43.3-year durability of a Smeloff-Cutter ball-caged mitral valve

Stuart J Head; Jamie Ko; Rajeev Singh; William C Roberts; Michael J Mack

doi:10.1016/j.athoracsur.2010.06.124

43.3-year durability of a Smeloff-Cutter ball-caged mitral valve

Ann Thorac Surg. 2011 Feb;91(2):606-8. doi: 10.1016/j.athoracsur.2010.06.124.

Authors

Stuart J Head¹, Jamie Ko, Rajeev Singh, William C Roberts, Michael J Mack

Affiliation

¹ Cardiopulmonary Research Science and Technology Institute, Dallas, Texas, USA.

PMID: 21256329
DOI: 10.1016/j.athoracsur.2010.06.124

Abstract

Extended durability of mechanical heart valves has been documented for many years. We describe a case of a ball-caged mechanical valve implanted 43.3 years previous to developing valve dysfunction. The patient presented with both prosthetic valve stenosis and insufficiency. This Smeloff-Cutter valve (Cutter Laboratories, Berkeley, CA) in the mitral position was dysfunctional due to lipid absorption, which resulted in ball variance and concomitant pannus growth prevented optimal seating of the ball in its cage. This is the longest length of time in which a Smeloff-Cutter mechanical valve has been originally implanted.

Publication types

Case Reports

MeSH terms

Adolescent
Equipment Failure Analysis
Female
Heart Valve Prosthesis*
Humans
Middle Aged
Mitral Valve Insufficiency / diagnosis
Mitral Valve Insufficiency / therapy*
Mitral Valve*
Prosthesis Design
Prosthesis Failure*
Prosthesis Implantation
Reoperation