Transcaval TAVR in Toledo, Ohio: Ohio's First Procedure Performed at Toledo Cardiology
- Jul 19
- 3 min read
Toledo Cardiology Consultants, in partnership with Mercy Health, has reached a milestone in structural heart care: the successful performance of Ohio's first Transcaval TAVR (Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement delivered through a vein-to-aorta pathway). This achievement means that patients in Toledo, Northwest Ohio, and the surrounding region, including Maumee, Perrysburg, Sylvania, and southeast Michigan border communities, now have access to a minimally invasive valve replacement option that was previously unavailable anywhere in the state.
WHY THIS PROCEDURE EXISTS: THE PROBLEM IT SOLVES
Standard TAVR reaches the heart through the femoral artery (the large artery in the upper thigh). For many patients with severe peripheral artery disease (PAD, a condition in which plaque buildup narrows or blocks the peripheral blood vessels), those femoral arteries are too diseased or too calcified to serve as a safe access route. Until now, those patients faced a difficult choice: open-heart surgery or no surgical option at all.
Transcaval TAVR was developed specifically for this population. By approaching the heart through an entirely different anatomical pathway, the procedure restores minimally invasive valve replacement as a realistic option for some of the most complex cardiovascular patients we see. If you or a family member has been told that vascular disease may limit treatment options, our peripheral artery disease treatment program in Toledo is a logical starting point for evaluation.
HOW TRANSCAVAL TAVR WORKS: THE STEP-BY-STEP PATHWAY
The procedure follows a deliberate sequence designed to avoid the diseased femoral artery entirely while still reaching the aortic valve (the valve between the heart's main pumping chamber and the body's largest artery):
Access the femoral vein. Rather than the artery, the team enters through the femoral vein (the large vein running alongside the femoral artery in the thigh), which is typically unaffected by arterial disease.
Advance to the inferior vena cava (IVC). The IVC is the major vein that returns blood from the lower body to the heart. The catheter (a thin, flexible tube) travels upward through this vessel.
Create a temporary transcaval channel. Using precision imaging guidance, the team carefully creates a controlled opening between the IVC and the aorta (the body's main artery), forming a direct pathway where one does not naturally exist.
Deliver the replacement valve. The new aortic valve is guided through this channel and positioned precisely at the site of the diseased native valve.
Close the channel. A specialized closure device seals the opening between the IVC and the aorta, completing the procedure.
The result is a valve replacement accomplished without a surgical incision into the chest and without relying on arteries that disease has rendered unusable.
WHO PERFORMS THIS PROCEDURE IN TOLEDO
Ohio's first Transcaval TAVR required the coordinated effort of a full structural heart team: interventional cardiologists, cardiac surgeons, anesthesiologists, nurses, imaging technologists, and clinical support staff, all working together within the Toledo Cardiology Consultants and Mercy Health structural heart program. This level of multidisciplinary coordination is what distinguishes a true structural heart center from a general cardiology practice.
Our structural heart work builds on a broader foundation of advanced interventional cardiology in Toledo. Patients who have followed our BATMAN procedure program for failing mitral valve replacements or our TriClip TEER program for tricuspid valve disease in Toledo will recognize a consistent pattern: procedures that once required referral to distant academic centers are now performed here, by a team that knows this community.
WHAT THIS MEANS FOR PATIENTS IN NORTHWEST OHIO
Aortic stenosis (the narrowing or stiffening of the aortic valve that restricts blood flow out of the heart) is a progressive condition. Patients who delay treatment because they believe surgery is their only option, or because no local minimally invasive option existed, are at real risk of irreversible cardiac decline. The availability of Transcaval TAVR in Toledo changes that calculation for a specific group of high-risk patients who carry both valve disease and significant peripheral vascular disease.
If you have been told you have a diseased aortic valve and your doctors have expressed concern about your femoral artery anatomy, a consultation with the Toledo Cardiology structural heart team is the appropriate next step. Evaluation does not commit you to any procedure; it clarifies what options are genuinely available to you.
Schedule Your Appointment in Toledo
Toledo Cardiology Consultants sees patients at our Toledo, Ohio location and serves communities throughout Northwest Ohio and the southeast Michigan border region. Our team accepts most major insurance plans. New patient paperwork is available on our website prior to your visit, and complimentary parking is available at our office. To schedule a structural heart consultation or to ask whether Transcaval TAVR may be relevant to your care, call our office directly.
