Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement (TAVR)
TAVR is considered a “minimally invasive” method of replacing malfunctioning heart valves, because it does not require large incisions or the use of a heart-lung machine (known as cardiopulmonary bypass). In a special operating room with both surgical and X-ray capabilities, a guide wire is inserted into the body through the groin or a small incision between the ribs and guided to the malfunctioning valve. The new valve is compressed and attached to a tiny, flexible tube called a catheter, and – using guidance from X-rays – the catheter is positioned inside the malfunctioning valve, then the new valve is expanded in place to serve as a replacement.
Why UAB
Our highly experienced team of surgeons and cardiologists provide a comprehensive approach to the diagnosis and treatment of valve disease. Our reputation as a leader in treating aortic valve disease was strengthened in 2018 when UAB Medicine Chief of Cardiovascular Surgery James E. Davies Jr., MD, became the first in the Southeast to implant the Edwards Inspiris heart valve. Made of specially treated bovine (cow) tissue that may help it last longer, this revolutionary valve also has an expandable frame to allow for future valve-in-valve procedures such as TAVR. This means that if the patient needs to have the valve replaced later in life, open surgery would not be required again, making this type of heart valve ideal for younger patients. The Edwards Inspiris heart valve is a perfect example of how traditional surgical and transcatheter methods such as TAVR can work together to provide our patients with the highest quality of care throughout their lifetime.
Contact Us
To speak with someone directly about your case and schedule a TAVR evaluation, please call (205) 975-1888 or email Lisa Findley at lfindley@uabmc.edu.VIDEOS
Transcathether Aortic Valve Replacement procedure puts Selma, Alabama's first black police chief closer to tending his farm.
TAVR procedure restores ailing heart valves
Sarah's Heart
Sarah's Heart from UAB Health System on Vimeo.
When Sarah Ford found out she needed heart surgery, she made the drive from her home in Dothan to Birmingham to receive treatment at UAB. The experienced surgeons, compassionate staff, and cutting-edge care at UAB made her feel secure and safe.
For patients with aortic valve stenosis, who cannot undergo open heart surgery, the Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement (TAVR) procedure provides a welcome alternative.
TAVR Procedure
More than 7% of Americans over the age of 65 are afflicted with aortic stenosis—or hardening of the aortic valve—and more than 1,000 of them are ineligible for traditional open heart surgery to repair it. The Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement (TAVR) procedure eliminates the need for open heart surgery and results in a shorter recovery time.
Ernest Tate/TAVR Procedure - Chapter 2
The surgeons and interventional cardiologists of UAB's structural heart program repaired a serious heart issue with minimally invasive techniques instead of traditional open heart surgery.
Heart valve disease affects patients of all ages, but there are effective treatments and lifestyle changes you can make to improve your condition.
Heart Valve Disease
The heart has four valves that are responsible for keeping blood moving through its chambers and around the body. James Davies, MD, a cardiothoracic surgeon at UAB, talks to Daytime Alabama on WVTM-TV, Channel 13, in Birmingham, Ala., about how valve disease can be prevented, detected, and treated.
Charles Estes - Aortic Valve Stenosis
89 year old Charles Estes was not about to let a heart valve problem slow him down. The WWII vet volunteered to be the first person in Alabama to undergo a new minimally invasive procedure for aortic valve replacement.
Aortic Valve Replacement
James Moebes: TAVR Procedure
Wade Gladden - Aortic Valve Stenosis


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