Aberrant right coronary artery in a grown up congenital cardiac patient, successfully treated 46 years earlier with a double Starr-Edwards silastic ball valve replacement: a case report

Abstract

BackgroundThe Starr-Edwards ball valve prosthesis was successfully introduced in 1961–62 and largely used for aortic and mitral valve replacement. Even if Starr-Edwards valves have been widely replaced in clinical practice by other mechanical valves, they define a standard concerning long-term durability.Case presentationWe describe the case of a 55-year-old man referred to our Department to perform a cardiac computed tomography (CCT), to better evaluate a severe dilation of ascending aorta discovered at echocardiography. The patient had been surgically treated 46 years earlier to correct a supra-cristal type ventricular septal defect. Both mitral and aortic valves were replaced, respectively due to bacterial mitral endocarditis and a fibrous sub-valvular aortic stenosis. In addition, the right coronary artery (RCA) was found to arise from the left coronary sinus.ConclusionWe report the longest lasting durability (46 years) of aortic and mitral Starr-Edwards valves successfully implanted in a patient simultaneously carrying a malignant anomalous origin of RCA.