TAVR

Transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) has been performed more than 600 times at Nebraska Medicine since 2013, with success rates hovering at nearly 100%. It is used to repair a heart valve when open heart surgery is not an option. 

The procedure is designed to solve aortic stenosis, which is a narrowing of the large blood vessel branching off from the heart - the aorta. It causes the heart sometimes to weaken, leading to chest pain and not being able to breathe easily.

Receive Your Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement at Nebraska Medicine because of:

Minimally Invasive Options

The transcatheter aortic valve replacement involves a small incision rather than open heart surgery. This leads to less blood loss, scarring and less of a chance of infection, while speeding up recovery time.

The procedure is performed in a catheterization lab or hybrid catheterization lab by a team of cardiac surgeons, interventional radiologists, anesthesiologists and imaging technicians, nurses and other support staff. It involves making a small incision in the groin or in the chest. Using X-rays and echo guidance, a fully-collapsible replacement valve is then threaded to the valve site through a catheter. Once the new valve is expanded, it pushes the old valve leaflets out of the way and the tissue in the replacement valve takes over the job of regulating blood flow. Right now, TAVR is only approved for patients who are at high risk for conventional open heart surgery and aortic valve replacement.

Advanced Diagnostic Tools

3-D transesophageal and interventional echocardiography, meaning we create highly detailed, close-up images of the valves and other parts of the heart, when performing procedures to relieve aortic stenosis.

Cardiac CT for coronary artery disease detection in chest pain evaluations, aortic valve assessments for percutaneous aortic valve replacement, aorta and peripheral artery disease detection, and bypass graft assessments.

Streamlined Care

In one visit you may meet with a cardiologist, a surgeon who specializes in surgeries of the heart, and a surgeon whose focus is on procedures involving catheters and valves.

Access to Clinical Trials

You may be eligible to participate in our clinical trials, which study new therapies for aortic valve disease. See what clinical trials related to heart care are currently underway.

Ongoing Support

Our heart and vascular team often sees patients throughout their lives if necessary, to assist with the long-term management of your care.