Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement (TAVR)

TAVR-placement-in-heart.jpg

Aortic valve replacement (AVR) through open-heart surgery is the gold standard and the most common treatment of severe aortic stenosis and has consistently produced excellent results in lengthening patients’ lives and improving quality of life. Surgical AVR is recommended for almost all adult patients who do not have other serious medical conditions.

If a cardiac surgeon determines you are at high risk or too sick for open-heart surgery, and if medicine is not helping you feel better, transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) may be a treatment option. TAVR is a new procedure that inserts a new valve inside your diseased aortic valve and does not require your chest to be opened. This procedure is intended only for patients with age-related aortic stenosis.

How does your heart work?

心脏是位于胸腔两肺之间的肌肉器官，它的作用是将血液泵入全身。心脏的右侧通过肺部泵血，在那里血液获得氧气。左侧心脏接收这些血液并将其泵到身体的其他部位。

The heart is divided into four main areas, or chambers – two upper chambers (called the left and right atrium) and two lower chambers (called the left and right ventricle). There are four valves that control the flow of blood through your heart. They are called the aortic, mitral, pulmonary, and tricuspid valves, and each is made of flaps of tissue called leaflets.

Each time your heart beats, it pumps blood through these valves by contracting (squeezing) its chambers. These valves open in one direction, like one-way gates, allowing blood to flow forward. In between beats, the heart’s chambers quickly relax, and its valves close, preventing blood from flowing backward.

There are two common problems that can develop in heart valves: When your valve is narrowed and does not completely open because of things like a build-up of calcium (mineral deposits), high cholesterol (a waxy fat), age or genetics (such as a birth defect), this is called stenosis. When your valve does not fully close and allows blood to leak backwards through the valve, this is called regurgitation.

With either problem, your heart needs to work harder and may not pump enough oxygen-rich blood to your body.

什么是严重的主动脉狭窄?

Severe aortic stenosis is a narrowing of your aortic valve opening that does not allow normal blood flow. It can be caused by a birth defect, radiation therapy or can be related to age.

In elderly patients, severe aortic stenosis is sometimes caused by the build-up of calcium (mineral deposits) on the aortic valve’s leaflets. Over time the leaflets become stiff, reducing their ability to fully open and close. When the leaflets don’t fully open, your heart must work harder to push blood through the aortic valve to your body.

Eventually, your heart gets weaker; increasing the risk of heart failure (your heart cannot supply enough blood to your body). Severe aortic stenosis is a very serious problem.

TAVR是什么?

OSF HealthCare Saint Francis Medical Centerin Peoria, Illinois,OSF HealthCare Saint Anthony Medical Centerin Rockford, Illinois andOSF HealthCare Heart of Mary Medical Centerin Urbana, Illinois provide transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR). This new treatment is for patients with severe aortic stenosis (narrowing of the heart valve), who because of multiple medical conditions or extreme frailty, are not healthy enough for traditional open heart aortic valve replacement surgery.

这种微创手术是通过腹股沟或胸部一侧的一个小切口完成的，使用导管将瓣膜运输到心脏，然后放置到位。TAVR手术的目的是在不使用心肺机的情况下替换患者患病的主动脉瓣。TAVR患者必须有严重的医疗问题才能获得手术资格，首先由医生团队仔细监测和评估。

What are the benefits of TAVR?

  • Shorter recovery time
  • Minimally invasive
  • Significantly less pain than open heart surgery
  • Shorter hospital stay than open heart surgery
  • Life-saving option for high risk patients

Who can I talk with to find out if TAVR is right for me?

美国有多达150万人患有主动脉狭窄，其中大约50万人患有严重的主动脉狭窄。如果你有严重的主动脉狭窄，病情严重，不适合做心内直视手术，如果药物不能让你感觉更好，你可能有资格接受TAVR。我们的心脏科医生将做一个全面的评估，以确定该程序是否是一个适当的治疗选择。Call (800) 352-4410(Peoria), (815) 847-5732(Rockford) or(217) 337-3240(Urbana).

In certain cases, TAVR may not be an option because of co-existing medical conditions or disease processes that would prevent you from experiencing the expected benefits from the treatment or because the risks outweigh the benefits. For those who are candidates for TAVR, this treatment may provide relief from the often debilitating symptoms associated with severe aortic stenosis.