TAVI performed at a center without an on-site cardiac surgical department resulted in no mortality or emergency surgeries among 149 patients, supporting the feasibility of expanding TAVI access to non-surgical centers without compromising outcomes.
TAVI was performed successfully in 149 patients at Meir Medical Center, a center without an on-site cardiac surgical department, with no in-hospital mortality.
No emergency surgeries were required among the 149 patients who underwent TAVI at the non-surgical center.
TAVI at centers without on-site cardiac surgery is feasible given proper collaboration with surgical facilities.
Aortic valve stenosis carries high morbidity and mortality if untreated, and since 2002 TAVI has provided a less invasive alternative with excellent outcomes.
This research suggests that transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) — a minimally invasive procedure to replace a diseased aortic heart valve — can be safely performed at hospitals that do not have a cardiac surgery department on-site. Traditionally, TAVI programs have been located at major cardiac surgery centers so that emergency open-heart surgery is immediately available if something goes wrong. However, this study from Meir Medical Center in Israel followed 149 patients who had TAVI performed at a hospital without that surgical capability, and found zero deaths and zero cases requiring emergency surgery. The study highlights that improvements in TAVI technology and the overall decline in serious complications have made it increasingly practical to offer this procedure at a wider range of hospitals, as long as those hospitals have established partnerships with nearby surgical centers for backup. This is particularly relevant because demand for TAVI has grown substantially, leading to long waiting lists that themselves carry health risks for patients with severe aortic stenosis. This research suggests that carefully organized TAVI programs at non-surgical hospitals could help reduce waiting times and improve access for patients who need this life-saving procedure, without sacrificing safety. The findings contribute to an evolving discussion in cardiology about how to best allocate TAVI services across the healthcare system to meet growing patient needs.
Abdelhai K, Arow Z, Barashi R, Hilu R, Losin I, Novikov I, et al.. (2026). [TAVI Program in Centers without an On-Site Cardiac Surgical Department: Outcomes and Feasibility].. Harefuah. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/42687259/