Excellent durability of a Starr-Edwards mitral caged-ball-valve prosthesis over 34 years.

摘要

An 80-year-old female presented with pulmonary edema secondary to severe mitral regurgitation dueto prosthetic mitral valve endocarditis involving a Starr-Edwards caged-valve prosthesis (Edward Life-sciences, Nyon, Switzerland) implanted in 1976 for rheumatic mitral stenosis. The infected prosthesis was replaced with a porcine bioprosthesis. The Starr-Edwards prosthesis showed no signs of structural degeneration, fibrous ingrowth, or thrombosis despite the fact that it had been implanted 34 years ago (Fig. 1).