Why a general cardiology reply is not enough
TAVI, also called TAVR, replaces the aortic valve using a catheter-based procedure. Because it is a structural heart treatment rather than a routine cardiology consultation, the department that receives your enquiry matters. A reply from a hospital's international office or a general cardiology mailbox may confirm that your message arrived, but it does not confirm that the structural heart or valve team has seen it.
For an overseas patient, the practical risk is arriving for an appointment that cannot address the actual question: whether a catheter-based aortic valve procedure is being considered for your case. The heart team decides that, and the heart team is usually reached through a specific clinic or referral route rather than a general enquiry address.
Ask the hospital to name the department in writing. A useful answer says something like: the structural heart clinic, the valve clinic, or the interventional cardiology team responsible for TAVR and TAVI assessment. If the reply only says cardiology, ask which cardiology service and whether it reviews valve imaging for this procedure.
Confirm the campus, not only the hospital name
Large tertiary hospitals in China often operate across more than one campus. A hospital name alone does not tell you where the structural heart clinic meets, where the imaging is reviewed, or where any admission would take place. These can be different buildings or different sites.
When you receive an appointment confirmation, check that it states the campus or site. If the message gives only a hospital name and a date, ask for the specific campus, the building, and the clinic or department where you should register. This is an administrative question, but it changes your travel and hotel planning.
It is also reasonable to ask whether the heart team reviews valve imaging at the same campus where the clinic appointment happens. If the answer is unclear, ask who coordinates the review and how your records reach that team. You are not asking the hospital to promise treatment; you are asking how the assessment is organised.
Ask what type of appointment you are being offered
Appointment type is a separate question from department and campus. A first visit might be a records review, a clinical consultation, an imaging appointment, or a combined assessment. Each has different preparation and different meaning for your decision.
Ask the hospital to describe the appointment in plain terms: is this a consultation with a cardiologist, a review by the structural heart team, or a diagnostic visit? If the reply uses a term you do not recognise, ask what happens during the visit and what the clinician will be able to decide afterwards.
This matters because a preliminary reply is not the same as a confirmed clinical pathway. A hospital may acknowledge your enquiry and offer a general cardiology slot while the valve team still needs to review your imaging. Knowing which stage you are at prevents you from treating an administrative reply as a clinical decision.
What the heart team needs to review for your case
The heart team decides suitability for TAVR or TAVI, and that decision depends on valve anatomy, imaging and your overall clinical picture. The exact records required vary by patient and by hospital, so the useful step is to ask the receiving team what it wants rather than to assemble a universal file.
A practical enquiry can ask: which imaging and reports does the structural heart team need before it can discuss my case, and in what format should they be sent? Common items might include echocardiography, cardiac CT, coronary angiography and recent clinical notes, but the treating team must confirm what is relevant for you.
Do not assume that sending a complete archive guarantees review. Ask instead which specific documents are needed for the first assessment and whether anything is missing. If the hospital says more information is required, that is a normal part of the process, not a rejection.
Questions to put in writing before you travel
A short written list helps you compare replies and avoid misunderstandings. You can send these questions by email or through the hospital's international patient channel, and you can ask a coordinator to help with translation if needed.
Ask: which department will see me, at which campus, and what type of appointment is this? Who from the heart team will review my valve imaging, and when? What records do you need from me now, and what can wait until I arrive? If the plan changes after review, how will I be told?
These questions are not a demand for a treatment promise. They clarify the administrative and clinical steps so that you can decide whether the appointment is worth travelling for. If the answers remain vague, ask for the name of the clinic or team that will take responsibility for your case.
How ChinaSpecialistCare can help with this step
ChinaSpecialistCare provides non-clinical coordination for international patients. For a TAVR or TAVI enquiry, we can help you request a specialist appointment, clarify which department and campus is involved, and organise interpretation or records transmission. We do not decide suitability, prescribe treatment or promise hospital acceptance; the heart team does.
If you would like help confirming the department, campus and appointment type, you can start with a brief summary of your situation. An initial enquiry is free and does not require buying a proxy consultation. The hospital decides whether and how it can assess your case.
You can also review the TAVR and TAVI procedure reference for general information before contacting the hospital.
A short written enquiry is often the fastest way to get a clear answer. Send your main question, your diagnosis or suspected diagnosis, and a list of the records you already hold. Ask the hospital to reply in writing with the department name, campus and appointment type. If you receive only a general acknowledgement, reply with one focused follow-up: which structural heart or valve team will review my imaging, and when? Keep the thread together so the same coordinator can track your case.
It also helps to ask how the heart team will communicate its assessment to you. Will you receive a written summary, a scheduled call, or a follow-up appointment? If the answer is a follow-up appointment, ask whether it can be arranged during the same visit or requires a separate trip. These are practical questions, not clinical demands, and they let you plan realistically.
Finally, keep your own copy of every message and document you send. If you later contact a different hospital, you can reuse the same summary and records without starting over. A clear, consistent record of what you asked and what you were told makes it easier to compare options and to decide whether a particular appointment is worth the journey.
Sources & scope of this guide
References and official service information relevant to this guide.
This is general planning information and has not been individually reviewed by a doctor. Medical decisions and personal treatment advice come from your treating clinicians.