About the Procedure
Transcatheter Aortic Valve Implantation (TAVI) is a modern minimally invasive method for replacing a diseased aortic valve with a biological prosthesis. Since the first such operation over 15 years ago, accumulated experience has been successfully used in high-tech clinics.
Currently, aortic valve stenosis is considered one of the most common and dangerous heart defects in the adult population. The minimally invasive transcatheter approach allows surgeries to be performed on patients for whom open-heart surgeries are contraindicated and who could not previously receive necessary treatment, serving as an alternative treatment method. The choice of surgical intervention (open or transcatheter) is determined individually, depending on age and the presence of severe comorbidities (vascular lesions, chronic lung diseases, liver diseases, endocrine and oncological pathologies, etc.).
In the High Medical Technologies Clinic of St. Petersburg State University, experienced surgeons perform both primary and repeat aortic valve prosthesis implantation using the «valve-in-valve» technique, which often is the only treatment option for patients with dysfunction of biological prostheses.
Both primary and repeat transcatheter surgeries are performed in the X-ray operating room and usually last about 2-2.5 hours. You will be under general anesthesia and will not feel any pain. Constant monitoring of your heart function and all vital parameters of body functioning is carried out. During transcatheter aortic valve implantation, puncture access is used - punctures of the femoral artery and vein. The cardiothoracic surgeon does not make any incisions in the chest area and does not damage the heart tissues. With the help of a special delivery system, the implantable valve in a collapsed form is moved through the vessels to the heart. A balloon is used to expand the lumen, which «spreads» the cusps of your own affected valve and prepares the site for the future biological prosthesis. There is no need for an artificial circulation apparatus, which reduces intra- and postoperative risks. The duration of the operation also plays an important role - patient trauma is reduced, leading to rapid postoperative recovery. After the procedure, the patient is transferred to the intensive care unit for further observation. Patients are discharged home within 4-5 days after the operation. You will receive all recommendations from your attending physician upon discharge from the hospital. You should start taking medications - antiplatelet drugs to prevent thrombosis on the installed valve.
Strict adherence to recommendations will help you avoid complications in everyday life and ensure the normal function of the new valve for many years.