50 years Smeloff-Cutter valve in aortic position! In June 1969 I received my artificial aortic valve at the St.Luke's Episcopal Hospital in Houston by Dr Denton Cooley. Still running strong enjoying life. I will be 74 this year, before valve replacement my life expectancy was max. 28 years. Thank you Smeloff-Cutter, thank you Dr.Cooley who remained my friend and physician to the very end of his life!

This valve nearly killed me. I had one implanted in March 1983 and within weeks I became jaundiced and anemic. After a battery of tests it was clear that the valve was chopping up red blood cells and platelets. The surgeon insisted that there was a fissure in the suture and he performed a second open heart surgery in July 1983 to "repair" the issue. It did not work. In September 1983 I was sent to Jewish Hospital in St Louis where the valve was replaced with another type of valve. No one ever told me what was wrong with the valve.

Husband has had this valve for almost 47 years. Had aortic stenosis. Surgery performed at the Cleveland Clinic - January 10, 1971. Surgeon - Doctor Groves. At that time he repaired the mitral valve which lasted until 1999. Has taken anticoagulants since 1971. He had the mitral valve replaced at the Cleveland Clinic in December 1999. Surgeon Toby Cosgrove. The aortic valve has some leakage which is being carefully monitored by Premier Health Care in Dayton, Ohio. Physician: Dr. Kamran Riaz.

I have read your comments about your husbands Smeloff-Cutter Valve and his aparent "leak". I have the same valve as of July 1969. Dr. Denton Cooley in Houston,Tx was my surgeon at the time. Over many years of seeing different cardiologist in different parts of the world, I was several times told that my artificial aortic valve is "leaking". At one point, I have talked to Dr. Cooley,telling him that my valve aparently has a leak. (I myself could hear the leak when using a stethoscope.) He laughed at me. Yes, there is a desiged "leak" as much as the ball is not sitting on the ring, but stopped by three metal prongs before completely seated, This makes the ball less damaging the blood particles and prevents the blood from being smashed. So, when you listen you can hear, at the end of the systolic heart murmur a fine hiss sound, which sounds like a leak because it is a "leak", but it is a wanted leak!

"I worked at Cutter Lab for 5 years back in the 70's...I still have my 5 year pin. I polished hundreds of these valves after they came in from the filers. They were one of the harder ones to polish because they came in different sizes, the baby valve was the hardest but the prettiest....because the struts were so close together. Sometimes we had to re-work them several times without scraping them to pass QA inspection. I especially loved polishing baby valve but liked all the others Cutter produced...I miss working there but thank goodness for the memories"