Concierge interventional cardiology · UK
Transcatheter aortic valve implantation - the decision, not just the procedure.
TAVI is a minimally invasive way to replace a diseased aortic valve through a catheter, avoiding open-heart surgery. This page focuses on the decision - who is a candidate, what a UK heart team weighs up, and how to compare TAVI to surgical replacement or watchful waiting.
Why patients choose us
- 01
A heart team, not a single opinion
An interventional cardiologist, a cardiothoracic surgeon, an imaging specialist and a heart-valve nurse - all seeing your scans together before a decision.
- 02
Frailty, cognition and life you want to live
TAVI is a life decision, not just a procedural one. We take frailty scores, cognition, hobbies and travel goals seriously - they change the recommendation.
- 03
The alternative you may not have been shown
Surgical AVR for younger, low-risk patients. Watchful waiting where symptoms are borderline. Balloon valvuloplasty as a bridge. All discussed, honestly, before a valve is offered.
Indicative pricing
What a private TAVI costs in the UK.
Indicative ranges across our partner units. Send the details and we quote firm figures across two or three options, with cover checked.
In short
TAVI in our network: £40,000–£55,000 all-inclusive, home in 2–3 days.
| Procedure | Indicative range | Typical duration | Stay |
|---|---|---|---|
| TAVI heart team assessment package | £1,800–£3,000 | 2–4 clinic visits | 1–2 weeks |
| Gated cardiac CT for TAVI planning | £900–£1,600 | 30–45 min | 48 hours |
| Transoesophageal echo (TOE) | £1,200–£2,000 | 30–45 min | Same visit |
| TAVI procedure (all-inclusive) | £40,000–£55,000 | 45–90 min | 2–3 nights |
| Balloon aortic valvuloplasty (bridging) | £7,500–£12,000 | 30–60 min | 1 night |
| Cardiac rehab programme | £600–£1,200 | 8–12 sessions | 6–8 weeks |
| Interventional cardiology consultation only | £300–£500 | 30–45 min | Same visit |
Prices vary by centre, valve type, whether cerebral embolic protection is used and length of stay. Follow-up echoes and cardiac rehab are usually itemised. We come back with a firm quote within one working day.
The problem
A decision, not just a procedure.
TAVI is where UK cardiology is at its best, but only when the decision is made properly - with a surgeon in the room, with frailty scored, and with the alternatives shown.
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Was a surgeon in the meeting?
A heart team without a cardiothoracic surgeon is not a heart team. We check that the meeting note has a surgeon’s name on it.
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Have you been frailty-scored?
A five-metre walk and a grip test tell you more than an echo about how you will do afterwards. We insist on both.
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Do you know when to just wait?
Asymptomatic severe AS with normal function is a surveillance case, not a valve. Watchful waiting is a valid answer we still offer.
The journey
From enquiry to recovery - what happens, in order.
One team from first message through the procedure and follow-up.
- 01
Before
You send us the story
Symptoms, echo report, medications, hospital admissions in the last year, and what a good day looks like now.
- 02
Before
We come back with a recommendation
Within one working day: which heart team, whether the case looks like TAVI, SAVR or watchful waiting, and what tests are needed to decide.
- 03
Before
Gated CT, echo, angiography
A dedicated TAVI CT for annulus sizing and femoral access, a repeat echo if needed, and coronary angiography to rule in or out concurrent CAD.
- 04
Before
Heart team meeting and consent
Your case discussed in an MDT with a cardiothoracic surgeon present. You attend the recommendation clinic and give consent based on your priorities.
- 05
On the day
TAVI in the hybrid theatre
Sedation or light GA, femoral access, valve deployed and checked. 45–90 minutes on the table. Straight to a cardiac recovery bay.
- 06
On the day
First 24 hours
Cardiac monitoring, echo, pacing wire out if used, and mobilisation. Most patients home within 48–72 hours.
- 07
After
Recovery and structured follow-up
Cardiac rehab, echo at 30 days, three months and yearly, and lifelong antiplatelet or anticoagulation depending on rhythm and stents.
When it helps
When TAVI is the right step.
The situations we see most, plus the one presentation - syncope or heart failure with severe AS - that means a same-week heart team, not routine planning.
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Severe symptomatic aortic stenosis
Breathlessness, chest tightness or syncope with a mean gradient over 40 mmHg or valve area under 1 cm² - the classic TAVI candidate.
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Older or frail patient
Over 75, or with meaningful frailty or comorbidity that makes surgical replacement higher risk.
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Prior cardiac surgery
A previous CABG or valve operation makes redo sternotomy technically hard - TAVI is often a better fit.
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Failing bioprosthetic valve (valve-in-valve)
A degenerated surgical bioprosthesis in a patient not fit for redo surgery - valve-in-valve TAVI is well established.
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Middle age with high surgical risk
A younger patient with severe comorbidity where surgery is high risk - TAVI may still win, with careful durability discussion.
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Symptoms disproportionate to imaging
Where symptoms are severe but numbers are borderline - dobutamine stress echo and a TAVI-experienced team can settle the case.
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Patient preference for less-invasive
Where surgery is possible but the patient values shorter recovery and no sternotomy - discussed openly, not dismissed.
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Red flag: syncope or heart failure
New collapse, resting breathlessness or hospitalisation for heart failure with severe AS is high-priority - same-week heart team, not routine wait.
Procedure options
Valve choice, access route, and the alternatives.
What each option involves - balloon-expandable or self-expanding valve, the access route, and when watchful waiting, valvuloplasty or surgical AVR is the better answer.
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Balloon-expandable valve
A cobalt-chromium frame with a bovine pericardial valve, mounted on a balloon and expanded in place. Precise deployment, well suited to heavily calcified annuli.
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Self-expanding valve
A nitinol frame with a porcine pericardial valve that opens as it warms. Suits certain annulus shapes and small aortas; recapturable partway through deployment.
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Transfemoral access
The default in the UK - a small puncture in the groin, closed with a suture device. No incision, day-of mobilisation.
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Alternative access (subclavian, transcaval, transapical)
Reserved for patients with unusable femoral vessels. Fewer of these are done as delivery sheaths get smaller.
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Valve-in-valve TAVI
A new transcatheter valve placed inside a failed surgical bioprosthesis - avoids redo sternotomy in high-risk patients.
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Balloon aortic valvuloplasty
A bridging procedure that stretches the diseased valve to buy weeks or months, used while the heart team decides or while other health issues are treated.
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Watchful waiting
For asymptomatic severe AS with normal LV function, careful surveillance every 3–6 months is often the right answer - not a valve.
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Surgical AVR (SAVR)
Open sternotomy or minimally invasive access, mechanical or bioprosthetic valve. Better durability data at very long follow-up - covered on our separate TAVR technology comparison page and heart valve surgery page.
Our vetted UK network
A small panel of specialists, we picked them.
UK TAVI centres with audited volume, a full heart team, cardiothoracic backup and structured follow-up. Introductions are private, once we have the imaging.
Selection criteria
How we choose every specialist in our network.
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UK TAVI centres with a full multidisciplinary heart team and audited case volume
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Cardiothoracic surgeon in every heart team meeting, not on paper only
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Access to gated CT, TOE and a hybrid theatre with cardiothoracic backup
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Structured cardiac rehab and long-term valve follow-up in the same unit
Safety and recovery
What to expect afterwards - honestly.
TAVI is now a mature UK procedure, but stroke, pacemaker and paravalvular leak still matter - and every risk deserves an honest number, not a shrug.
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Sedation or light GA in a hybrid theatre
Most UK TAVIs are done under conscious sedation with local anaesthetic at the groin. GA is reserved for alternative access or complex anatomy.
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Stroke
Peri-procedural stroke rate has fallen with newer valves and technique - around 2–3% in modern UK series. Cerebral embolic protection is used in selected cases.
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Vascular access complications
Bleeding, dissection or false aneurysm at the femoral site occur in a few percent - usually managed at the same sitting with a covered stent or a small surgical repair.
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New pacemaker
Damage to the conduction system near the valve leads to a permanent pacemaker in around 10–15% of self-expanding cases and 5–10% of balloon-expandable cases.
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Paravalvular leak
Small residual leak around the valve is common early on. Moderate or worse leak affects outcomes and needs a plan - modern valves have made this uncommon.
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Kidney injury
Contrast used in planning CT and the procedure itself can affect kidney function - hydration and low-volume protocols reduce the risk.
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Long-term valve durability
Ten-year data now exist for balloon-expandable valves and are reassuring. Durability past 15 years is still being defined - it matters more the younger you are.
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Anticoagulation and antiplatelets
Antiplatelet, DOAC or warfarin depending on rhythm, stents and access site - the plan is written on your discharge letter.
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Red flags after discharge
New severe breathlessness, syncope, groin swelling or spreading redness, or new stroke symptoms need same-day cardiology or A&E.
Reading your notes
Your notes in four parts. Read the last one first.
Whichever valve was used, the note the interventional cardiologist writes keeps to the same shape.
- 01 Header
Access and valve choice
Which vessel was used, valve type and size, sedation or GA, and whether cerebral embolic protection was in place.
- 02 Technique
Deployment and result
Valve position, any post-dilation, presence and grade of any paravalvular leak, and coronary perfusion checked.
- 03 Findings
Rhythm and echo on day one
New conduction changes, whether a pacemaker was needed, and the day-one echo confirming valve function.
- 04 Impression
Follow-up plan and medication
Read this first: antiplatelet or anticoagulation, statin, pacemaker plan if any, and dates for 30-day, three-month and yearly review.
Recognised by major UK insurers
TAVI is usually covered when severe symptomatic AS is confirmed and the heart team has recommended it in preference to surgery. Pre-authorisation is always needed. We confirm cover before booking.
Frequently asked
Everything we get asked about the TAVI decision.
Quick answers on approach, recovery, cost and long-term outcome.
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Am I a candidate for TAVI?
Severe aortic stenosis with symptoms is the starting point. Beyond that, a UK heart team weighs your age, frailty, comorbidities, coronary anatomy, aortic valve annulus and femoral access. TAVI is well established for older or higher-risk patients and is increasingly offered to lower-risk patients, but the decision is always made together with a cardiothoracic surgeon present, not by a cardiologist alone.
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TAVI or surgical AVR - which is better?
It depends on age, risk and valve life. For older or higher-risk patients TAVI is at least as good as surgery for two-, five- and now ten-year outcomes. For younger, lower-risk patients, surgical AVR still has more long-term durability data. The right answer for you comes from a heart team, and we make sure a surgeon is at the table.
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How long is recovery from TAVI?
Home in 48–72 hours for most patients. Back to gentle daily activities in a week. Cardiac rehab starts around week two and runs six to eight weeks. Most people notice their breathlessness improving within days of the procedure.
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How much does a private TAVI cost in the UK?
Roughly £40,000–£55,000 all-inclusive for the procedure and hospital stay, plus £1,800–£3,000 for the heart team assessment package (CT, echo, angiography, MDT clinic). Balloon aortic valvuloplasty as a bridge is £7,500–£12,000. Cardiac rehab is £600–£1,200. We confirm firm figures within one working day.
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Will I need a pacemaker afterwards?
About 5–15% of TAVI patients need a permanent pacemaker, depending on valve type, existing conduction disease and anatomy. Self-expanding valves have a higher rate. Your heart team can quote the number for your particular case before you decide.
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What about the NHS?
TAVI is offered on the NHS at every major cardiac centre. NHS pathways are appropriate for most patients but come with a wait. Private assessment gives faster access to the heart team, faster CT and echo, and a scheduled procedure date - with the same evidence base and the same guidance.
Related treatments
Looking for something else?
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Heart valve surgery
Surgical alternatives to TAVI.
Learn more -
Transcatheter aortic valve replacement
A separate technology-focused guide (TAVR).
Learn more -
Endoscopic mitral valve repair or replacement
A related structural heart procedure.
Learn more -
Coronary angioplasty
Often done alongside TAVI planning.
Learn more -
Cardiac treatments
The wider heart-care service.
Learn more -
All tests & procedures
Every test and procedure we arrange.
Learn more