Annabella Bell, the oldest woman to live with an artificial heart valve transplant, lived for 49 years. She received her transplant on December fourth 1972. And died the 2nd of February, 2022. She was able to leave the hospital just 19 days after the surgery.

What is an artificial heart valve? An artificial heart valve is a device Surgeons use to replace heart valves that have been damaged. Usually used when a patient has a heart disease, or their heart valves aren’t functioning properly. But, there are two different types of artificial valves. Mechanical and Tissue valves.

It basically helps pump blood in your chest, pump blood into the lungs and more. The cost of the procedure, surgeons say it can be up to $10,000 and 200,000$, and the survival rate is about 70%. And it usually produces a clicking sound, which can be heard by the patient and others. It was said, the first successful artificial heart valve transplant was developed by, Dr. Charles Hufnagel, in the 1950’s.

Artificial heart valves have saved a lot of lives, and it’s a really convenient invention. However, since the mechanical valves are made of metal it’s likely blood clots will form on its surface, and leave you at a risk of a heart attack, or a stroke. People who do have mechanical valves have to have blood-thinning medication for a lifetime, laboratory tests on a regular basis, and limited physical activity.