The TAVI procedure

You will be asked to come into hospital the afternoon before your procedure. Having been through the work up process, the majority of the investigations will have already been done.

The member of the team primarily responsible for your care will carefully go through the consent form, answering all questions and explicitly explaining the associated risks. A cardiac anaesthetist will also assess you and explain the process and risks involved with anaesthesia.

The procedure will take approximately three hours. A transfemoral (TF) TAVI is performed with a local anaesthetic to the groin area, while a transapical (TA) TAVI requires a general anaesthetic. Most patients start their recovery in the cardiac high dependency unit (CHDU) and move on to one of the cardiac wards within 24 hours. Once back on the ward, you will work closely with the ward team who will help to mobilise and rehabilitate you before you are discharged home.

The estimated length of hospital stay following a TF TAVI is one to four days, and five to seven days following a TA TAVI.