Not me but my dad had one of the first Albert Starr stainless steel birdcage aortic valves installed in 1973 or '74. In a quiet room you could hear the steel ball rattle up in the cage then fall down to settle on the ball seat. He had a second mitral one done in about '81. My mom learned to wake up whenever she didn't hear the valve rattle even at night. Way different now then back then. I know someone who had an aortic valve done and no major open the chest up like on dad. Docs sent a little folded up replacement valve into the heart by a catheter, once in place they "released" it to pop into full position and pretty much that was it. Dads first one was 3 weeks in the hospital, opened the chest up like cleaning an elk and sawed through the breastbone to insert the retractors. His chest hurt for months afterwards. The second was 10 times easier and nowadays, i9n comparison, the procedure is much quicker and less painful.
