After my diagnosis of severe aortic stenosis, I had lots of questions about TAVR: Will I feel pain? How long is recovery? Will I feel better after? In my new post for Healthgrades, I hope to offer a friendly voice of reassurance to others facing heart valve disease.
One thing was certain immediately after my diagnosis of severe aortic stenosis (AS): I had questions! What exactly is aortic stenosis? What are the treatments? How long is recovery? More questions surfaced in the hours and days after diagnosis. Still others occupied my thoughts at 2 AM while I was anxiously awaiting my valve replacement.
My first questions were readily answered by my cardiologist. An echocardiogram test confirmed I had severe aortic stenosis: the aortic valve in my heart no longer opened normally, which limited the amount of blood flowing from my heart to the rest of my body. The only treatment for AS is valve replacement, either through open-heart surgery or transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR). Recovery time varied significantly depending on whether I would have surgical or transcatheter valve replacement.
As someone who has been through diagnosis and treatment and has lived well with my new TAVR valve for almost seven years, I’ll share some “insider information” I learned from experience–answers to questions that might not come up in a medical appointment. I hope these insights ease your mind a bit while you’re waiting for your new valve.
1. Will I feel anything during my TAVR?
Click here to read the entire article on Healthgrades.
