On Demand: Clinical and Operational Strategies to Improve Outcomes in Urgent TAVR Care-Webinar Recording

Video Transcription

Video Summary

The webinar focused on urgent Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement (TAVR) care, discussing clinical and operational strategies to improve outcomes. Urgent TAVR procedures have higher mortality, complications, longer hospital stays, and cost more than elective cases. Providers aim to stabilize patients before performing TAVR urgently when possible, as this improves outcomes and program sustainability.<br /><br />Presenters, including Drs. Firas Zar, Harsh Gawala, John Melvin, and Grant Reed, shared multidisciplinary approaches to managing urgent TAVR patients. Programs emphasize early detection of aortic stenosis through echo surveillance, coordinated valve teams, prompt inpatient and outpatient pathways, and guideline-directed medical therapy. Balloon Aortic Valvuloplasty (BAV) plays a significant role as a bridge for hemodynamically unstable patients, improving symptoms and stability before definitive TAVR. Though BAV does not improve long-term survival, it reduces immediate risk in critically ill patients and can facilitate recovery and timing of final treatment.<br /><br />Operationally, strong heart teams involving interventional cardiology, cardiac surgery, anesthesia, nursing coordinators, and administrators improve patient flow, scheduling, and resource use. Coordination with referring physicians helps optimize patient stabilization before transfer. Programs vary in size and scope but share a focus on communication, standardization, and monitoring outcomes. Challenges include managing heterogeneous patient populations and balancing elective and urgent cases.<br /><br />Future directions include broader adoption of surveillance programs, formal inpatient algorithms, use of predictive analytics, and maintaining transparent outcomes review. A forthcoming white paper will provide detailed best practices. Overall, combining early identification, multidisciplinary care, medical optimization, judicious use of BAV, and operational discipline can enhance patient safety, reduce complications, and improve efficiency in urgent TAVR care.

Keywords

Urgent TAVR

Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement

Balloon Aortic Valvuloplasty

Aortic Stenosis

Multidisciplinary Care

Heart Team Coordination

Clinical Outcomes

Patient Stabilization

Operational Strategies

Predictive Analytics