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| | Bob's Aortic Valve |
 | | Bob underwent open heart surgery on May 22, 2002, to replace a defective aortic valve with a mechanical valve, and is now at home recuperating. |
 | | Probably taken in the 1930's, long before cardiac surgery was possible, this photograph shows the narrowed and calcified aortic valve cut clean through (in the middle of the photograph). |
 | | This drawing of normal cardiac valves from above, with the upper chambers (atria) dissected away, shows the cusps of the aortic valve, which is surrounded with red, with the two coronary arteries, also in red, coming off it. |
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