Transcatheter Valve Therapies (TMVR, TAVR)

Our integrated Valve Clinic, located in Worcester, MA, is the first and only in Central Massachusetts for the complete diagnosis and treatment of cardiac valve diseases. If you have aortic or mitral valve stenosis or regurgitation, or a congenital condition, such as bicuspid aortic valves, UMass Memorial Health can help. 

New techniques for the evaluation and management of heart valve disease allow our physicians to more precisely detect abnormalities. Our team of experts works together to determine what type of treatment is most appropriate for you. Valve repair is preferred to preserve the patient's own mitral valve, which avoids the need for anticoagulation therapy.

Aortic and mitral valve diseases

UMass Memorial Medical Center is one of only a few hospitals in Massachusetts offering Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement (TAVR). This minimally invasive procedure is available for patients with severe, symptomatic aortic stenosis. TAVR provides an option for patients who are at high risk or too sick for open heart surgery, as well as those who are at an intermediate risk. Our multidisciplinary team has pioneered new techniques, locally and internationally, for minimally invasive TAVR.  Almost all TAVR procedures are performed without the need for general anesthesia.

Transcatheter Mitral Valve Repair (TMVR) is a minimally invasive catheter-based procedure that can help with symptoms caused by a leaking mitral valve (mitral regurgitation). If a patient is too sick for open heart surgery, TMVR using the FDA-approved MitraClip device may be able to help. Most patients experience a significant reduction in mitral regurgitation following the procedure, which results in fewer hospitalizations and improvement in symptoms and quality of life. 

Other procedures to treat valve disease include:

• Advanced port-access surgery for mitral valve repair and replacement
• Balloon valvuloplasty to treat mitral stenosis and aortic stenosis
• Valve-sparing aortic root replacement
• Complex aortic root construction of all types

Our team includes: interventional cardiologists, cardiac surgeons, cardiac imaging specialists, radiologists, geriatricians, vascular surgeons, anesthesiologists, neurologists and radiology technicians.