Valve replacement as we know it today started in the 1960s and
xenograft valves have been in use on a large scale for about 10 years. In
general, the man-made valve has proved longer lasting than the biological
valve, but to date only a small proportion of the biological valves have
failed. Many prefer to face up to the possibility of another operation after,
say, 10 years, should the biological valve fail, rather than face the minor
burden, albeit a small one, of remembering to take their Warfarin tablets and
of having to make visits to their anti-coagulant clinic, together with the
constraints of the anti-coagulant-dependent life. It is the surgeon’s
responsibility to decide which type of valve the patient should receive, but
the patient’s view and prefrences are always taken note of.