A GRANDMA’s life was saved when doctors replaced her artery with a ‘frozen elephant trunk’ in a groundbreaking op.
Jeanette, 70, was in desperate need of surgery, as her aorta – the body’s biggest artery – was diseased and threatening to rupture.
5
The widow’s aortic valve at the top of her heart is also leaking – a defect that can cause heart failure.
“Having an enlarged aorta and a leaky heart is like a time bomb,” consultant cardiac surgeon Amit Modi explained.
During an episode of BBC’s popular series Surgeons: At the Edge of Life, Amit and his team from the Univeristy of Southampton can be seen performing a high-risk procedure to repair both conditions and give Jeanette a healthy future.
The operation, which can take all day to complete, involves a group of doctors removing and replacing the damaged section of the aorta with a synthetic tube.
The tube, bizarrely called a frozen elephant trunk, is stitched to replace Jeantte’s aorta.
Amit can then be seen removing the faulty aortic valve before sewing in a new one made of animal tissue.
“This is not a routine procedure, and the stakes are high,” Amid explained.
It amazes me how I can stop and restart the heart every time I do this operation
Amit Modi
During the procedure, her heart is stopped, and her body is attached to a heart-lung bypass machine, which will oxygenate and pump blood around her body temporarily.
The longer Jeanette’s heart is not used, the greater the risk it will not start again when she comes off the bypass.
Amit also has to ensure the stitches in the new synthetic aorta are perfect – if they aren’t watertight, she could suffer from a fatal bleed.
After six hours in theatre, Jeneattes’s heart appears to be pumping, her new valve is working, and the synthetic aorta is carrying blood to her body.
“Even though I’ve done over 1,500 cardiac procedures, I still feel how miraculous the heart is.
“It amazes me how I can stop and restart the heart every time I do this operation.”
5
Recovery
Eight months on Jeanette appeared to be recovering well at home surrounded by family.
“Bit by bit, I’m getting back into a normal routine,” the gran said.
“I don’t worry about the aneurysm bursting.”
She added: “I owe Mr Modi a lot; he’s given me my life back.”
5
5
What is heart failure? And what are the symptoms?
Heart failure means that the heart is unable to pump blood around the body properly.
It usually happens because the heart has become too weak or stiff.
It can occur at any age but is most common in older people.
The main symptoms of heart failure are:
- Breathlessness after activity or at rest
- Feeling tired most of the time and finding exercise exhausting
- Feeling lightheaded or fainting
- Swollen ankles and legs
Some people also experience other symptoms, such as a persistent cough, a fast heart rate and dizziness.
Symptoms can develop quickly (acute heart failure) or gradually over weeks or months (chronic heart failure).
It most cases, it cannot be cured but the symptoms can often be controlled for many years.
What can cause it?
Heart failure is often the result of a number of problems affecting the heart at the same time.
Conditions that can lead to heart failure include:
- Coronary heart disease – where the arteries that supply blood to the heart become clogged up with fatty substances (atherosclerosis), which may cause angina or a heart attack
- High blood pressure – this can put extra strain on the heart, which over time can lead to heart failure
- Conditions affecting the heart muscle (cardiomyopathy)
- Heart rhythm problems (arrhythmias), such as atrial fibrillation
- Damage or other problems with the heart valves
- Congenital heart disease – birth defects that affect the normal workings of the heart
Sometimes obesity, anaemia, drinking too much alcohol, an overactive thyroid or high pressure in the lungs (pulmonary hypertension) can also lead to heart failure.
When to see a doctor
See a GP if you experience persistent or gradually worsening symptoms of heart failure.
Call 999 for an ambulance or go to your nearest A&E department as soon as possible if you have sudden or very severe symptoms.
A number of tests can be used to help check how well your heart is working, including blood tests, an ECG and an echocardiogram.
Source: NHS