What the planning CT measures

For a TAVI, the new valve is chosen and sized before the procedure — from the CT [1][2][3]:

  • The aortic annulus — the ring the new valve must fit — measured in three dimensions, because millimetres decide the device size [1][2].
  • Calcium: how much, and exactly where, since heavy deposits can affect the seal and the conduction system that runs beside the valve [1][2].
  • The coronary artery openings — their height above the valve, so the new frame cannot obstruct them [1][2].
  • The route in: the leg and pelvic arteries are mapped for size and tortuosity to confirm the catheter can travel safely [1][3].

The same discipline for keyhole surgery

Minimal-access operations lean on imaging in the same way: when the surgeon works through a small incision rather than an open chest, the anatomy must be known in advance — which is why CT planning is part of the standard workup for minimally invasive valve surgery as well as for transcatheter procedures [1][4].

Why the reading matters as much as the scan

A planning CT is a set of measurements, and measurements carry judgement: where exactly to place a calliper on a calcified ring, which reconstruction to trust, what an unusual anatomy means for device choice. This is specialist cardiovascular imaging work, done in collaboration with the surgeons and cardiologists who will act on it [1][2]. It is also a Heart Team instrument: the same scan often settles whether TAVI or surgery suits the patient better in the first place [1][2].

For referring clinicians

WellHeart takes referrals for advanced cardiac CT including TAVI planning and pre-surgical assessment; CT and MRI are acquired at partner hospitals and reported at the clinic, with reports returned to the referring clinician. To discuss a referral, please contact the clinic.