Post-TAVI care

Going home

The length of hospital stay following a TAVI depends on a number things, including whether access for the procedure was obtained via the groin or the chest wall, whether you needed a general anaesthetic or not and the health of your lungs and kidneys, both before and after your TAVI procedure.

Before leaving hospital the team responsible for your care will ensure that your wounds have been checked and blood results have normalised. A transthoracic echocardiogram (an echo) will be repeated to check the placement and function of the new valve. There may be a short wait for your tablets before you can go home. Any newly prescribed medication will be explained to you.

At home

Walking is the best form of exercise you can take after having your TAVI procedure. You should be careful in the first few weeks to avoid unnecessary strain on the groin, and it may feel tight or bruised. You may find that the amount you can do will vary from day to day, but as you recover, you should feel that you are able to do more than you could before your TAVI procedure. 

The DVLA advises that you must not drive for at least four weeks after your procedure. You do not need to inform the DVLA about the procedure (unless you wish to continue to hold an HGV/bus licence), but you should inform your insurance company.

If you work, then your TAVI team will advise you when to return to work depending upon your particular circumstances. We usually recommend at least two weeks recovery.

Follow up

We ask that all patients return to our outpatient department eight weeks after the procedure. This is to check that you are well following the TAVI, and allows the team to assess your symptoms. 

Your local cardiologist will then take over the care. However, the TAVI team ask that patients return to Southampton on an annual basis to enable us to monitor how the new valves function over time.