The aortic valve of the heart plays a critical role in keeping us alive by returning oxygenated blood to the body. As we get older, this valve may harden making the heart pump blood less effectively, weakening the heart muscle, and ultimately leading to heart failure. Those diagnosed with this progressive valve disease require treatment or face a bleak outcome.
In the past, the only option for many people was invasive open heart surgery where the heart is stopped and a prosthetic surgical valve replaces the diseased valve. Then in 2002, Dr. Alain Cribier pushed the boundaries of what was possible in medicine, performing the first Transcatheter Aortic Valve implantation or TAVR procedure.