Excellent durability of Starr-Edwards ball valves implanted in the aortic and mitral positions for 27 years: report of a rare surgical case.
A 59-year-old male who had undergone aortic and mitral valve replacement with Starr-Edwards ball valves 27 years ago was admitted to our hospital for hemolytic anemia and heart failure. Echocardiography revealed prosthetic valve failure with a high-pressure gradient and small effective orifice area. The Starr-Edwards ball valves were successfully replaced with bileaflet mechanical valves. The explanted valves revealed no structural abnormalities.
Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, Fujita Health University, Toyoake, Aichi, Japan. masato26@fujita-hu.ac.jp
Masato
M
Tochii
Yasushi
Y
Takagi
Kan
K
Kaneko
Michiko
M
Ishida
Kiyotoshi
K
Akita
Yoshiro
Y
Higuchi
Motomi
M
Ando
D000328:Adult; D000743:Anemia, Hemolytic / Q000209:etiology / Q000601:surgery; D001021:Aortic Valve / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery*; D020878:Device Removal; D006333:Heart Failure / Q000209:etiology / Q000601:surgery; D006350:Heart Valve Prosthesis; D019918:Heart Valve Prosthesis Implantation / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000295:instrumentation*; D006439:Hemodynamics; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008943:Mitral Valve / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery*; D011312:Pressure; D011474:Prosthesis Design; D011475:Prosthesis Failure; D012086:Reoperation; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome