MHH cardiologists: Defective heart valve replaced with new TAVI system

Bauersachs with the new TAVI system in the foreground and s Dr Julian Widder ( left ) and Dr Tibor Kempf; Copyright: MHH/ Karin Kaiser. Evolut(TM) PRO+ offers more blood flow with a smaller construction Narrowing of the aortic valve, known as aortic valve stenosis, is the most common heart valve defect in old age. The valve leaflets of the aortic valve are thickened and have difficulty opening and closing. A heart valve replacement is the only treatment option for aortic valve stenosis. For many patients today, a catheter-based replacement of the aortic valve, or TAVI (Transcatheter Aortic Valve Implantation), is a safe and gentle way to replace the diseased heart valve on the beating heart, usually without a general anaesthetic. The new TAVI system (Evolut(TM) PRO+), which was implanted in Northern Germany for the first time on 1 June by the heart team led by specialist Professor Dr Julian Widder of the Clinic for Cardiology and Angiology, offers advantages with its special design: The new valve leaflets of the prosthesis lie above the natural aortic valve ring. This allows for a wider valve opening than with other types of valves.