World-class care, close to home
We're home to the world's leading experts in TAVR, so you can receive the finest minimally invasive cardiac care without traveling far from home.
Transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) is a minimally invasive procedure that can treat severe aortic valve stenosis. This procedure replaces a narrowed aortic valve with an artificial valve via a catheter inserted through a blood vessel in your leg or chest.
TAVR is a less-invasive alternative to open-heart surgery, offering a quicker recovery with reduced pain. Our cardiac teams are renowned for pioneering advancements in TAVR, including the development of an improved technique that's been adopted worldwide.
Anyone with valve disease may be considered for TAVR, including those considered very high risk. TAVR may be a treatment option for you if you:
If you're considering TAVR, your doctor will evaluate your individual case to determine if it's right for you.
Before the procedure:
During the procedure:
After the procedure:
TAVR is a minimally invasive procedure that can improve your quality of life if you're living with aortic valve stenosis. Everyone's situation is different, but common benefits include:
Before the TAVR procedure existed, open-heart surgery was the only option for people with severe aortic stenosis. The minimally invasive TAVR approach, which became widely available in 2011, allowed surgeons to replace the diseased valve with an expandable valve through a catheter.
Led by Dr. Harvey, the WellSpan Health team began exploring avenues for improvement, because an average of 25 percent of people needed a pacemaker following the procedure.
“The way the valve went in and where it was deployed could interact with the conduction system of the heart,” Dr. Harvey says. “In some cases, there wouldn’t be optimal hemodynamics, which meant the valve wasn’t opening as well as we would like.”
In collaboration with a team at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, the WellSpan Health team developed a new technique for the TAVR approach that reduced the need for a pacemaker to as low as 3 percent.
This technique has now become a best practice throughout the U.S., Canada and Europe, with WellSpan Health’s cardiologists teaching other specialists around the world through in-person training and live video demonstrations.
Our world-renowned TAVR experts are supported by a team of compassionate specialists who are here for you.
We prioritize your trust and comfort when it comes to your care. We've mastered and perfected TAVR to help you have less pain, a quicker recovery and usually a next-day return home. Our groundbreaking techniques are taught worldwide, offering you confidence in the quality of care you'll receive.
We're home to the world's leading experts in TAVR, so you can receive the finest minimally invasive cardiac care without traveling far from home.
Our TAVR program has a 99 percent success rate, and our patients experience excellent long-term outcomes. We're proud to offer this life-changing procedure.
We understand that everyone is unique, so we tailor your TAVR care plan to meet your individual needs. Our team will work with you to develop a plan that's right for you, and we'll be there to support you every step of the way.