I have severe aortic stenosis. What should I do?
If you have severe aortic stenosis, your aortic valve may need to be replaced.1
There are two ways to do this:1
- Surgical aortic valve replacement by open heart surgery
- TAVI/TAVR (transcatheter aortic valve implantation/replacement), a minimally invasive procedure
| SAVR (or surgical aortic valve replacement)1 | TAVI or transcatheter aortic valve implantation1 | |
| Procedure | The surgeon makes an incision into the chest to access the heart.1 The diseased aortic valve is completely removed and replaced with a mechanical or biological valve.2,3 | The Interventional Cardiologist makes a small incision* and inserts a new bioprosthetic valve into the diseased valve.2 TAVI is a relatively less invasive procedure than open heart surgery.2 |
| Length of procedure | The procedure typically takes 2–4 hours.3 | The procedure typically 1–2 hours.4 |
| Discharged time | Generally, a hospital stay of 1 week is advised, after the procedure.1 | You may be discharged from hospital within a day or two of the procedure, unless your doctor advises a longer hospital stay.4 |
*Usually on the upper leg and occasionally, on the side of the chest.
Watch this video to learn about all the ways to treat your aortic stenosis
Talk to your doctor to learn more about the benefits and risks of severe aortic stenosis treatments.
Do not delay getting your heart checked. Visit your doctor today.
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