Laurie's Guestbook

Hi, Laurie. You asked about increased stroke and kidney failure after TAVR. When my mother (81 at the time) needed emergency AVR, I asked her docs if there was some less invasive procedure than open-heart surgery. They said that TAVR was used only for patients who could not tolerate OHS, and a thorough work-up revealed she had no underlying problems that would prevent OHS. When I asked why OHS was better, they said that they could get a better "fix" and there was less likelihood of post-op problems like leakage. If TAVR were recommended for me, I'd want to know a) why, and b) what my comparative odds of having a stroke, renal failure, post-op leaking, etc. etc. after OHS and TAVR. I think I'd also want a second opinion. Please keep us posted and good wishes.