Pending medical review by Dr. Ravinder Singh Rao. [Remove this note once approved.]
What usually happens before, during and after TAVR. Your own plan may differ, and your heart team will give you instructions for your situation.
1
Before the procedure
- Tests: echocardiogram, CT scan, ECG, blood tests and sometimes an angiogram
- A review of all your medicines, including blood thinners and diabetes medicines
- A dental check, because infections from the teeth can spread to a heart valve
- Instructions about eating, drinking and what time to arrive
- Planning who will take you home and help you for the first few days
2
On the day
- You will usually have sedation, or sometimes general anaesthesia
- The doctor makes a small puncture, most often in the groin
- The new valve is guided to the heart and opened inside the old valve
- The procedure often takes one to two hours, and your heart and blood pressure are watched throughout
3
In hospital afterwards
- Monitoring of your heart rhythm, blood pressure and the puncture site
- Getting up and walking, often within a day
- An echocardiogram to check the new valve
- Many people go home within a few days
4
Recovery at home
- Take your medicines exactly as prescribed, including any blood thinners
- Increase your activity step by step, as advised
- Keep the puncture site clean and watch for swelling or bleeding
- Look after your teeth, and tell any dentist that you have a heart valve
- Carry the valve card you are given
- Go to every follow-up appointment and echocardiogram
Get help straight away if you notice
- Chest pain, breathlessness or fainting
- Bleeding, swelling or pain at the puncture site
- Fever
- Sudden weakness, numbness, confusion or trouble speaking, which can be signs of a stroke: call 108 at once
On this page
Talk to the team
Find out whether TAVR is an option for you or your family member.