On March 11, 1960, Nina Starr Braunwald led an operative team at the National Institutes of Health to successfully implant the first artificial mitral heart valve of her own design. This procedure marked a milestone in thoracic surgery, positioning her among the first women to perform open-heart operations and establishing her influence in medical research.
Academic and Surgical Foundations
Born in Brooklyn in 1928 to Morris K. and Mary Starr, Nina Helen Starr demonstrated early interest in science, joining the American Society of Amateur Microscopers at age 14. She attended the Grossman School of Medicine and underwent general surgery training at Bellevue Hospital from 1952 to 1955. She completed further training at Georgetown University Hospital, working within the surgical laboratory of Charles A. Hufnagel.
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In 1958, she joined the National Heart Institute in Bethesda, Maryland, under Andrew G. Morrow. Her research centered on prosthetic development. By 1959, she was implanting experimental mitral valves in canine models. Following her successful human implantation in 1960, she continued to advance valve technology, creating the cloth-covered Braunwald-Cutter valve used extensively during the late 1960s and early 1970s. During this tenure, she served as a Staff Surgeon and later as Deputy Chief of the Clinic of Surgery until 1968.
Clinical Contributions and Research Focus
Beyond mechanical valves, her research addressed stented aortic homografts and surgical treatments for chronic thromboembolic disease. She investigated tissue culture methods to reduce clotting in prosthetic devices. Her academic output included more than 110 peer-reviewed articles published in journals such as The New England Journal of Medicine and Circulation. These efforts earned her the 1962 Golden Plate Award and the 1966 Marion Spencer Fay Award.
Professional Transitions and Later Career
In the latter stage of her career, Braunwald moved to the University of California, San Diego, where she became an Associate Professor of Surgery and developed a cardiothoracic training program. In 1972, she relocated to the Boston area, joining Harvard Medical School as an Associate Professor. She held staff positions at Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Boston Children's Hospital, while also serving as a consultant at the West Roxbury Veterans Administration Medical Center.
Fast facts
- Born: March 2, 1928, Brooklyn
- Died: August 5, 1992, Weston
- Education: Grossman School of Medicine
- 1960: First successful human artificial mitral valve implant
- 1962: Golden Plate Award recipient
- 1966: Marion Spencer Fay Award recipient
- Role: Deputy Chief of the Clinic of Surgery, NIH (1965-1968)
- Publications: Over 110 peer-reviewed articles
Questions readers ask
What was Nina Starr Braunwald's primary contribution to cardiac surgery?
She designed and fabricated the first successful artificial mitral heart valve, which she implanted in a human patient in 1960.
How is her legacy recognized in medicine today?
The Thoracic Surgery Foundation and the Association of Women Surgeons offer awards and fellowships in her name to support the development of women in academic cardiac surgery.
