Pioneering heart surgery survivor from Falkirk is world-record breaker

Anne and husband Jim showed off confirmation of the record on a visit to Forth Valley Royal Hospital

A 77-year-old Falkirk woman has set a new world record by becoming the longest-surviving recipient of a pioneering heart surgery procedure.

Anne Bell was a 28-year-old mother of two young children when she received a single artificial heart valve replacement in December 1972.

Her family's recent research revealed the previous record was surviving 47 years after surgery.

Anne said she "didn't expect to last this long."

"I can't thank them enough really," she said. "I was one of three people in hospital at that time who underwent this operation.

"Out of the three I am only one who survived as sadly one patient died a few weeks after surgery and the other died a year later."

Anne's husband Jim made a four-hour daily round trip with their children to visit her after the operation

The operation to replace Anne's mitral heart valve was carried out at the former Meanskirk Hospital in Glasgow.

Her husband Jim and children Carol and George, who were aged eight and four at the time, made daily four-hour round trips to visit her while she recovered.

Carol, a former nurse, said: "We were watching a TV programme about the 50th anniversary of the Ibrox disaster and it got us thinking about how it must be nearly as long since mum had her heart valve replacement surgery and whether this was unusual."

Carol and George began the "long process" of gathering evidence for the Guinness Book of World Records last year.

'Incredibly lucky'

Following their research and supporting information from NHS Forth Valley consultant Dr Catherine Labinjoh, the new record of 49 years and 60 days was confirmed in February.

Anne, who was discharged from hospital just 19 days after the operation, said: "I feel incredibly lucky to have lived for such a long time after this operation.

"It's given me the opportunity to see both my children grow up and spend time with my husband and the rest of our friends and family."

Dr. Albert Starr, the 95-year-old US cardiac surgeon, based in Portland, Oregon, who jointly developed heart valve replacement surgery, said: "Work on the valve implanted in this patient began in 1958 by Lowell Edwards and myself in Portland with the first human implant in 1960.

"The refined model Anne Bell received was completed in 1965 and became the valve of choice for many decades."