For some patients with severe aortic stenosis, a life-threatening heart valve condition, the advanced TAVR procedure offers an option that can get them back to their lives faster—without open heart surgery.
TAVR, which stands for transcatheter aortic valve replacement, is a minimally invasive procedure in which Carilion Clinic's Cardiovascular Institute (CVI) surgeons use a catheter to implant an artificial heart valve. For Sam Igal, who suffered from shortness of breath and fatigue, it meant feeling 15 years younger the day of his procedure.
Watch the video above for his story.
Jason Foerst, M.D., an interventional cardiologist at Carilion Clinic’s Structural Heart and Valve Center and Mr. Igal's surgeon, is not new to the advanced TAVR procedure. The CVI team recently surpassed 1,000 TAVR procedures—by far the most in our region. Find out more about advanced cardiac care at CarilionClinic.org/CVI.
