The Reliability of Artificial Heart Valves ‐ A Case Study for the Proportional Hazards Model

Investigates the medical factors affecting the reliability of artificial heart valves using the proportional hazards model. The data, from a database which is still being assembled at Killingbeck Hospital, Leeds, refer to patients who have had artificial heart valves implanted. The analysis of the data has been carried out using a suite of programs not specifically designed with this application in mind. Illustrates the exploratory analysis, the parameter estimation for the model and the validation of the model, being a preliminary study to assess the value of the proportional hazards model for this area. Follow‐up work, as the database is revised and augmented, is intended.