The Full form of AVR is Aortic Valve Replacement. An AVR is a type of open heart surgery used to treat problems with the heart’s aortic valve. The aortic valve controls the flow of blood out from your heart to the rest of your body. An AVR involves removing a damaged or faulty valve and replacing it with a new valve made from animal tissue or synthetic materials. It is a major operation that is not suitable for everyone and can take a long time to recover from. The aortic valve may need to be replaced for two reasons; one is the valve has become narrowed (aortic stenosis) – the opening of the valve becomes smaller, obstructing the flow of blood out of the heart and the second is the valve is leaky (aortic regurgitation) – the valve allows blood to flow back through into the heart. If left untreated, the problems with aortic valve can get worse over time and in severe cases can lead to life-threatening problems such as heart failure. There are no medicines to treat aortic valve problems, so replacing the valve will only be recommended if a person is at risk of serious complications but are otherwise well enough to have surgery.