Transcatheter aortic valve replacement

Transcatheter aortic valve replacement, also called TAVR, is a type of heart valve surgery. It's done to replace a narrowed aortic valve. This is a condition called aortic valve stenosis. A doctor inserts a flexible tube called a catheter into a blood vessel and guides it into the heart. A replacement valve made of cow or pig tissue goes through the tube to the specific area in the heart. A balloon on the catheter tip inflates to press the new valve into place. Some valves expand on their own.