artery in the groin), called the transfemoral approach, which does not require a surgical incision in the chest, or...
• Using a minimally invasive surgical approach with a small incision in the chest and entering through a large artery in the chest or through the tip of the left ventricle (the apex), which is known as the transapical approach.

TAVR is available to patients in all risk categories and can be an effective option to improve quality of life in patients who otherwise have limited choices for repair of their aortic valve. The procedure has risks, including damage to blood vessels, bleeding, decreased blood supply to the brain, heart attack, kidney failure, and collection of fluid around the heart.