Hi @susankvan
I just had a TAVR at Mayo Clinic Rochester in January at age 75. They gave me a choice of Open Heart Surgery or TAVR. You need to be relatively healthy to get the OHS option, if you are too feeble to withstand that they will only offer TAVR. They also do a CT scan a week before the surgery to make sure your femoral artery is big enough to a TAVR and also to get the exact measurements to size the new valve. I opted for TAVR because of the much shorter recovery time and risk factor, I don't like the idea of having my heart stopped and being put on a heart-lung machine and having the pain and long recovery associated with OHS. I was conscious during my TAVR and only needed Tylenol for a few days after it for the pain in my groin area. I live alone and was able to recover at home with not issues. I do recommend cardiac rehab though, that has been great in building my strength back up.