Why existing conditions matter more than the valve alone
TAVI, also called TAVR, replaces the aortic valve using a catheter-based procedure. That single sentence describes the technique, not your suitability. A heart team looks at the valve problem alongside everything else going on in your body, because the same valve narrowing can call for different decisions in two people of the same age.
Conditions that commonly enter the discussion include coronary artery disease, previous heart surgery or stents, lung disease, kidney function, prior stroke, frailty, bleeding or clotting problems, and poorly controlled diabetes. None of these is an automatic yes or no. They change which access route, device type, anaesthetic approach and monitoring plan the team considers, and they change how much benefit the procedure is likely to offer you compared with other options.
This is why sending a diagnosis label such as "severe aortic stenosis" is not enough. The team needs to understand how your other conditions are currently controlled, what medicines you take, and whether anything has changed recently. If you have been hospitalised in the past year, that admission is part of the picture.
What the heart team actually reviews
When your records reach a hospital in China, the review usually moves through several layers. First, the valve itself: echocardiography reports, and often CT imaging of the aortic root and access vessels, tell the team about the valve structure, the size of the opening and the route a catheter could take. Second, the rest of the heart: coronary angiography, previous intervention reports and any rhythm information. Third, the rest of you: kidney function, lung assessment, blood counts and a general fitness picture.
Ask the hospital directly how its heart team reviews valve imaging for your case. Specifically, ask who reads the CT and echocardiography images, whether they need the original image files or accept reports, and whether a surgeon and a cardiologist review together. The answer matters because a decision made from reports alone may differ from one made with the full imaging dataset.
Ask also about the proposed device. Device choice depends on valve anatomy, access route and local availability. Availability is a hospital-specific question, not something you can assume from a general description of the procedure. Ask what device options the team is considering for your anatomy and what would change that choice.
How to hand over your existing-condition records
Start with a short summary rather than a complete archive. A one-page timeline works well: when the valve problem was first found, what symptoms you have now, your main diagnoses, your current medicines with doses, allergies, and any recent hospital admissions. Add the contact details of the clinician who currently manages your heart condition, in case the Chinese team wants clarification.
Then prepare the documents that support that summary. Useful items include recent echocardiography reports, CT or angiography reports and, where possible, the image discs, blood test results from the last few months, discharge summaries from recent admissions, and a current medication list. If a report is in another language, ask whether the hospital needs a certified translation or accepts a clear summary alongside the original.
Do not send passport numbers, payment details or your entire medical history in a first message. Share a brief summary through the enquiry form, email or WhatsApp, and the team will explain how to send records securely once your case is being reviewed. If your symptoms are worsening, seek local medical care first rather than waiting for an overseas reply.
Questions that reveal whether your conditions change the plan
The most useful questions are the ones that force a specific answer about your case rather than a general description of the procedure. Ask whether any of your existing conditions would make the team recommend a different approach, such as open surgery, medical management or further testing before a decision. Ask what additional tests they would need, and whether those can be done locally before travel or must be repeated at the hospital.
Ask how your current medicines should be handled around any procedure. Blood thinners, diabetes medicines and kidney-related drugs often need planning, but the instructions must come from the treating clinicians who know your full history. Do not stop or change any medicine on your own based on general information.
Ask about the admission and follow-up structure for your case: how many days the hospital typically plans for assessment before a procedure, what monitoring is expected afterwards, and what heart reviews are arranged after discharge. Treat any answer as that hospital's plan for your situation, not a national standard. If the reply is vague, ask for it in writing.
What a records-based opinion can and cannot settle
A remote review of your records can clarify whether your case looks like a reasonable candidate for TAVR or TAVI assessment, what information is missing, and which type of hospital team would be relevant. It cannot confirm final eligibility, because the heart team needs imaging, examinations and sometimes tests that require your presence. It also cannot guarantee that a procedure will be offered or that a particular device will be used.
This distinction protects you from planning travel around an assumption. A records-based opinion is a step towards a decision, not the decision itself. If a hospital later reviews your full imaging and reaches a different conclusion, that is a normal part of the process rather than a contradiction.
If your case is complex, involving several specialties, a broader review may be arranged. The scope and any coordination fee are agreed before the work starts. Hospital consultation and treatment charges are separate and are paid to the hospital or relevant provider.
A practical next step
Write your one-page summary first. Keep it to a single page: the valve diagnosis and when it was found, your current symptoms, your main existing conditions, your current medicines with doses, allergies, and any hospital admission in the past year. Add the name and contact details of the clinician who manages your heart condition now, so the Chinese team can ask for clarification rather than guess. Then gather the documents behind that summary: recent echocardiography reports, CT or angiography reports and image discs where you have them, blood results from the last few months, discharge summaries, and a current medication list. If a report is in another language, ask whether the hospital needs a certified translation or accepts a clear summary alongside the original.
Send a brief enquiry describing your valve diagnosis, your main existing conditions and your specific question. Share the summary through the enquiry form, email or WhatsApp, and the team will explain how to send records securely once your case is being reviewed. Do not send passport numbers, card details or your complete medical archive in a first message. An initial enquiry is free and does not commit you to buying a proxy consultation; it lets the team check what you have, identify what is missing and suggest the relevant next step. If your symptoms are worsening, seek local medical care first rather than waiting for an overseas reply.
The hospital, not the coordination team, decides whether TAVR or TAVI assessment is suitable for you. A records-based opinion can clarify whether your case looks like a reasonable candidate for assessment and what information is missing, but it cannot confirm final eligibility, because the heart team needs imaging, examinations and sometimes tests that require your presence. If the hospital later reviews your full imaging and reaches a different conclusion, that is a normal part of the process. Ask the named hospital how its heart team reviews valve imaging for your case, what device options it is considering for your anatomy, and how admission and later heart reviews are arranged. Treat any answer as that hospital's plan for your situation, not a national standard, and ask for it in writing if the reply is vague.
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.