TAVI (transcatheter aortic valve implantation)

Category: Heart Tests & Procedures · All heart tests & procedures

What it is

TAVI is a procedure to replace a narrowed aortic valve without open-heart surgery. A new tissue valve, folded inside a catheter, is passed usually through an artery in the groin and expanded inside the old valve.

Why it is done

It is used for severe aortic stenosis, particularly in older people or those at higher risk from conventional surgery, and increasingly in a wider group after assessment by the heart team.

How to prepare

Assessment includes heart scans, a CT scan of the arteries to plan the route, blood tests and reviews by the multidisciplinary heart team. You will fast before the procedure and have medicines reviewed.

What happens during the procedure

You are usually awake with sedation or under light general anaesthetic. The catheter is guided to the heart under X-ray, the new valve is positioned and expanded, pushing the old valve aside. The procedure usually takes one to two hours.

Afterwards — recovery & results

Most people are up the next day and home within a few days — often faster than after open surgery. You will be monitored for rhythm problems (occasionally a pacemaker is needed) and the groin site is checked. Follow-up scans confirm the valve position and function.

Risks & considerations

Risks include bleeding or artery damage at the access site, stroke, kidney effects from dye, rhythm problems needing a pacemaker, leak around the new valve, and rarely the need for emergency surgery. The heart team weighs these against the risks of the untreated stenosis and of open surgery.

Watch: TAVI (transcatheter aortic valve implantation) videos

Real procedure videos from the MedicalVideos.com library. Some clinical footage is graphic — that is the nature of a medical video library.

▶ WatchTranscatheter aortic heart valveWatch on MedicalVideos.com ▶ WatchTranscatheter aortic valve implantationWatch on MedicalVideos.com ▶ WatchTranscatheter aortic valve replacement tavrWatch on MedicalVideos.com

Related guides on MedicalVideos.com

Condition guide: hypertension

Frequently asked questions

Is TAVI as good as open surgery?

For suitable patients the results are comparable, with a faster recovery, but durability data over decades is still accumulating — which is why the heart team considers age and anatomy carefully.

Will I feel better straight away?

Many people notice improved breathlessness within days to weeks as the heart no longer strains against a narrow valve.

Related procedures — Heart Tests & Procedures

Angioplasty and stent (PCI)Cardiac ablation (catheter ablation)Cardiac catheterisation — right heart cath Cardiac event recorder / patch monitor Cardioversion (DC shock treatment)Coronary angiogram (cardiac catheterisation)

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Please note: This page is educational information about a medical procedure or test. It does not replace the instructions of your own care team, who know your situation and whose preparation, fasting and medication advice you should follow if it differs from anything here. If you have symptoms that worry you, or an appointment you do not understand, contact your clinical team.