The caged-ball valve created by Albert Starr and Lowell Edwards was implanted for the first time in September 1960 and marked the beginning of the modern era for heart valve replacement. It remained the only type of mechanical heart valve until the 1980’s and was the first valvular prosthesis produced and marketed on a large scale. Its long-term results have made the Starr–Edwards prosthetic valve a benchmark in the field of cardiothoracic surgery, with case reports of these valves lasting over 50 years!

Amrane M, Soulat G, Carpentier A, Jouan J. Starr-Edwards aortic valve: 50+ years and still going strong: a case report. European Heart Journal. Volume 1, Issue 2, Dec 2017.