National Museum of American History
Mending Broken Hearts: Innovation Inside the Body
September 23, 2016 – March 26, 2017
The history of medical advancement in America has been one of trial and risk. Artificial heart valves were the first successful mechanical replacement of an organ in a human. Today, heart valve operations are routine, but developing a successful mechanical heart valve involved years of experimentation by small teams of doctors, scientists, and engineers after World War II.
