Treatment of Aortic Valve Diseases: TAVI
TAVI is simply the procedure of placing a new valve into the diseased aortic valve by entering the inguinal artery in the angiography laboratory under local anesthesia without stopping the heart and opening the patient's chest. Treatment guidelines state that aortic valve replacement should be preferred as an alternative to open surgery in all other patients, even in some cases, except those with a low risk for open heart surgery.
Life-Saving Method
Cardiology Specialist at Medicana International Ankara Hospital, Prof. Dr. Engin Bozkurt, highlighted a revolutionary technique that involves placing the aortic valve into the heart through a catheter, avoiding the need for open-heart surgery. This approach is particularly beneficial for patients who are ineligible for surgical procedures and might otherwise have no options left. It significantly reduces the risk associated with undergoing another surgery, especially for those who have previously had heart operations and suffer from respiratory or kidney failure.
TAVI Method
The Transcatheter Aortic Valve Implantation method, or TAVI, is used on patients with severe health conditions. With this method, instead of the open heart surgery performed for the last 50 years, patients are treated by entering through the groin, as if an angiography were done before their hearts are opened. No cuts or stitches are made in this procedure, which is performed with local anesthesia. Immediately after the procedure, the patient's breathing is relieved, and the symptoms of heart failure are regressed.
How is it done in practice?
In the TAVI procedure, it is sufficient to administer local anesthesia to the inguinal or arm artery area of the patient. However, general anesthesia can be applied to a tiny portion of patients, such as 1-5%. It goes up to the heart through the entered vessel and passes through the narrow aortic valve. First, this valve is ballooned, and the stenosis is opened a little; then, the new biological valve loaded into the stent is brought to the narrowed aortic valve area. As soon as it is opened, the new valve starts to work. Then, the vascular area is closed, and the patient is taken to the bed.
Also Applied in Low-Risk Patients
TAVI practitioner Medicana International Ankara Hospital Cardiology Specialist Prof. Dr. Engin Bozkurt said that this method was developed primarily for patients who cannot undergo surgery for various reasons (such as advanced age, lung, liver, or kidney dysfunction, patients who had previously undergone open heart surgery). When grave success was achieved in this area, it became as effective as open surgery in low-risk patients.
Stating that TAVI has proven itself in inoperable, high-risk, intermediate-risk patients, Prof. Dr. Bozkurt said, "Scientific data showing that it can be an alternative to classical open surgery even in low-risk patients have increased. This method has advantages over open surgery. We can briefly list the advantages of TAVI as follows. There is no need for general anesthesia, the chest is not opened, and patients can return to normal lives within 1-2 days."
