Taiwan hospital shortens hospitalisation for 19% of TAVR patients

The workflow cuts ICU use and shortens hospital stays.

The Cardiovascular Center of National Taiwan University Hospital (NTUH) has implemented an optimised Minimalist Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement care pathway, enabling selected patients to avoid general anaesthesia and shorten post-procedure hospitalisation, according to a press release.

Since extending the minimalist approach to postoperative care from late 2024, the centre reported that 30 patients, representing 33% of cases, transferred directly to general wards without ICU admission. The centre also discharged 17 patients, or 19% of cases, on the day following the procedure under stable conditions, NTUH said.

The care model differs from conventional TAVR workflows commonly used in Asia, which involve preoperative hospitalisation, general anaesthesia and routine postoperative intensive care admission, resulting in hospital stays of five to ten days or longer, according to NTUH.

The hospital said the workflow reduced length of stay and intensive care utilisation and improved bed turnover efficiency. NTUH has signed a memorandum of understanding with Edwards Lifesciences to establish an Asia-Pacific educational demonstration centre to support training for Minimalist TAVR teams and regional education in valvular heart disease care.