Heart and Vascular Care
The cardiologists and cardiovascular surgeons at Main Line Health work together to improve the detection and prevention of heart disease with the latest treatment options.
Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement (TAVR)
TAVR—catheter-based procedure for severe aortic stenosis
If you have severe aortic stenosis and require an aortic valve replacement, but you are not a candidate for surgery or are considered high risk for surgery, transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) may be an option. TAVR is a minimally invasive option that enables our physicians to replace the diseased aortic valve without performing open-heart surgery. At Lankenau, we perform TAVR procedures via three different points of entry: transfemoral (leg), transapical (ribs), or transaortic (aorta). With these multiple approaches, we’re able to perform the procedure on more people who can benefit from TAVR.
To determine whether TAVR—or another treatment—is right for you, our multidisciplinary team of heart care specialists will evaluate your particular condition and other determining factors. Find out more about the evaluation process for TAVR.
Lankenau Medical Center has performed more than 500 TAVR procedures since 2012 and is among the top 10 percent of TAVR teams in the nation, performing 100 to 200 TAVRs per year.
TAVR treatment and recovery
At Lankenau, we perform TAVR procedures in a specially designed “hybrid” operating room that combines the capabilities and equipment of both a cardiac catheterization lab and an operating room. We use advanced imaging equipment to ensure that your new valve travels safely to the heart and is placed precisely.
This minimally invasive procedure is performed while you’re under moderate sedation, which means you’ll be relaxed and free of pain or discomfort but still conscious. The procedure usually takes three to four hours. Afterward, you will recover in the Post Anesthesia Care Unit before transferring to the Cardiothoracic Surgical Stepdown Unit for careful monitoring and post-procedure care under the direction of the Valve Clinic team. The hospital stay is usually one night. All patients are followed closely through the healing and recovery process and during rehabilitation.
U.S. News & World Report has rated Lankenau Medical Center as High Performing for transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) for 2022-2023.