tavr

Tavr is most commonly presented in medicine as a lower-case form of TAVR, which stands for transcatheter aortic valve replacement. TAVR is a minimally invasive procedure used to treat severe aortic stenosis by replacing the diseased native valve with a bioprosthetic valve delivered via a catheter, avoiding conventional open-heart surgery for many patients.

During TAVR, a replacement valve is mounted on a catheter and threaded to the aortic valve position through arterial access, most often the femoral artery. Alternative access routes, such as transapical or transaortic approaches, may be used when peripheral vessels are unsuitable. The implanted valve expands and anchors within the native annulus, with device design choices including balloon-expandable and self-expanding platforms.

Indications and outcomes: initial use focused on patients at high or prohibitive surgical risk, but guidelines have broadened to include intermediate- and low-risk patients in many regions as evidence accumulated. TAVR can improve survival and functional status, but carries risks such as stroke, vascular complications, conduction disturbances requiring a pacemaker, and residual paravalvular leak. Long-term durability remains an area of ongoing study.

History and development: TAVR emerged from concept to clinical practice during the 2000s and 2010s, with successive device generations and imaging advancements expanding applicability and reducing complications.