1500 times Tavi in Rotenburg: Heart medicine at the highest level!

1500 times Tavi in Rotenburg: Heart medicine at the highest level!

Rotenburg an der Fulda, Deutschland - A remarkable success for the cardiovascular center (HKZ) in Rotenburg: On July 12, 2025, the 1500th transcatheter aorts flap implantation (TAVI) was successfully carried out. This is an important milestone for the center, which has grown steadily since the first Taavi procedure on October 20, 2010. Originally, TAVI technology was particularly intended for seriously ill patients with a high risk of surgery, but now many older patients over 75 years of age benefit from this minimally invasive method.

The TAVI offers numerous advantages: the intervention is usually done via the inguinal artery and does not require a profound opening of the chest. As a result, the burden for the patients is lower and the recovery times are shortened. Prof. Dr. Marcus Franz, chief physician of the Clinic for Cardiology at the HKZ, emphasizes the importance of quality assurance and cooperation within an interdisciplinary team. This is also reflected in the steadily increasing demand-so the TAVI numbers rose by around 20 % to around 150 interventions per year last year.

development and certification

2017 The HKZ Rotenburg was the first certified Tavi Center in Northern Hesse, which makes it a first point of contact for many patients. The certification was granted by the German Society for Cardiology and the German Society for Thoracic, Cardiac and Vascular Surgery. The cardiovascular center has developed an excellent reputation through the continuous improvement of its procedures and methods in cardiac medicine.

TAVI has developed in recent years. Today, younger patients can also benefit from this therapy under certain conditions. In addition to the aortic valve supply, the entire interventional flap program, which also includes mitral and tricus pidal flaps, records an increase of around 50 % to around 70-80 patients per year. According to cardiology.uk-koeln.de , Tavi is now carried out over 500 times a year and is considered standard treatment for aortic flapstoses, especially for over 75 year olds.

The technology in detail

An innovative approach to the treatment of aortic valve stenoses is catheter -based technology. This is made possible by a catheter that is usually introduced via the inguinal artery. The diseased flap is not removed, but pressed against the wall during the intervention so that the new flap can take on its function. This makes Tavi particularly suitable for patients who have an increased risk due to their age or comorbidities in conventional operations.

Studies show that after a TAVI intervention, the symptoms in high-risk patients are significantly improved and the complication rate remains low. Tavi is mainly used for aortic valve stenoses that represent the most common heart valve disease in Germany. Another interesting detail is that about 40 % of all aortic valves in Germany are replaced by Tavi, which underlines the trend towards minimally invasive cardiac medicine.

The HKZ Rotenburg also plans a new building in Bad Hersfeld to improve the capacities and framework conditions for its patients and the team. Despite the successful development, the need for modern treatment forms in the field of cardiac medicine - especially at a time when older people live longer and also require optimal medical care.