Poppy Bilderbeck
The first person to ever receive a cow heart transplant while awake has described the experience as being 'like Star Wars'.
Retired paramedic and Territorial Army veteran John Smallwood had previously undergone an operation on his heart.
However, when his heart failed, the 74-year-old was told traditional surgery was no longer an option.
Upon much deliberation, John eventually agreed to take part in a pioneering heart valve replacement surgery.
Advert
Nine years ago, John had open heart surgery to mend a leaky mitral valve, The Mirror reports.
However, in 2019, not only his mitral valves but also his aortic valves began leaking.
John was left in a weak condition, often feeling 'out of breath [from] just talking on the phone,' to running out of 'battery' on short walks.
John was left fearing 'how long [he] had left,' worrying who would then take care of his disabled wife Carol.
Leader of the operation, coronary and structural interventional cardiologist Nishant Gangil, reflected how John appeared to have 'lost hope and accepted his fate'.
While traditional surgery 'wasn't an option,' Gangil told the 74-year-old about a 'novel treatment' which would see valves implanted 'through the groin'. However, he warned the process was 'more difficult' than aortic valve replacement operations which have been taking place since 2007.
The 74-year-old needed two new valves and so a specially bred cow's heart was prepared for the transplant.
John underwent a two-hour long operation at University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire.
However, because of his heart failure, he was required to stay awake rather than have the operation under general anaesthetic.
If he moved even a fraction, he was at risk of dying.
"We had to use a special needle to create a hole in his heart and deliver the second valve through that. Only a handful of these cases have been done worldwide. And we were going to do it under local anaesthetic, while John was still awake," Gangil explained.
Despite initially being 'a bit twitchy' about the surgery, upon discussing it with his family, John agreed to have it last September.
Gangil explained the 74-year-old was talked through the operation at every stage so he didn't 'get anxious' about how long it was taking.
John reflected how shocked he was to see '15 or so [doctors] outside [the theatre] and another five of six with the team inside'.
However, Gangil noted how 'very brave' and cooperative John was. "[John's] mental strength helped him to come through something that was quite unique," the surgeon reflected.
John said: "It was like something out of Star Wars. I feel incredibly lucky to have had this operation."
Gangil noted how 'ecstatic' all the doctors are with the results, with John having been able to 'walk up and down the ward a few times' just hours after the operation.
John concluded: "I can’t believe how much better I feel now. It’s like I’ve been reborn. I can do everything I couldn’t do before – look after my wife, change the bed, go out for walks, do the shopping. I haven’t felt this good since my late 30s.
"It is a great step forward, like the first heart transplant. Hopefully it will open the door for others like me who are deemed too risky for open heart surgery or a general anaesthetic."
If you have a story you want to tell, send it to UNILAD via [email protected]