The evolution of surgical valves

Abstract

The treatment of heart valve diseases started in 1914 with closed heart procedures. In 1952, the first valvular heart prosthesis was implatanted in the heterotopic position. In almost one century, cardiovascular surgery has progressively evolved in several steps that represented correct answers to upcoming clinical challenges. In this ­review we retrace the history of heart valve prostheses, from the first steps to the present.