Can a Heart Valve Be Replaced Without Open-Heart Surgery?

Explore how minimally invasive procedures like TAVR and TEER offer heart valve replacement options without traditional open-heart surgery.

By Sneha Tete, Integrated MA, Certified Relationship Coach

Created on Sep 25, 2025

Explore how minimally invasive procedures like TAVR and TEER offer heart valve replacement options without traditional open-heart surgery.

Heart valve disease once meant facing the prospect of open-heart surgery. Today, many patients benefit from minimally invasive procedures that allow heart valve replacement or repair without the need for a large chest incision. This article explores the medical advances that make this possible, the techniques used, their benefits, risks, and what patients can expect during recovery.

Why Would You Need Your Heart Valve Replaced?

The heart has four valves that regulate blood flow. Sometimes, these valves become damaged or diseased and don’t work properly, a condition called heart valve disease. Two of the most common types that require replacement or repair are:

Aortic stenosis: Narrowing or stiffening of the aortic valve, restricting blood flow from the heart to the rest of the body.
Mitral regurgitation: A leaky mitral valve causes blood to flow backward into the heart, reducing its efficiency.

If left untreated, these conditions can lead to shortness of breath, chest pain, heart failure, and even death.

What Is Open-Heart Surgery?

Open-heart surgery traditionally involves making a large incision down the chest, opening the breastbone, and putting the patient on a heart-lung bypass machine while the heart is stopped. The damaged valve is then removed and replaced with a mechanical or biological valve. This procedure requires general anesthesia, is highly invasive, and generally involves a long hospital stay with several weeks or months of recovery.

Yes. In the last decade, major advances in minimally invasive cardiology have allowed certain patients to have their heart valves repaired or replaced using catheter-based techniques. These procedures can often be performed without opening the chest or stopping the heart, resulting in:

Less pain and scarring
Shorter hospital stays
Faster recovery
A treatment option for patients unable to tolerate open surgery

Who Might Need Minimally Invasive Valve Replacement?

This approach is especially beneficial for patients who are at elevated risk for complications from traditional surgery, such as:

Older adults
People with severe chronic conditions (e.g., lung or kidney disease)
Those previously told they are “too high-risk” for open-heart surgery

Types of Minimally Invasive Heart Valve Procedures

The most common techniques for valve repair or replacement without open-heart surgery include:

Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement (TAVR or TAVI)

TAVR (also known as transcatheter aortic valve implantation, or TAVI) is primarily used for patients with severe aortic stenosis. Instead of making a large surgical incision, a new valve is threaded through an artery using a thin, flexible tube called a catheter. The new valve is deployed inside the existing defective valve, restoring normal blood flow.

Key features of TAVR include:

No need for open-chest surgery: Most TAVR procedures are performed via a small incision in the groin (transfemoral approach) or, less commonly, by inserting the catheter through a small incision in the chest (transapical approach).
Valve-in-valve: The replacement valve is positioned inside the old valve, pushing the old leaflets aside.
Faster recovery: Many patients go home within 24-48 hours after the procedure.

Common indications for TAVR:

Severe, symptomatic aortic stenosis
High or prohibitive surgical risk
Certain cases of failed surgical bioprosthetic valves (valve-in-valve TAVR)

Transcatheter Edge-to-Edge Repair (TEER)

For those suffering from mitral regurgitation (where the mitral valve is leaky), TEER (Transcatheter Edge-to-Edge Repair) offers an alternative. Using a catheter inserted through a vein in the leg, doctors can attach a special clip to the faulty mitral valve, helping it close more completely and reducing backward blood flow.

Minimally invasive, often with a short hospital stay
Especially helpful for those who are poor candidates for surgery

Other Minimally Invasive Options

Less commonly, minimally invasive techniques may use video-assisted or robotic-assisted surgery with small chest incisions (but not requiring a full sternotomy), or endoscopic approaches to repair or replace valves. However, these still require specialized equipment and expertise, and are used in selected cases.

How Do These Procedures Work?

Let’s look at the catheter-based valve procedures in more detail:

Procedure	Valves Treated	How It Works	Recovery
TAVR/TAVI	Aortic	New valve delivered via catheter through femoral artery (groin) or chest; expanded inside old valve.	Most return home within 24-48 hours; rapid recovery.
TEER	Mitral	Clip delivered by catheter through a vein, attached to faulty valve leaflets to reduce leakiness.	Usually overnight stay; minimal downtime.
Robotic/minimally invasive surgery	Mitral, Aortic, Tricuspid	Repairs/replacements via small incisions, sometimes with robotic tools.	Shorter recovery than open surgery, but may require longer stay than TAVR/TEER.

Benefits of Minimally Invasive Heart Valve Procedures

Reduced trauma: No need for large chest incisions or stopping the heart.
Shorter hospital stays: Patients are often home in 1-3 days, versus a week or longer for open-heart surgery.
Faster recovery: Return to normal activities in weeks, rather than months.
Reduced pain and scarring: Less physical trauma and smaller wounds mean less discomfort and quicker healing.
Option for high-risk patients: Allows treatment in people who otherwise could not undergo surgery.

Are There Any Risks or Downsides?

Like all medical treatments, minimally invasive valve procedures carry some risks. These may include:

Bleeding or bruising: at the catheter insertion site
Vascular complications: injury to arteries or veins
Stroke or TIA: risk from debris dislodged during the procedure
Valve leakage or device malfunction
Heart rhythm problems: requiring pacemaker implantation
Infection

However, for many patients, especially those who are not candidates for surgery, the benefits far outweigh the potential risks.

Who Is Eligible for Minimally Invasive Valve Replacement?

A thorough assessment by a heart valve team—consisting of interventional cardiologists, cardiac surgeons, anesthesiologists, and imaging specialists—is required. The team will consider:

Your age and overall health
Severity of your valve disease
Your risk for surgical complications
Anatomy of your heart and blood vessels
Your personal goals and lifestyle

Not every patient is a candidate for TAVR, TEER, or other alternatives. Some may still need open-heart surgery for the best long-term result, but more and more patients meet criteria for the minimally invasive approach.

What to Expect: Before, During, and After the Procedure

Before the Procedure

Detailed assessment and imaging of your heart
Blood tests and other labs
Consultation with your heart team
Instructions regarding medications and fasting

During the Procedure

Anesthetic is given—either general (fully asleep) or conscious sedation
A catheter is inserted, usually through the groin (femoral artery/vein) or sometimes via a small chest incision
The new valve or device is guided to the heart under X-ray and ultrasound imaging
The device is deployed and its function is assessed in real time
Catheters are removed and the insertion site is closed with a stitch or special closure device

After the Procedure

Observation in a cardiac recovery area or intensive care unit
Monitoring for complications or abnormal heart rhythms
Resuming oral intake and activity within a few hours
Most patients go home within 24-72 hours
Follow up with the heart team for checkups and cardiac rehabilitation

Differences Between Open-Heart and Minimally Invasive Surgery

Feature	Open-Heart Surgery	Minimally Invasive (Catheter) Procedures
Incision Size	Large (breastbone opened)	Small (groin or small chest puncture)
Anesthesia	General (fully asleep)	Usually conscious sedation, sometimes general
Heart-Lung Bypass	Required	Not usually required
Hospital Stay	4–7 days or longer	1–3 days
Recovery Time	Weeks to months	Days to weeks
Risks	Higher in frail or elderly patients	Generally lower for high-risk patients

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Can everyone with heart valve disease have their valve replaced using a minimally invasive procedure?

No. While these procedures are becoming more widely available, some patients may not be eligible due to anatomical, technical, or other medical reasons. Your care team can determine the best option for you.

How long does recovery take after TAVR or TEER?

Most patients are up and walking on the same day or the day after the procedure. Many go home within 24-72 hours and resume most normal activities within a week or two, compared to several weeks or months after open-heart surgery.

Are the new heart valves as durable as those placed by open-heart surgery?

TAVR and other catheter-delivered valves are newer than traditional surgical valves, so data on their very long-term durability is still being collected. For many older adults and those at higher risk, durability is generally sufficient, but younger and lower-risk patients may still be recommended for surgical valve replacement.

Does insurance cover these minimally invasive procedures?

Most major insurance plans, including Medicare, cover TAVR and TEER for qualifying patients, but specific coverage can vary. It’s important to check with your provider and insurance company.

What are the most common side effects or complications?

The most common risks are bleeding, vascular injury at the insertion site, heart rhythm disturbances, and—less commonly—stroke or infection. These risks are generally lower than with open-heart surgery, especially in high-risk patients.

Talking To Your Doctor About Heart Valve Disease Treatment

If you have been diagnosed with heart valve disease or have been told you need a valve replacement, talk to your cardiologist about all the options available. Key questions to ask include:

Am I a candidate for minimally invasive valve replacement or repair?
What are the risks and benefits for my personal situation?
How many of these procedures has your institution performed?
Will I need additional procedures or follow-up care?

Next Steps and Takeaways

Minimally invasive procedures like TAVR and TEER have changed the landscape of heart valve treatment, making life-saving interventions possible for people formerly deemed too high-risk for surgery.
Not everyone is eligible, so a thorough assessment by a multidisciplinary heart team is essential.
Recovery is typically much quicker than with traditional open-heart valve replacement.
If you or a loved one faces valve surgery, ask about all possible options.

As innovations continue, more patients can look forward to safer procedures and improved outcomes—even without open-heart surgery.

References

Author

Sneha TeteBeauty & Lifestyle Writer

Sneha is a relationships and lifestyle writer with a strong foundation in applied linguistics and certified training in relationship coaching. She brings over five years of writing experience to thebridalbox, crafting thoughtful, research-driven content that empowers readers to build healthier relationships, boost emotional well-being, and embrace holistic living.

Read full bio of Sneha Tete