UHNM Cardiology team perform life-saving heart surgery to married couple in same week

A married couple of 56-years have praised the ‘marvellous’ care at University Hospitals of North Midlands NHS Trust (UHNM) after they both underwent the same life-saving heart surgery within a week. 
 
Donald and Joan Curzon both needed surgery for a transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) after separately being referred to UHNM’s cardiology department.   
 
Donald, 86, and Joan, 77, are now recovering at their home in Meadow Bank near Winsford following treatment at the Royal Stoke University Hospital earlier in the month.  
 
Joan, a former childcare worker said: “I was suffering from heart failure, and required two procedures, a TAVI then a permanent pacemaker fitted. It was around the same time that Donald became unwell, and following tests and scans he was told he also needed a TAVI. 

“It was very worrying. We’ve been married for such a long time, and it was our first time apart for so long, but it all turned out very well.” 

Donald and Joan were able to see each other whilst in hospital thanks to the efforts of the cardiology team. 

Joan said:  “It was while I was an inpatient at Royal Stoke that staff knew Donald was having his TAVI, so they kindly fetched me down from the ward and I sat with him for 45 minutes after his procedure. 

“I can’t praise the staff enough, they were marvellous. The attention they gave you, nothing was too much trouble, you only needed to ask, and they were there. They looked after us really well. It was special we were able to see each other and it definitely aided our recovery.”

Only 35 heart centres in the UK offer TAVI, a specialist intervention, as a less invasive approach than open-heart surgery.
 
The procedure takes around 45 minutes and is carried out under local anaesthetic.
 
Dr Karim Ratib, consultant cardiologist at UHNM who carried out both procedures, said: “Donald and Joan’s procedure involved replacing a narrowed aortic valve with a new one that is inserted via the femoral artery whilst they were awake. These procedures should improve their symptoms of breathlessness and improve their prognosis significantly.
 
“Whilst a TAVI procedure is common at UHNM, it’s very unusual to treat a husband and wife and even less so, during the same week. Their procedures went well and they are both relieved to have been treated and are enjoying their time at home together.”
 
Donald, 86, a former salt miner, said: “It was originally thought I’d need a pacemaker, but following  further tests and scans at UHNM I was told I needed a TAVI. I’m feeling a bit sore, but the procedure has gone fine.”