Eiichi Tanaka - 1.5 Millionth Mechanical Heart Valve Recipient

At age 64, Eiichi Tanaka was cultivating an active, quiet retirement in Kazuno, a small city in a river valley in northern Japan. He grew rice and apples on his family's land, shaped Bonsai trees, and spent time with his wife, mother, children, and grandchildren. Mr. Tanaka also loved to travel, and was making plans for future vacations when a sudden health problem changed his itinerary.

In early 2004, Mr. Tanaka began having chest pain and trouble breathing when he climbed his stairs, and his feet got so cold that he couldn't sleep at night. At the medical clinic in Kazuno, doctors determined that fluid had accumulated in Mr. Tanaka's chest—a sign that his heart was functioning poorly. The medical clinic doctors sent him to see the heart specialists at Iwate Medical University in Iwate, Japan.

A series of tests in Iwate revealed that Mr. Tanaka had aortic regurgitation, a condition in which blood flows backward into the heart through the aortic valve. Mr. Tanaka's native aortic valve would need to be replaced.

After reviewing their options, doctors decided to implant a SJM Regent® Valve. This Regent valve would be special. Mr. Tanaka would receive the 1,500,000 implant of a St. Jude Medical® mechanical heart valve.

In 1977, Helen Heikkinen received the first St. Jude Medical mechanical heart valve at the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis, Minnesota USA. Now, more than 25 years later and more than 5,000 miles away, Mr. Eiichi Tanaka received the 1,500,000th St. Jude Medical mechanical valve. Professor Kohei Kawazoe, Director of Iwate Medical University, performed Mr. Tanaka's landmark surgery.

Mr. Tanaka was surprised and happy to play a part in this medical milestone. He was happier still with the results of his valve replacement. "I started leading my normal life at about two weeks after [the] operation," Mr. Tanaka said.

Today, Mr. Tanaka continues to thrive, enjoying family time, Bonsai pruning, and restful sleep. He still counts travel among his favorite hobbies, and has picked up where he left off planning more vacations. Mr. Tanaka previously visited two Japanese islands, parts of Thailand, and Hong Kong, China, and is looking forward to adding many more stamps to his passport in the future.

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