Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement (TAVR)
North Mississippi Medical Center in Tupelo was the first Mississippi hospital to offer transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR), an alternative for high-risk patients with aortic stenosis for whom heart surgery is not an option.
Since 2012, we have been replacing aortic valves without the need for open heart surgery. TAVR is performed on a beating heart and does not require cardiopulmonary bypass or a large chest incision.
A cardiologist-cardiothoracic surgeon team replaces a diseased valve in one of four ways:
- Through an incision in the leg
- Through the carotid artery
- Between the ribs
- Through a subclavian artery, located below the collarbone
TAVR is performed in our hybrid OR, which combines operating room capabilities with the most advanced imaging systems available.
Recovery
The patient usually goes home the next day.
Following discharge, most patients are seen within the next week. Patients generally continue their previous home medications plus Plavix for the next six to eight weeks. Patients have follow-up echocardiography upon discharge and usually yearly thereafter.
Who Can Benefit
Current guidelines recommend TAVR for older patients or those with other health issues who are considered moderate risk.
Patient Referral
Any patient, surgical or non-surgical, can be referred to our Valve Center. Cardiologists and surgeons collaborate to determine the best strategy.
You will have an echocardiogram to confirm aortic stenosis and quantify ejection fraction. The echocardiogram also checks for co-existing valve disease, including severe aortic insufficiency, that might prohibit a TAVR procedure. Patients will undergo CT scanning of the chest, abdomen and pelvis with contrast to map out the aortic valve and arterial blood vessels, as well as determine adequate sizing of the transcatheter aortic valve.
We perform a left heart catheterization to assess for co-existing coronary artery disease that we may need to address or stent before the procedure.
