Advanced Structural Heart Interventions
What is TAVI?
Transcatheter Aortic Valve Implantation (TAVI) is a minimally invasive procedure designed to treat severe aortic stenosis, particularly in elderly patients at high risk for open-heart surgery. The diseased valve is replaced via a catheter—usually through the groin—without requiring chest incision or sternotomy.
TAVI offers significant benefits for patients over 65 years or those with prior cardiac surgery, chest radiation, CKD, COPD, or frailty. Landmark studies like the PARTNER trial have proven that TAVI matches surgical valve replacement in efficacy, while offering shorter hospital stays, faster recovery, and improved survival.
What is MitraClip?
MitraClip is a transcatheter therapy used to treat severe mitral regurgitation, where the mitral valve fails to close properly, allowing backward blood flow. The procedure uses a small clip delivered through a catheter from the groin to join the valve leaflets together, effectively reducing leakage and improving heart efficiency.
MitraClip is particularly useful for elderly or high-risk patients with poor LV function who are unsuitable for open-heart surgery. It improves symptoms, enhances cardiac function, reduces hospitalizations, and allows for a quicker recovery.
What is Balloon Mitral Valvotomy (BMV/PTMC)?
Percutaneous Transvenous Mitral Commissurotomy (PTMC), also known as Balloon Mitral Valvotomy (BMV), is a minimally invasive procedure to treat severe mitral stenosis, most commonly caused by rheumatic heart disease.
A balloon-tipped catheter is guided through a vein into the heart and inflated to widen the narrowed mitral valve, improving blood flow and reducing symptoms. BMV is particularly beneficial in young patients, pregnant women, and those with suitable valve morphology who do not require other cardiac surgery.