Max Hospital ensures world-class facilities to provide innovative Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacements or TAVR surgery in India by the finest surgeons.

What is TAVR/TAVI?

TAVR (Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement) is also called TAVI (Transcatheter Aortic Valve Implantation). It is an advanced surgery performed on a patient suffering from Aortic Stenosis.TAVI/TAVR surgical procedure involves the removal of the malfunctioning aortic valve with a new one using a long and narrow tube called the catheter. 

What is Aortic Stenosis?

In Aortic Stenosis, the aortic valve malfunctions and cannot accurately simulate its opening and closing function. The hearts of the patients who suffer from this condition are unable to pump blood. Calcium (mineral deposits) build-up on the aortic valve's leaflets is a common cause of this.

What Are the Symptoms of Aortic Stenosis?

This condition mainly occurs in patients when they feel:

1. shortness of breath or dyspnea
2. chest pain
3. fatigue
4. swelling of legs
5. dizziness and fainting

These conditions mostly happen due to Aortic Stenosis, which causes the aortic valve to become narrow.This narrowing of the valve obstructs blood flow from the heart to the rest of the body, which takes place after passing via aorta.   

What Are the Medical Tests to Diagnose Aortic Stenosis?

Doctors perform a series of medical tests and diagnosis procedures before performing TAVI/TAVR on heart patients, like:

1. Electrocardiogram
2. Angiogram
3. Computed Tomography (CT) scan
4. Echocardiogram

The doctors also test for other medical problems before suggesting TAVI/TAVR as the normal surgical procedure for Aortic Stenosis is Open-heart valve surgery. TAVI surgery in India is only recommended when the patient is suffering from some other medical conditions and is too ill to survive open-heart surgery.

What Are the Benefits of TAVI Surgery Treatment in India?

Some of the benefits are:

• It is a minimum invasive procedure.
• It is less painful than open-heart surgery.
• The length of stay in the hospital is shorter (4-5 days).
• Patients who are unable to get a standard aortic valve replacement get a better quality of life.

Which Patients Can Undergo TAVR Surgery Treatment in India?

TAVI/TAVR is preferred by doctors when they find out that a prior replaced valve has started malfunctioning or even in cases when the patient is not fit enough to undergo an open heart surgery due to lung or kidney diseases. So, patients suffering from aortic stenosis and are not candidates for standard open-heart aortic valve replacement surgery benefit from TAVI. The following are the kinds of patients for whom open-heart surgery could be dangerous:

1. stroke history at an advanced age
2. kidney disease and a weak heart
3. COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease) (COPD)
4. heart surgery in the past
5. diabetes - it causes calcium deposits in the blood arteries that carry blood from the heart to the rest of the body.

What Are the Preparations Required By a Patient Before Surgery?

There are certain procedures which would be requested from the patient before the surgery:

1. Medical tests are conducted on the patient to ensure they benefit from TAVI/TAVR procedure.
2. The patient and the family are consulted, and all the risks will be explained to them.
3. The patient needs to  be admitted to the hospital.
4. The patient's family needs  to sign consent forms.
5. The patient is medicated to minimize the chances of infection after surgery.

The patient needs to take all the medications and necessary personal items  to the hospital.The patient also needs to inform  the doctor before  surgery about the medications, allergies or reactions, and time of eating or drinking before surgery.

What Needs To Be Done After the Surgery?

After surgery, there are specific procedures to be followed:

1. The patient would have to spend 2 to 5 days in the hospital for recovery.
2. The doctor would discuss the  medications post-surgery and do's and don'ts to avoid the risk of infection.

What is the Cost of TAVR Surgery in India?

The cost of TAVR surgery is determined by the patient's medical condition, the hospital where the surgery is performed, and the post-procedure help provided by the staff. These fees are typically upfront, and patients can discuss them with their caregivers and hospital staff before operation. Furthermore, TAVI surgery in India is less expensive than most Western countries. As a result, patients travel to India to consult expert surgeons, avail cutting-edge medical facilities, and world-class care at a low cost.