TAVI/TAVR/Percutaneous Valve Replacement
Fig 1. A) Inflation of a balloon catheter.
B) A synthetic valve surrounding an uninflated balloon.
C) Balloon inflation, causing the synthetic valve to adhere to the diseased valve.
This procedure has many names, but they all allude to the same procedure: an extension of balloon valvuloplasty, percutaneous valve replacement is a non-invasive technique implemented with the use of a catheter and balloon.
However, instead of merely widening the valves like in valvuloplasty, percutaneous valve replacement procedures place a collapsed synthetic valve on the end of the balloon. Upon inflation the synthetic valve attaches to the walls of the faulty valve.
The procedure first came to the United States in 2011, but has been practiced in Europe since 2007. The procedure is most common for aortic valves.
However, instead of merely widening the valves like in valvuloplasty, percutaneous valve replacement procedures place a collapsed synthetic valve on the end of the balloon. Upon inflation the synthetic valve attaches to the walls of the faulty valve.
The procedure first came to the United States in 2011, but has been practiced in Europe since 2007. The procedure is most common for aortic valves.