title: The development of valvular heart surgery over the past 50 years (1947-1997): personal recollections.
abstract: The development of valvular heart surgery over the past 50 years has required the efforts and creative genius of many surgical pioneers. It has been filled with exhilarating short-term successes and some devastating failures. This article traces the 50 years of persistence and determination that have brought us to a time when the majority of patients with heart valve disease can be returned to a happy and fulfilling life by valvuloplasty or by valve replacement.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, New York University School of Medicine, New York 10016, USA.
authors.forename: F C
authors.initials: FC
authors.lastname: Spencer
mesh_terms: D006348:Cardiac Surgical Procedures / Q000266:history*; D006350:Heart Valve Prosthesis / Q000266:history; D006351:Heart Valves / Q000601:surgery* / Q000637:transplantation; D049673:History, 20th Century; D006801:Humans