AVR Stands for Aortic Valve Replacement
AVR is the medical abbreviation for Aortic Valve Replacement, a surgical procedure to replace a diseased aortic valve with either a mechanical or biological prosthetic valve 1.
What AVR Encompasses
The term "AVR" technically applies to both aortic valve replacement and aortic valve repair, though the vast majority of patients undergo valve replacement rather than repair 1. The guidelines explicitly state that aortic valve repair should only be considered at surgical centers with specialized technical expertise and demonstrated outcomes equivalent to valve replacement 1.
Types of AVR Procedures
AVR can be performed through different approaches:
- Surgical AVR (SAVR): Traditional open-heart surgery via sternotomy or minimally invasive approaches
- Transcatheter AVR (TAVR): Also called TAVI (Transcatheter Aortic Valve Implantation), a less invasive catheter-based approach for high-risk or prohibitive-risk surgical patients 2, 3, 4
Clinical Context
AVR is primarily indicated for:
- Severe aortic stenosis (AS): The most common indication, particularly in elderly patients with calcific disease 2, 3
- Severe aortic regurgitation (AR): When the valve leaks significantly 1
The fundamental principle is that AVR is indicated for symptomatic patients with severe aortic valve disease, regardless of left ventricular function 1. For asymptomatic patients, specific criteria based on ventricular size, function, and disease progression determine timing 1.