TAVR

Aortic stenosis is a common heart valve disease. It creates a narrowing of the valve in the large blood vessel branching off of the heart. This narrowing keeps the valve from opening fully, reducing blood flow to the body and making the heart work harder. The heart may weaken, causing chest pain, fatigue, and shortness of breath. In severe cases, surgery can repair or replace the valve. See our heart specialists that treat aortic stenosis. 

Transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) is a minimally invasive procedure used to treat severe aortic stenosis. During a TAVR procedure, an artificial valve is mounted on a thin flexible tube called a catheter. This catheter is placed in an artery usually near your groin and then threaded up to your heart. Once it reaches your heart, the artificial valve is placed and takes over the function of your old valve. Sometimes a balloon may initially be used to make space for the new artificial valve.

TAVR treatment may help you live longer and lessen your symptoms more than medication alone. The TAVR procedure has less risks of complications than traditional valve replacement surgeries.

Watch as Essentia Health cardiologist Dr. Jason Schultz performs a Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement (TAVR) at Essentia Health-St. Mary's Medical Center in Duluth, Minnesota.