Columbus Regional Health is excited to announce the launch of our Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement (TAVR) procedure program. TAVR is a procedure that replaces a diseased aortic valve with a man-made valve through a less-invasive procedure than traditional open-heart surgery. TAVR is used to treat a condition called aortic stenosis, which means the heart may have to work too hard to pump blood through the small valve opening to the rest of your body. This may lead to increasing heart failure.

During TAVR, the surgeon inserts a catheter through a blood vessel in your leg to deliver and implant the artificial valve into your heart. You may need replacement of your aortic valve if you have progressive heart failure due to aortic valve stenosis and TAVR may be recommended if you meet the following criteria:

• Older age
  

• Frailty
  
• Weaker heart
  
• Previous heart surgery
  
• History of stroke
  
• Chronic obstructive lung disease (COPD)
  
• Liver disease
  
• Kidney disease
  
• Diabetes
  
• Previous radiation treatment to your chest
  
• Large calcium deposits in the blood vessel that carries blood away from your heart (ascending aorta), called porcelain aorta.