TAVR

St. Bernardine Medical Center's Inland Empire Heart & Vascular Institute is one of the select providers in the country to offer patients a minimally invasive procedure for heart valve replacement. Called Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement (TAVR), the procedure allows for valve replacement without opening a patient's chest.

What Is TAVR?

For patients with severe aortic vale stenosis and who are either too frail or ill for traditional open heart surgery, TAVR is a less invasive procedure to replace their natural aortic valve. The procedure provides both short- and long-term relief of aortic stenosis symptoms by restoring normal aortic valve function and improving overall quality of life and life expectancy. At St. Bernardine, our intervention cardiologists and surgeons perform TAVR in the cardiac catheterization lab.

The TAVR Procedure

During TAVR, the surgeon attaches the replacement heart valve onto a balloon and inserts the balloon via catheter through the patient's leg or chest while the patient is under general anesthesia. The new valve is positioned into the faulty aortic valve and the balloon is inflated to precisely position the replacement valve.

Are You A Good TAVR Candidate?

TAVR is approved by the FDA for patients with severe aortic stenosis who aren't good candidates for open heart surgery. To determine if TAVR is right for you, we conduct extensive testing and our heart team evaluates your results in order to determine the best way to treat your aortic stenosis.

Because TAVR requires only a small incision, most patients can return to normal activities within a few days, much faster than with traditional valve replacement surgery. You'll recover initially in the Critical Care Unit where your recovery emphasizes walking and returning to normal daily activities as quickly as possible.

Learn More About The TAVR Procedure At St. Bernardine Medical Center

For more information on TAVR or to find a physician, please call (909) 881-7079 or use our search tool to Find a Doctor.