Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement (TAVR) is a procedure for
select patients with severe symptomatic aortic stenosis (narrowing of
the aortic valve opening) who are not candidates for traditional open
chest surgery or are high-risk operable candidates.
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About the Procedure
TAVR is performed on a beating heart and does not require cardio-pulmonary bypass.
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Animation of the TAVR Procedure (courtesy of NEJM.org)
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While up to 1.5 million people in the U.S. suffer from aortic stenosis (AS), approximately 500,000 within this group of patients suffer from severe AS. |
The TAVR procedure enables the placement of a balloon expandable aortic heart valve into the body via the catheter-based transfemoral delivery system. The TAVR procedure is designed to provide an alternative treatment to patients in whom the traditional open-heart surgery can not be performed.
The Edwards SAPIEN Valve is the first and only transcatheter aortic valve approved for use in the U.S., and Hartford Hospital is one of a few select hospitals that are now performing the procedure on qualified patients.
Frequently Asked Questions about TAVR
What is TAVR?
TAVR is performed in high-risk and inoperable patients with aortic stenosis. All patients are carefully evaluated to see if they are candidates for traditional surgical aortic valve replacement and then TAVR can be considered for treatment. The goal is to provide the best treatment for each individual patient.
When did Hartford Hospital begin offering TAVR?
November, 2011
How may TAVR procedures have been performed?
As of November 2011, more than 15,000 patients have been implanted with
the TAVR procedure by multi-disciplinary heart teams worldwide.
When was TAVR approved by the FDA?
In November, 2011, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved the
SAPIEN Transcatheter Heart Valve for the treatment of patients with
severe AS native aortic valve stenosis who have been determined by a cardiac surgeon to be inoperable for open aortic valve replacement,and in whom existing co-morbidities would not preclude the expected benefit from correction of the aortic stenosis.
Are there any research trials for TAVR?
There are ongoing research trials for TAVR for high-risk operable, moderate risk operable and inoperable patients.
What are the risks with the TAVR procedure?
There are still risks associated with TAVR as there is with surgical AVR. These should be taken into consideration when discussing this procedure with your cardiologist.
TAVR Leadership Team
Anesthesiology
Rabi Panigrahi, MD
Marbelia Gonzalez, MD
Cardiac Surgery
Jonathan Hammond, MD
Paul Preissler, MD
David Underhill, MD
Catheterization Laboratory
Francis Kiernan, MD
Ronan Margey, MD
Raymond McKay, MD
Immad Sadiq, MD
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Clinical Cardiology
Brett Duncan, MD
Carol Gemayel, MD
John Granquist, MD
Russell Stein, MD
Echocardiography
Justin Lundbye, MD
Donna Polk, MD
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TAVR Coordinator
Beverly Mendes, APRN, PhD
TAVR Co-coordinator
Marcin Dada
Manager
Jeanne Bodett, RN |
Learn More About TAVR
For More Information
To learn more about TAVR contact:
Phone: (860) 214-2628
Fax: (860) 545-2738
Email: TAVRCoordinator@harthosp.org
Referrals
To refer a patient to the TAVR program, fill out a referral form.
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