Modern Cardiac Care: The Role of TAVR in Structural Heart Disease Treatment
11/07/2025
Nature is just amazing. Look at the amazing things. Just look around, or better yet, look within yourself. Your heart, for example, is a true marvel, working tirelessly, 24/7, never taking even a nap.
Think of it like a well-built structure of the heart:
- Chambers (atria and ventricles) act as rooms
- Valves (aortic, mitral, tricuspid, and pulmonary valves) work like doors opening and closing
- Walls (endocardium (innermost), myocardium (middle, muscular layer), and epicardium) act as protectors
- Blood vessels serve as plumbing pipes
- The electrical system (SA node, AV node, bundle of His, bundle branches, and Purkinje fibers) powers it all.
These all ensure proper blood flow in your body. However, sometimes, due to lifestyle, infections, genetics, or environmental factors, structural heart disease, like aortic stenosis (in aortic valves) and severe mitral regurgitation (mitral valves), can happen, which can cause chest pain, dizziness, irregular heartbeat, palpitations, or swelling in your feet and ankles.
If ignored for a long time, all these warning signs for long-term aortic stenosis and severe mitral regurgitation can result in heart failure, stroke, or even sudden cardiac death.
That’s why consulting trusted cardiologists like Dr. Prashant Dwivedi (TAVR and Structural Heart Disease Program and Senior Consultant Interventional Cardiology) at Reliable and Eternal Hospital is crucial. Depending on the diagnosis, modern procedures like
- TAVR (Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement) for aortic valve issues
- TMVR (Transcatheter Mitral Valve Repair) for mitral valve issues
These can be recommended to restore your heart’s function without the need for open-heart surgery.
In this blog, we will explore the TAVR procedure; continue reading to get the detailed information on this minimally invasive intervention.
What is TAVR?
TAVR (Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement) is a minimally invasive heart procedure. Doctors recommend this to replace a narrowed aortic valve (severe aortic stenosis) without open-heart surgery.
Your aortic valve is a crucial part of your heart that manages blood flow as the blood leaves your heart. That's why fixing any aortic valve issue becomes important so that every body part receives adequate blood.
TAVR is Also Known as:
It is also known as TAVI (Transcatheter Aortic Valve Implantation).
How Does TAVR Work?
A new valve is placed without removing the old, damaged valve. The new valve is inserted inside the diseased valve, then this new valve pushes the unhealthy valve aside and takes over managing blood flow from the heart to the body.
This helps support and improve blood circulation with a less invasive approach than open-heart surgery.
Here is the step-by-step procedure:
1. Diagnosis & Candidate Assessment
Proper diagnostic tests are done like blood tests, echocardiogram, EKG, CT scans, and heart catheterizations. This evaluates if you are suitable for TAVR or not.
2. Pre-Procedure Planning
Your doctor will inform you about the procedure, anesthesia, and preparation. You need to follow instructions given by your doctor, including fasting requirements.
3. During Procedure: Sedation & Medication
- On the day of the procedure, sedation is given to prevent pain, along with medicine to prevent blood clots.
- Then during the procedure, a small cut is created, generally in the femoral artery in your upper thigh, to insert the catheter.
- The catheter that carries the new valve is threaded through the artery to your heart.
- Then, this new valve is placed inside your old narrowed aortic valve.
4. Valve Deployment
The new valve expands and then pushes the old valve aside; this helps restore normal blood flow.
5. Catheter Removal & Incision Closure
The catheter is removed, and the small cut is stitched and bandaged.
6. Post-Procedure Recovery
After the effect of sedation wears off, you are instructed to rest in bed to avoid bleeding.
7. Medication & Monitoring
You may receive medicine to avoid infection or blood clots. You will be closely monitored by the medical team.
8. Hospital Stay
Most individuals stay for 1-3 days before going home and after you are stable, you will be discharged.
9. Follow-up & Rehabilitation
You need to go for regular checkups and cardiac rehab (if recommended) to help strengthen your heart and ensure proper valve function.
The Valve in TAVR is Made of
It is primarily made of animal heart tissue (pig or cow). These are attached to a metal frame, typically titanium or a nickel-titanium alloy providing flexibility and shape memory to expand and fit safely inside the old aortic valve.
Benefits of TMVR Treatment
Here are the 5 benefits of TAVI:
| Benefit | What Does it Means |
| Minimally Invasive | Small catheter insertion, no open-heart surgery, faster healing. |
| Faster Recovery | Shorter hospital stay and quicker return to routine. |
| Safer for High-Risk Patients | Ideal for the elderly or those unfit for major surgery. |
| Better Quality of Life | Relieves chest pain, breathlessness, and fatigue. |
| Fewer Complications | Lower risk of infection, bleeding, and trauma. |
Recovery Time
The recovery time depends on individual factors and the severity of the condition.
The general recovery time is
- The average recovery time after TAVR is about 6 to 10 weeks.
- Most people leave the hospital within 1 to 3 days after careful monitoring.
- People can return to normal activities within days to a couple of weeks.
- Complete healing may require 6 to 12 weeks.
Adhering to your doctor's advice and attending follow-up care is key.
When TAVR Can be Recommended for Me
It can be recommended to you in the following conditions:
- Severe symptomatic aortic valve narrowing confirmed by comprehensive tests and diagnosis.
- Persistent symptoms such as chest pain, breathlessness, or fatigue from valve problems.
- High risk for open-heart surgery because of age, health, or previous surgeries.
- Suitable heart anatomy for catheter valve placement.
- When benefits outweigh risks to improve quality of life.
Risks or Complications
TAVI/TAVR is considered safe and is backed by extensive clinical studies. However, like any other medical procedure, there can be risks and complications, but doctors at trustworthy hospitals like Eternal Hospital reduce these risks significantly.
Here are some potential risks:
- Bleeding
- Infection
- Heart attack
- Kidney, heart or blood vessel damage
- Low blood pressure
- Damage to the aorta
- A leak around the outer edge of the new valve
- Stroke
Who is the Best TAVI Expert in India?
Doctors at Eternal Hospital, like Dr. Prashant Dwivedi, are known as the best TAVR and Structural Heart Disease experts in India.
Prashant Dwivedi's expertise is:
- Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement (TAVI/TAVR) Experience of more than 300 TAVR cases, including Bicuspid Valve, Valve in Valve and TAVR in TAVR
- Transcatheter Edge to Edge Repair (MITRA- CLIP, TRI- CLIP) – One of the few doctors in india having expertise in MITRA- CLIP, TRI- CLIP.
- Complex Coronary Angioplasty including Left Main Intervention, Bifurcation Intervention, CTO Intervention
- Calcified Coronary angioplasty including Rotablation, Orbital Atherectomy, LASER, IVL
- Balloon Mitral Valvotomy (BMV)/Balloon Pulmonary Valvuloplasty (BPV)/Balloon Aortic Valvuloplasty (BAV)
- Coarctation of Aorta
- And many other cardiac-related expertise
How to Contact Us
Contact us at:
Appointments: +91 1414954000 , 2774000
General 1800-121-3422
Eternal Hospital, 3 A Jagatpura Road,
Near Jawahar Circle, Jaipur 302017
Patient Testimonial
Watch the recovery story of Ms. Premalata Sharma after undergoing TAVI.
Conclusion
The aortic valve plays an important role in proper blood flow from the heart to the body. Structural heart diseases like aortic stenosis can hamper its function, leading to symptoms that affect daily life. Consult your doctor to ensure early diagnosis and timely treatment to prevent serious complications and maintain heart health.