The Longest Known Survival of a Patient With Bioprosthetic Aortic Valve Replacement: A 42-Year Follow-Up

Aortic valve replacement (AVR) is a frequently performed procedure for treating aortic valvulopathy. AVR involves replacing the damaged aortic valve with either a mechanical or a bioprosthetic valve. While many factors are involved when selecting between the two options, age and patient preference are the deciding factors at this point. Mechanical valves demonstrate long-standing durability that overlaps with the accompanied bleeding risk due to lifetime anticoagulant therapy, making them a more favorable choice for younger patients. Bioprosthetic valves are preferred for older patients as they show a reduced risk of thrombogenicity. However, bioprosthetic valves have a higher incidence of structural valve degeneration (SVD) than mechanical valves. Our case report focuses on a 76-year-old patient who had undergone an AVR with a bioprosthetic valve at the age of 33, which has still not demonstrated any valve deterioration. As the longest known case of bioprosthetic durability, this patient provides useful data for designing bioprosthetic valves more resistant to structural degeneration and thereby better suited to younger patients or those at higher risk of bleeding.