Transcatheter aortic valve replacement effective in younger, healthier patients

The operation is a daring one: To replace a failing heart valve, cardiologists insert a replacement through a patient’s groin and thread it all the way to the heart, maneuvering it into the site of the old valve. The procedure, called transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR), has been reserved mostly for patients so old and sick they might not survive open-heart surgery. Cardiologists say it will likely change the standard of care for most patients with failing aortic valves.

Source: www.nytimes.com