Oldest Artificial Heart Valve on Record???

[Rush20]

Hi all. I've been in lurk mode over the past few weeks, however staying up to date on member activities. I hope you all are well and enjoying the spring weather.

I was curious whether or not anyone knows how old the oldest artificial heart valve is. I heard 41 years. Just curious. I'm 40 and I plan to live to 100 so I want to make sure my artificial aortic valve gets the credit it deserves.

 

[hensylee]

Maybe not the oldest - we had another member, an old trucker, who had surgery many yrs ago when he was a child before there was really heart valve replacement. If memory serves, he had been shot and that was the original reason for the surgery. He needed a replacement again, was afraid and just didn't want to get it done, figured he'd just go on and die. We finally managed to convince him that if he wanted to live on for awhile, he must get it done - he has had the surgery and seems happy with it. He stops in from time to time just to say hey. Maybe he'll see this and make a comment.

 

[John & Joann]

Joann had both valves replaced in 1971. There is one other person on this site that has had mechanical valves longer (I think that is correct). If there are any beyond the 35 year history, they would have had Starr-Edwards Valves that have been replaced. The Starr-Edwards )Ball-Check style were the first successful valves that lasted more than 5 years.

They were doing valve surgeries in the early 60's, but the success rate was not good. Most did not live beyond the first year. Several doctors wanted Joann to have the surgery in the early 60's, but her cardiologist said to wait until the learned more. He saved her life!!!!!

We would be most interested in the answer to this question!

 

[Rich]

I started my first engineering job in 1956.
We worked with a guy who had an artificial valve.
The older members may remember the little metal 'clickers' we played with when we were kids.
That is exactly what it sounded like, it was so loud that you could hardly talk to someone in the same room with him.
But he was alive and doing well, the technology sure has changed in the last fifty years.

 

[Marty]

Dr. Hufnagel at Georgetown was using mechanical ball cage aortic valves in the 50's.
They were very loud.

 

[Nancy]

Joe has a Bjork-Shiley aortic valve installed 26 years ago. It chops up his blood causing hemolytic anemia and it surely does click fairly loudly. He also has a much newer St. Jude mitral from 1999. That's much smaller and quieter. The surgeon who implanted the St, Jude had a hard time fitting in the valve because the old clunker took up so much room in Joe's heart.

Joe doesn't pay too much attention to the sound. He's used to it. Does use a sound machine at night though.

Here's a link from Al Lodwick's site about an interview with the longest surviving aortic valve replacement patient. There is also a picture of his old explanted ball and cage valve. Very interesting!

http://warfarinfo.com/warfarinfor43years.htm

 

[Rush20]

Thanks for the link Nancy. That is truly amazing! Imagine that as little as 45 years ago, your life expectancy after valve replacement was only 3 months. 3 months after my surgery last September, I was half-way through my rehab and was already back to work for 4 weeks. Medical technology is truly a miracle.

What I find very interesting is the original ball/cage design. It appears to be such a complex model compared to my St. Jude bi-leaflet valve. I can only imagine how loud those earlier models were.

I logged 20 miles today on my bike on a cool Chicago spring day. After reading that article, I am (again) truly grateful....

 

[John & Joann]

Thanks for your link Nancy. The Texas Heart Institute link on the Starr-Edwards Valves really got to me. Joann will NEVER see that link. We are SO thankful. Dr. Donal Mulder at UCLA was the greatest help to us. He knew the risk and sent us to Cleveland Clinic. He is in his 80's and the last information that I had was that he was still active in the department. What a fine man! Dr. C. Douglas Ford, Toledo, Ohio was our other hero that kept telling us to wait until the valves were perfected. A sincere and kind gentleman.

 

[Harpoon]

Over the summer I spent a fair amount of time trying to figure out my "long term prognosis" with an artificial heart valve... I managed to get my brain off thinking through that stuff but it still comes up once in a while...


40 years plus with an AVR is possible?????






Ahhhhhhhhhhhhh...........


I feel SOOOO much better now, thank you. =)

 

[RCB]

It depends on what the meaning of "oldest" is.

It depends on what the meaning of "oldest" is.

To view all the valves discussed below use the URL:



If you mean the oldest person with AVR, there are some
in their early '90s- having had surgery in their '80s.

If you mean oldest valve, many of the early implants of
the Starr-Edwards from the early 60s are still in place and some of those early implanted died from just plain old age.
I believe VR.com member Chris Crawford knows someone that had a very old Starr-Edward that is still functioning- maybe he could shed some light on the discussion. That person could have the oldest valve that is still in place.

Dr. Hufnagel is on record with the first valve, but his was
not a heart valve, as it was placed in the aortic artery rather
than in the heart.
http://members.evansville.net/ict/valve-hufnagel.htm

Dr.Dwight Harken(founder of Mended Hearts) placed the first heart valve in March of 1960, followed in a couple days later by Dr. Nina Braunwald. Both pt. were not young and it is unlikily that they are alive today. Although, it is said that his first valve lasted 22 years. I have written to both
Harvard and to Mended Hearts about this matter with no response so far.
http://members.evansville.net/ict/valve-harken1.htm

Dr. Albert Starr implanted the first mitral valve in the Summer of 1960, but lost the first several pt. He did have two success in September that year(see story above).
I have been trying to contact Amanda Dao( the second of Dr. Starr's successes) by doing a goggle search, genealogy
search and by writing to Dr. Starr- again no responses. If
Mrs. Dao is alive she would be in her mid-to-late '60. The Edward website has a story about a young lady that Dr. Cosgrove of CC implanted an Edwards valve in- Her name
was An Dao........coincidence? I will write another email, but with most likily the same response. Another interesting
item is that our own Marty's Dr.( Dr. Ed Lefrak) worked with Dr. Starr.
http://members.evansville.net/ict/valve-firststarr.htm

Dr. Earl B. Kay(of Cleveland's St Vincent) started 1959 with
several losses due to clotting and PE caused by the Heart lung machine. His valve was fashioned
by sewing together three urethane leaflet to form a valve
inside the heart. His first success came later in 1960 on Halloween. You can imagine the joy in the hospital as the news spread that a young boy who only had a month to
live, was alive and thriving with his new valve. It was especially good news to my mother who thought she had kissed her son good by for the last time as they took me away for this last chance surgery.
http://members.evansville.net/ict/valve-kay.htm

 

[SJJ]

RCB,
What an amazing story! I haven't been around all that long and didn't know this about your history. I'd be fascinated to hear more of the details, i.e., how long was your recovery, how long did the surgery last, any post-op problems,etc, if you're willing to share them.
Sue

 

[Rush20]

Thanks RCB. Wonderful story.

In answer to your question, my initial inquiry was for the oldest valve, not necessarily the older person who received a valve. I received my St. Jude Aortic Mechanical last year at age 40. Therefore, I'm curious as to who has the oldest working mechanical valve.

 

[RCB]

Still researching

Still researching

Allen,
The answer to you your question would be Joann of
Vr.com member John & Joann> She had her valve for 28
years before it was replaced. Of a valve which is still in place
Nancy's husband Joe is the current title holder and if he doesn't have it replace in the next couple of years,will surpass even Joann's record.
However we still have heard from member Ccrawford
who knew someone who had a Starr-Edwards implanted back in the '60s. That person could easily have a valve for
over 35-40 years.
My S-E valve lasted less than 17 years, I'm not any
where close to the above people. My third valve will bit the
dust at 22 years. My 17 years were my sports years and they tend to be pretty tough on valves.

 

[Gisele]

I had my mechanical valve for nearly 22 years before it was replaced with a tissue valve due to Coumadin problems. If it wasn't for that I would have expected that it would have lasted me my lifetime. I was 26 years old when I had the same valve as Nancy's husband implanted (Bjork Shiley-mitral valve).

Providing you have no complications along the way, a mechanical valve should last you forever..........

 

[ticktock]

Old Valves

Old Valves

Hi Allen, et al...
I hate using the "old" word, but my old Bjork Shiley was implanted in 1978, that is what..... 26 years?? I am now 48 years young. Just last night I was surfing and found a site that talked of a Starr Edwards that was implanted "more than 40 years ago", and is still working away in a gentleman that is doing very well!
My first valvotomy was in 1961.... WAY too early for mechanicals, but still even early for open heart. It worked. I'm here....
mindy