RENTON, Wash., [May 20, 2026] – Radiation exposure during Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement, or TAVR, procedures was low overall across nearly 9,000 cases performed in Providence’s seven-state health system from 2018 to 2022, according to a new Providence study published in the Journal of Society for Cardiovascular Angiography & Interventions. The study also identified several patient and procedural factors that can help further reduce radiation exposure, offering reassurance for physicians considering careers in structural heart interventions, particularly women.
Conducted by researchers out of Providence Heart Institute of Oregon and Providence CARDS, the findings were inspired by a concern that has long influenced career decisions in interventional cardiology where women remain significantly underrepresented. Published data indicate women account for only a small share of interventional cardiologists and less than 5 percent of TAVR operators in the United States. Concerns about radiation exposure, especially during childbearing years, have been identified as a disproportionate barrier for female doctors-in-training when they are considering a career in interventional cardiology.
Like many interventional cardiology procedures, TAVR relies on real-time X-ray imaging. While radiation exposure during procedures is carefully managed and kept low, concerns about cumulative occupational exposure have discouraged some doctors from pursuing careers in procedural cardiology. A 2024 study found that among women younger than 40, radiation exposure and potential fetal risk were the most commonly identified barriers to choosing careers in these areas.
This is especially significant with TAVR becoming a widely used treatment for severe aortic stenosis. The minimally invasive procedure replaces a narrowed aortic valve without open-heart surgery, and its growing use is increasing demand for specialists trained to perform it.
“Our research provides an important real-world look at radiation exposure during TAVR procedures and the factors that influence it,” said Logan Vincent, M.D., an interventional cardiologist at Providence Heart Institute and one of the study’s authors. “Our findings should provide reassurance for anyone considering a career in interventional cardiology, especially women who may have questions about safety during pregnancy.”
That reassurance was borne out in the findings. Researchers discovered that overall radiation exposure during TAVR procedures was low and that several variables — including patient, procedural and device factors — each contributed small changes in dose, pointing to practical opportunities to reduce exposure even further.
The retrospective cohort analysis examined 8,976 TAVR procedures performed across Providence from Jan. 1, 2018, through Dec. 31, 2022. Researchers analyzed registry-based data to better understand real-world radiation exposure during TAVR and identify procedural and environmental factors associated with higher or lower exposure.
For patients, the findings reinforce that TAVR remains a safe and effective treatment option. For physicians, especially women considering a career in structural heart interventions, the study offers timely evidence that radiation exposure in this field is low and carefully managed.
“By addressing a key concern for women in the specialty,” Dr. Vincent said, “we hope this research helps broaden the pipeline of future interventional cardiologists and supports greater diversity in a field that is critical to the future of heart care.”
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