[Valve Re-replacement after Aortic Valve Replacement with Starr-Edwards Ball Valve Forty-five Years Ago:Report of a Case].

The patient was a 67-year-old man. At 22 years of age, he underwent aortic valve replacement with Starr-Edwards ball valve. At 67 years of age, he complained of fatigue of the New York Heart Association (NYHA) class Ⅲ condition. He was diagnosed with mitral regurgitation, tricuspid regurgitation, ascending aortic aneurysm and chronic atrial fibrillation. Transthoracic and transesophageal echocardiograms showed a mobile, elongated echogenic mass attached to the valve cage and floating downstream. We performed Bentall procedure, ascending aortic replacement, mitral valve replacement, tricuspid annuloplasty and left atrial appendage closure. Explanted ball valve showed extensive cloth destruction and partial cloth tear. Mild pannus formation was observed beneath the valve. Despite 45 years after initial operation, significant valve dysfunction was not observed.