Surgeon Q&A: Can TAVR Explants be Performed Robotically?

If your transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) fails, is it possible to remove it (explant) using a robot instead of a traditional open-heart approach? What should patients know about the benefits, risks, and timing of robotic TAVR explantation? To answer these important questions, HeartValveSurgery.com founder Adam Pick spoke with Dr. Vinay Badhwar, Executive Chair of the WVU Heart & Vascular Institute in Morgantown, West Virginia. In this educational video, Dr. Badhwar explains why some patients need TAVR explants, how robotic aortic valve replacement (RAVR) was developed, and what it means that his team performed the world’s first robotic TAVR explant. (Video posted on December 5, 2025)