It's quick and easy to access Live Science Plus, simply enter your email below. We'll send you a confirmation and sign you up for our daily newsletter, keeping you up to date with the latest science news.
Transcatheter aortic valve replacement is a life saving alternative for patients at high risk for traditional aortic valve surgery. In a traditional aortic valve replacement surgery, your aortic valve is replaced with a different valve — mechanical or tissue. This procedure may be necessary if you have a valve defect or disease, or another heart or vascular condition. The purpose of the procedure is to improve blood flow through your heart, improving symptoms such as chest pain and shortness of breath.
If you're a topical expert — researcher, business leader, author or innovator — and would like to contribute an op-ed piece, email us here.
This kind of procedure used to be open-heart surgery, meaning patients who were more frail or sick were not candidates. But transcatheter aortic valve replacement is now helping those patients who may not qualify for open-heart surgery.
Since 2011, Ohio State's Wexner Medical Center has been one of only a few centers in its region that offer this cutting-edge alternative for patients who are considered inoperable or at high risk for conventional surgery. The procedural outcomes are comparable to those of conventional surgery — improved quality of life for patients who previously suffered from debilitating shortness of breath, chest pain and/or fatigue. As a result of the minimally invasive approach, there are smaller incisions, reduced hospital stays and shorter recovery times.
Live Science Plus
