Fewer Aortic Valve Replacements Require Open-Heart Surgery

Today, most are done in a catheter-based procedure.

Published: April 16, 2018

TAVR, which stands for transcatheter aortic valve replacement, is a way of inserting a prosthetic valve inside a patients natural valve through a catheter. Since its debut in 2006, TAVR has proven comparable to, or better than, surgical aortic valve replacement (SAVR) in some of the toughest patients. As a result, this less-invasive technique has become the first choice for replacing aortic valves in many patients.