Discharging patients early after transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) has been shown to be feasible and safe, Ole De Backer (Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen, Denmark) tells Cardiovascular News, setting out the fundamentals of implementing an early discharge programme in TAVI centres.
“When you have a growing TAVI programme, it is clear there are some constraints,” he says, commenting that while many cath labs will have the capacity to perform an increasing number of procedures, available hospital bed space can be a constraint. Devising an early discharge programme for patients undergoing TAVI can be a way to remove this bottle neck, he explains.
Teamwork is key, De Backer notes, adding that TAVI nurse specialists are an important part of the the process, to support case planning and align the expectations of the patient.
