Same-Day Discharge Safe For Some Heart Valve Replacement Patients

Key TakeawaysSome heart valve replacement patients can safely leave the hospital the same day as their procedureThey had similar outcomes to patients who remained in the hospitalPatients eligible for same-day discharge had no significant heart disease and someone who could care for them at home.MONDAY, Feb. 23, 2026 (HealthDay News) — Some folks undergoing a heart valve replacement might be able to leave the hospital the same day, a new study says.Folks discharged the same day as their heart valve replacement had similar outcomes as those who were eligible for same-day discharge but stayed in the hospital due to health concerns, researchers reported at a European Society of Cardiology (ESC) meeting in Munich, Germany.These patients received a transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI), a minimally invasive procedure that replaces a heart valve through a catheter that’s run up through the femoral artery in the groin to the heart.“Next-day discharge after TAVI has become increasingly popular with advances in technology and streamlining of care pathways,” said researcher Dr. Krishnarpan Chatterjee, a cardiologist at James Cook University Hospital in Middlesbrough, U.K.“Same-day discharge is the next step,” Chatterjee said in a news release. “This has been shown to be safe in a highly selected cohort of patients.”For the study, researchers reviewed records of 790 patients who underwent a TAVI between June 2018 and December 2024.Of those patients, 279 (35%) were deemed eligible during initial screening for same-day discharge because they had no significant heart disease and had someone who could support them at home the night after their procedure.Only 160 (57%) of the patients eligible for same-day discharge wound up leaving on schedule, however. Doctors chose to keep the rest in the hospital because they had heart rhythm abnormalities, blood vessel issues or other health problems.The average age of those discharged the same day as their procedure was 80, researchers said.Results showed that those given a same-day discharge had similar death rates as those who wound up staying in the hospital — 1.8% versus 0.8% after 30 days.They also were about as likely to wind up back in the hospital for other health problems within a month, researchers found.“With careful selection, we have shown that around 1 in 5 patients can be successfully discharged on the same day as their day-case TAVI procedures, without increased risk of adverse outcomes,” Chatterjee said.“This is important for patients as it reduces the risk of complications linked to hospital stay, such as infection or delirium,” he said. “It is also associated with reduced use of health care resources. Further studies on same-day discharge after day-case TAVI are warranted.”Chatterjee presented the new study Thursday at the ESC meeting.Findings presented at medical meetings should be considered preliminary until published in a peer-reviewed journal.More informationThe American Heart Association has more on TAVI.SOURCE: European Society of Cardiology, news release, Feb. 19, 2026 .What This Means For YouSome people might be able to leave the hospital the same day as their heart valve replacement procedure..Sign up for our weekly HealthDay newsletter

Same-Day Discharge Safe For Some Heart Valve Replacement Patients

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