Get Answers to Your Questions and Concerns About Aortic Stenosis and Its Treatment Options.

Heart valve disease is a condition where the valves in your heart do not work properly. When one or more of your four valves become faulty, it can disrupt the flow of blood between your heart and the rest of your body. Other health problems may occur as a result. The most common type of heart valve disease is aortic stenosis which mostly affects the elderly.

Aortic stenosis is a common condition affecting 1 in 8 people over the age of 75¹. It occurs when the aortic valve narrows, reducing the blood flow through it. Being a progressive disease, it becomes worse over time. Doctors will diagnose the condition as either mild, moderate, or severe depending on the severity of the damage to the aortic valve.

Aortic stenosis is caused by one of four main factors:, progressive calcium formation on the valve leaflets, birth defects that may alter the aortic valve structure, radiation therapy, and scar tissue formation in the heart as a result of rheumatic fever.

Aortic stenosis may program from mild, moderate to severe if left untreated as calcium continues to build up to a critical level. When this happens, the valve will have difficulty opening and closing properly, causing the heart to strain further in order to pump blood throughout your body.

This is when the aortic stenosis condition worsens to the severe stages and patients begin experiencing symptoms such as shortness of breath, chest pain, fatigue, or lightheadedness.² Once these symptoms appear, it is vital to act quickly and seek the advice of a healthcare professional.

Those who have severe aortic stenosis will experience symptoms such as shortness of breath, chest pain, fatigue, lightheadedness, rapid or irregular heartbeat, swollen ankles/feet, or difficulty exercising.² When these symptoms present themselves, the condition may be life-threatening.

Severe aortic stenosis is a condition that must be addressed promptly. About half of all patients who develop severe aortic stenosis symptoms will die within an average of two years if they don’t get their valve replaced.³ Approach your doctor about treatment options if you have been diagnosed with severe aortic stenosis or experience symptoms.

There are a few tests that help to determine whether you have aortic stenosis or not. Your doctor will firstly want to listen to your heart with a stethoscope. He does this to check for any unusual sounds. He may also prescribe an echocardiogram for you, which is an ultrasound test to see your heart chambers and valves are.

Ultimately, to effectively treat the disease, your diseased valve needs to be replaced. This is done either through transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) or open heart surgery.

If your condition is not severe yet, your doctor may prescribe some medication to help manage your symptoms of aortic stenosis

A Heart Team is a group of specialists who will work with you through a comprehensive evaluation to determine the right course of action in treating your aortic stenosis. The team consists of medical professionals including interventional cardiologists, cardiothoracic surgeons, imaging specialists, anesthesiologists, cardiac cath lab staff, and a cardiologist.

When you are referred to a Heart Centre, the Heart Team will evaluate your case against all possible treatment options including both TAVI and open heart surgery.

Your doctor will conduct several tests before establishing the right treatment option for you. Among the tests that he may conduct to you are:

• Chest X-ray: Taking approximately 30 minutes, this test takes images of your internal chest organs and structures. An X-ray technician will take images of your chest by putting you between a metal plate and the X-ray machine. You will be expected to stand in various positions to provide images of your chest from different angles.
• Transthoracic echochardiogram (TTE): Another test that may be performed on you is the transthoracic echocardiogram, or echo in short. Using soundwaves, a probe placed on your chest will capture 3D images of your heart. The procedure lasts between 30 and 90 minutes during which time you will be asked to lie on a table.
• Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI): This diagnostic test will require you to lie down on a bed that slides into a large tube where magnetic and radio waves scan your body to produce images of your heart. It will not hurt, but you will be instructed to lie very still during the procedure which may take between 30 and 90 minutes.
• Pulmonary function test (PFT): This is a set of non-invasive breathing tests to measure how well your lungs are functioning in moving air in and out of your lungs.
• Computerized tomography (CT) scan: In this procedure, a contrast dye will be injected into you through an IV. You will then have to lie down on a bed that will move through a doughnut-shaped scanner. This test, which takes up to 60 minutes, takes detailed pictures of your heart and blood vessels using X-rays.
• Angiogram (cardiac cath): This imaging test is conducted to check how well blood is flowing through your arteries and veins. A catheter, which is a small tube, is inserted into a tiny incision made either in your groin or near your elbow, to deliver dye into your arteries. This dye will appear in the X-ray to show the blood flow. The procedure takes about 60 minutes to complete.
• Transesophageal echocardiogram: To produce detailed images of your heart, your doctor may prescribe this test which is conducted by inserting a probe down your throat (esophagus). This test uses a thin flexible tube which is maneuvered into the throat to take pictures of your heart using sound waves. To numb your throat and prevent gagging, a hospital technician will spray your throat with a special medicine. This entire procedure takes about 60 minutes.

In the past, TAVI was the treatment option for those considered too weak to undergo open heart surgery. Today, it is a treatment option recommended to more people based on the evaluation decision by the Heart Team and patient’s choice.

Consult with your Heart Team at a Heart Centre to determine if you are eligible for TAVI.

This is a procedure used to replace a diseased aortic valve. It is a less-invasive treatment option where a small incision is made, usually in the patient’s leg. Through this incision, your doctor will insert a catheter to implant a new valve within your impaired valve.

There are many approaches to perform TAVI according to each person’s anatomy.

• Transfemoral approach: In this procedure, an incision is made in the leg. It is the most common way of performing TAVI.
• Transapical approach: Here, an incision is made in the chest between the ribs.
• Transaortic approach: This procedure requires an incision to be made in the upper chest.

On average, the TAVI procedure takes approximately 1.5 hours. However, the length of time differs depending on your health and the approach recommended by your doctor to perform the procedure. Still, this duration is far shorter than the approximately 4 hours it takes to typically perform open heart surgery.⁴

The duration of time that your transcatheter heart valve can last varies depending on a number of factors. It’s important to go for your follow-up checkups with your doctor to ensure that the valve is in optimal working condition.

TAVR and TAVI are essentially the same thing. TAVR stands for transcatheter aortic valve replacement. It is common for doctors to use the two terms interchangeably as they refer to the same procedure and approaches.

TAVI was commercially introduced as a treatment option in Southeast Asia countries since 2009. Select your country/nearest country to you from the country list to find out more.

There are many different heart valves in the market, each made by different manufacturers under different brands. Every hospital will have their preferred brand of heart valve. You may ask for a specific valve, but ultimately, your doctor will recommend the heart valve best suited to you.


All medical procedures have their own set of risks and complications, and TAVI is no different. The more serious risks posed by TAVI include a life-threatening bleeding event, stroke, vascular complications, and even death. Your doctor may advise you on your risk level after evaluation.

Immediately after you have undergone a TAVI procedure, your doctor will put you either in the intensive care unit (ICU) or the recovery room, depending on how you responded to the procedure.

Open heart surgery is a major procedure to replace a damaged heart valve. It involves administering a general anaesthesia on the patient, who is then attached to a heart and lung blood machine throughout the treatment. During the operation, an incision is made in the chest through which the damaged heart valve is removed. The procedure is also known as surgical aortic valve replacement (SAVR).

In open heart surgery, the patient’s chest will be cut open to provide the surgeon access to the heart. Sometimes, smaller incisions are made and this procedure is called minimal incision valve surgery. Through this incision, the surgeon will remove the damaged heart valve and insert a new one in its place.

It takes a long time to recover from an open heart surgery. The incision site on your chest may take several months to heal. In the meantime, your doctor will prescribe cardiac care rehabilitation — which can take three to four weeks — to help you recover optimally.

All medical procedures have their own set of risks and complications. Likewise, there are a number of possible complications related to open heart surgery. Among them are re-operation, death, stroke, infection, bleeding, abnormal heart rhythms, heart attack, and kidney problems.

There are many free patient resources available on this website. You can access information on aortic stenosis and treatment options, as well as learn from patients who have undergone the procedure, watch videos about how TAVI is performed, and read informative brochures.

Search for the nearest Heart Centre around you by using our Heart Centre locator.

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