What treatments are available?
- Open heart surgery, which involves opening up the patient’s chest, stopping their heart and inserting a new artificial heart valve; this is performed under general anaesthetic (while you are asleep) and patients are generally in hospital for five days.
- TAVI, where a new heart valve is inserted through a small cut in the groin or chest and is mostly performed under local anaesthetic (you are awake but the groin or chest is numb). Patients are usually home within three days with the majority going home the day after the procedure.