University of Cape Town Aortic Heart Valve
date: label: date made
content: ca 1965
notes: label: Description
content: This interesting looking heart valve is sometimes called the toilet plunger valve with a tethered plunger prosthesis with a double cone-shaped poppet. It was designed by Christiaan Barnard of the University of Cape Town. It was available for implantation between 1961 and early 1970s. In 1967, Barnard led the surgical team that performed the first human-to-human heart transplant. After his residency at the University of Cape Town he came to the United States to receive training from Dr. Walter Lillehei (1918-1999) at the University of Minnesota.
label: Description
content: Dr. Barnard (1922-2001) was inspired by the way in which the water tank in a toilets function, and he saw similarities with the human heart. Due to the tiny metal rings which held the 'plunger' in place, clotting occurred. In spite of that, this valve was implanted in humans. In the words of Manny Villafana, "you've gotta understand that there was no answer and everyone was looking for an answer." This is why the valve was used, in spite of thrombosis and thromboembolism. These issues led to its eventual discontinuation.
label: Location
content: Currently not on view
place: label: place made
content: South Africa: Western Cape, Cape Town
topic: label: Subject
content: Cardiology
label: Subject
content: Prosthesis
label: Subject
content: Artificial Organs
setName: label: See more items in
content: Medicine and Science: Medicine
label: See more items in
content: Health & Medicine
label: See more items in
content: Artificial Heart Valves
creditLine: label: Credit Line
content: Gift of Manuel Villafaña
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: National Museum of American History
identifier: label: ID Number
content: 2015.0031.20
label: catalog number
content: 2015.0031.20
label: accession number
content: 2015.0031
objectType: label: Object Name
content: cardiology
label: Object Name
content: artificial heart valve
physicalDescription: label: Physical Description
content: metal (overall material)
label: Physical Description
content: cloth (overall material)
label: Physical Description
content: silicone rubber (overall material)
label: Measurements
content: overall: 4.5 cm x 3 cm x 3 cm; 1 25/32 in x 1 3/16 in x 1 3/16 in