Fylde coast man praises pioneering keyhole heart surgery at Blackpool Victoria Hospital for saving his life

Retired engineer Roger Leeson, 78, of Northumberland Avenue, Cleveleys, underwent the Transcatheter Mitral Valve Replacement (TMVR) procedure on September 11 to replace a failing mitral valve.

Roger, who had previously had triple bypass surgery in his late 40s, had become unwell just after Christmas last year and spent the earlier part of this year undergoing tests before the problem with the valve was detected.

The delighted grandfather said: “Before this operation I could only walk a few steps and I could barely even talk, I was so out of breath.

"After the surgery, I was like a changed man, as if someone had waved a magic wand.

"It’s been absolutely brilliant and I can’t praise the whole team enough, especially the lead cardio surgeon, Dr Amr Gamal.”

The keyhole surgery had been deemed necessary for Roger to avoid having to open up his ribcage, given his age and his previous operation.

Consultant Cardiologist Dr Amr Gamal explained: “Undergoing the process was essential to improve this patient’s symptoms and quality of life – the only other alternative was to take tablets which would provide limited benefits. This procedure has really opened to the door to treating future patients who would otherwise have no further surgical options.”

The structural heart intervention team’s latest milestone saw them complete a Transcatheter Mitral Valve Replacement (TMVR) procedure on Roger.

It was the first of these processes to be completed not only at Blackpool Vic but in the region.

A spokesman for Blackpool Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust said: “It was achieved through considerable planning, preparation and teamwork.

“The mitral valve regulates blood flow from the upper left chamber into the lower left chamber.

“The procedure involves a flexible, hollow tube (catheter) which is inserted through a blood vessel to reach the heart and replace the mitral valve.”