Why a treatment name is not enough
A line such as "aortic valve procedure in 2021" tells a heart team very little. TAVI, also called TAVR, replaces the aortic valve using a catheter-based procedure. But the same label can cover different access routes, different valve devices and very different reasons for treatment. The receiving clinicians cannot judge whether another catheter procedure, surgery or no procedure is reasonable from the name alone.
What they need is the result: what the valve looked like before and after, how the heart responded, what complications occurred and what is happening now. That is the difference between a treatment label and a treatment history. The first is a word; the second is evidence the heart team can review.
This matters especially when you are considering care in China. The hospital will not accept a case or plan a procedure based on a name. It will review records, images and current status. Your job is to make those records interpretable, not to decide what treatment you need.
What to describe about the previous procedure
Start with the procedure itself. State the date, the hospital and the clinical reason it was recommended. Was it for aortic stenosis, regurgitation, a failing previous valve or another diagnosis? Which valve was treated? Was the approach through the groin, the chest or another route? Was it a catheter-based TAVI or TAVR, a surgical replacement or a repair? If you do not know, say so and send the operation note or discharge summary.
Then describe the device or material if it is recorded. The valve model, size and manufacturer can matter for later imaging and for whether a repeat catheter procedure is technically possible. Do not guess these details. If the implant card or procedure report is available, include it. If not, tell the team that the device details are missing and ask what they need.
Next, describe the result as it was documented. What did the post-procedure imaging or echocardiogram show? Was the valve working as intended? Were there paravalvular leaks, gradients, reduced heart function or other findings? What symptoms improved, stayed the same or worsened? These are results, not opinions. Use the reports rather than memory where possible.
Finally, describe what has happened since. Have there been repeat admissions, infections, rhythm problems, strokes, bleeding or heart failure symptoms? What medicines, anticoagulants or devices are you using now? A short timeline with dates is more useful than a long narrative.
- Date and hospital of the previous procedure.
- Reason it was recommended and the valve treated.
- Approach used and whether it was catheter-based or surgical.
- Device or valve details if recorded.
- Post-procedure imaging and symptom results.
- Events since then, current medicines and devices.
The imaging and reports that carry the result
The heart team reviews valve anatomy through imaging, not through a summary letter. Echocardiograms, CT scans, angiograms and catheter reports show the valve structure, the surrounding anatomy and how blood flows. If you only send a discharge summary, the team may have to ask for the original images and measurements before it can say anything useful.
Ask the previous hospital for the actual image files, not just the written report. For echocardiography, that may mean the study files or a disc. For CT, it may mean the scan data. For catheter procedures, it may mean the angiographic images and the procedure report. The exact format and transfer method depend on the hospital, so confirm with the receiving team what it can accept.
Also send the reports that explain the images: the echocardiogram report with measurements, the CT report, the catheter report and the discharge summary. If a report is in another language, ask whether a translated summary is needed and who should prepare it. Do not assume a translation is sufficient without the original images.
If some records are missing, do not delay local care while you search. Tell the receiving team what is missing and ask whether it can proceed with what you have. The team may still be able to review the case, or it may ask for specific additional documents. That answer belongs to the hospital, not to a website.
Questions the heart team will ask about your case
When the heart team reviews a previous aortic valve treatment, it is not only checking whether the procedure happened. It is asking whether another procedure is technically possible, what device could fit, and what the risks and alternatives are. Your records should help answer those questions.
Ask the team directly: How will you review my valve imaging? Which images and measurements do you need? What device options are you considering for my anatomy, and what are the limitations? What would make a catheter procedure unsuitable in my case? What alternatives exist if it is unsuitable? What follow-up and imaging would be needed after treatment?
These are clinical questions. The answers depend on your anatomy, your previous procedure and your current condition. No article can decide them. The heart team decides suitability after reviewing the records and, where needed, after its own assessment.
It also helps to ask what the team still needs from you. A clear list of missing items is more useful than a complete archive that no one has reviewed. If the team says it needs a specific scan or measurement, ask who should arrange it and whether it can be done locally before travel.
Describing results when the previous treatment was not TAVI
Not every patient considering TAVI or TAVR in China has had a previous TAVI. Some have had surgical aortic valve replacement, a repair, a balloon procedure or treatment for another valve. The same principle applies: describe the result, not just the name.
For previous surgical replacement, state the valve type and size if known, the date, the approach and the post-operative course. For a repair, describe what was repaired and what imaging showed afterwards. For a balloon procedure, describe the valve treated and the result. For another valve, explain how it relates to the aortic valve and current symptoms.
If you have had more than one procedure, give a short timeline. Each entry should say what was done, when, to which valve and what the result was. This helps the team see the sequence rather than a list of unrelated events.
If you are unsure how to describe a procedure, send the original reports and ask the receiving team what it needs. Do not rewrite the history to make it sound simpler. Accuracy matters more than a neat summary.
How to send this information and what happens next
Start with a short summary by the enquiry form, email or WhatsApp. Include your main question, the date and type of previous treatment, the valve involved and what records you have. Do not send passport numbers, card details or a complete medical archive at first contact. The team will explain how to share records after the initial reply.
An initial enquiry is free. It checks the available diagnosis, records and your main question, identifies missing information and suggests the relevant next step. It is not a diagnosis or a promise of acceptance. A proxy consultation or multidisciplinary review is optional and is not required before every appointment.
If the case moves forward, hospital consultation fees, tests, treatment and rooms are paid to the hospital or relevant provider. Coordination fees are separate. Ask the named provider what its written estimate includes and what remains undecided. Do not assume a particular charge is included or excluded.
For a focused review of TAVR and TAVI in China, see the related treatment reference linked below. It explains the procedure context; it does not decide your eligibility. The hospital decides suitability after reviewing your records and, where needed, its own assessment.
If your symptoms are worsening or you have chest pain, breathlessness at rest, fainting or other urgent problems, seek local medical care first. Do not delay necessary assessment for an overseas enquiry.
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.