European Journal of Cardio-Thoracic Surgery, Vol 11, 391-393, Copyright © 1997 by European Association for Cardio-thoracic Surgery
Thirty years survival after double valve replacement with Starr-Edwards prostheses in aortic and mitral position
O Godje, P Brenner, T Fischlein and B Reichart
Department of Cardiac Surgery, University Hospital Grosshadern, Ludwig- Maximilian-University, Munich, Germany.
We report about a patient who underwent double valve replacement with two
Starr-Edwards prostheses in aortic and mitral position 30 years ago. Under
anticoagulation medication he survived 28 years without any valve-related
events. In the 29th year he sustained a cerebral infarction from which he
recovered, having only a residual left arm paresis. His NYHA functional
class today is II-III. Chest X-ray shows a mildly enlarged configuration of
the heart, echocardiography reveals no irregularities of the implanted
prostheses. We conclude, that the Starr- Edwards valve presents an
outstanding standard concerning durability in mechanical valve replacement.