Many thanks for deciding to refer your patient to the Bristol Heart Institute for consideration of TAVI. Please click on the tabs above to see the pathway for referral for inpatient or outpatient TAVI.

There is also a tab with details regarding broadly how suitability for TAVI or SAVR (surgical aortic valve replacement) is determined.

Click here to access information for TAVI patients.

Pathway for Inpatient TAVI Referral

1) Please refer via referapatient.org via the Cardiology pathway.

2) Transfer the echo, CT TAVI and angiogram to BHI PACS (Please liaise with your PACS department to arrange this) Please also attach the full echo report/CT TAVI report.

3) Provide patient with this patient information leaflet.

Pathway for Outpatient TAVI Referral

Hospital Referrers only - GPs please use usual referral pathway

Email referral letter to structuralheartvalvedisease2@uhbw.nhs.uk - subject "TAVI referral". For details of key information to include please click here.
Ask your PACS team to transfer echo, angio and CT TAVI images to BHI PACS once done.
Ask your secretary to provide patient with this BHI TAVI Pathway welcome letter which includes our contact details for the patient.

If anything changes regarding the patient, including availability of scans, please email us via structuralheartvalvedisease2@uhbw.nhs.uk , subject "OP TAVI update".

TAVI or SAVR?

The ESC guidelines advise:

Characteristics that favour TAVI

•STS/EuroSCORE II >8% (http://euroscore.org/calc.html)

•Age ≥ 75 yrs

•Previous cardiac surgery

•Severe frailty

•Sequalae of chest radiation

•Severe chest deformity or scoliosis

•Porcelain aorta

Characteristics that favour SAVR

•STS/EuroSCORE II <4% (http://euroscore.org/calc.html)

•Age <75 years

•Suspicion of endocarditis

•Anatomically unfavourable for TAVI

•Other concurrent cardiac surgery indicated (other valve, ascending aorta, severe CAD requiring CABG)

•Presence of thrombi in aorta or LV

TAVI