Dr. Albert Starr, renowned Oregon surgeon, dies at 98

Dr. Albert Starr, a renowned cardiovascular surgeon, died Dec. 11 in Portland. He was 98.

A physician, teacher and innovator, Starr co-invented and implanted the world’s first artificial heart valve at OHSU in 1960, at the time the school was called the University of Oregon Medical School. His valve design has since been implanted in more than 800,000 people around the world.

“Albert Starr embodied the highest qualities of a physician, an innovator and a teacher. Through his commitment, he touched the lives of hundreds of thousands of patients and families over the years,” said Steve Stadum, interim president of OHSU in a statement. “Even after co-inventing and implanting the world’s first artificial heart valve, Dr. Starr continued to revolutionize the field, partnering with like-minded scientists, surgeons and medical device engineers around the globe to fine-tune and improve his work and to discover new and better ways to heal hearts.”

Starr, originally from New York City, made his way over to Oregon in 1957 after previously serving as an assistant surgeon at Columbia University. He was recruited to the first open-heart surgery program at the University of Oregon Medical School.

In 1985, he performed Oregon’s first heart transplant surgery which helped establish the state’s first and most comprehensive heart transplantation program.

“Dr. Starr transformed the approach to caring for cardiovascular disease,” said Joaquin Cigarroa, director of the OHSU Knight Cardiovascular Institute, in a statement. “The invention of the artificial heart valve increased the quality of life and quantity of life for people around the world.”

Starr held multiple titles and earned several awards in his career, including the Oregon Bioscience Association Lifetime Achievement Award in 2013 and the Phoenix Award for Innovation in 2009.

According to Dignity Memorial, Starr died from complications following a recent surgery.