Life-saving heart procedure helps husband maintain care for beloved wife
Patient Bill Cairns with Advanced Nurse Practitioner Katy Joss and Consultant Cardiologist and Clinical Lead for Cardiology, Mitchell Lindsay.
A heart patient has thanked the team behind his life-saving procedure, which helps him continue caring for his beloved wife of 62 years, during International Heart Valve Disease Awareness Week.
Bill Cairns, 86, was the 1,000th patient to receive a transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) operation at NHS Golden Jubilee in Clydebank.
The innovative service is for patients deemed high risk for conventional open heart surgery and is a less invasive alternative to surgery for aortic valve replacement, routinely performed through blood vessels in the groin.
The procedure helps reduce symptoms including shortness of breath, chest pain, dizziness and fainting. It also significantly reduces the risk of heart failure and death.
Bill, a former farm manager from Lochgilphead in Argyll and Bute, was becoming more breathless on his regular outdoor walks. He decided to get his health checked as he was worried it would affect his ability to care for wife Pat.
He said: “I love the outdoors and walk regularly, but I was getting more breathless every time so I thought I should go and see about it.
“I was delighted that I was able to come in while I could walk in and not need to be blue-lighted in because it was getting progressively worse. It was here that they decided that I needed a valve, but that it could be done through the artery, through a TAVI operation.
“To this day I don’t understand how they get it in an artery, but they did and it couldn’t have went any smoother. It was over in 40 minutes with no pain at all!
“If I hadn't been a carer for my wife, I might have just said, ‘oh, I'm fine, it’s just old age’, but because of her I decided to do something about it. This means I’m still here for her, so I can’t thank everyone enough for that.”
The TAVI service is provided for patients in the West of Scotland - a population of around 2.2 million people.
According to Heart Valve Voice, which leads the International Heart Valve Disease Awareness Week campaign every third week in September, heart valve disease affects millions globally, but remains undiagnosed or untreated due to a lack of awareness in many people.
Early detection and timely intervention can significantly improve patient outcomes and save lives.
As home of Scotland’s largest heart and lung unit, NHS Golden Jubilee accepts TAVI referrals from Lanarkshire, Dumfries and Galloway, Ayrshire and Arran, Argyll and Bute, Forth Valley, Highland and Greater Glasgow and Clyde.
On average 8 TAVI procedures are performed each week at NHS Golden Jubilee.
Due to the non-invasive nature of the procedure, patients are also back on their feet very quickly, with an average length of hospital stay just 2 days.
NHS Golden Jubilee Consultant Cardiologist and Clinical Director for Cardiology, Mitchell Lindsay, said: “To hit our 1,000th TAVI procedure is an incredible milestone for our service.
“Bill is just one of the amazing success stories that we have witnessed thanks to the dedication of our team at NHS Golden Jubilee.
“Every life is precious and TAVI is helping keep families and loved ones together, prolonging lives and helping people like Bill stay fit and healthy for them and their loved ones when conventional surgery may not be an option.”
NHS Golden Jubilee Medical Director, Mark MacGregor, added: “NHS Golden Jubilee is always working in collaboration with other health boards to deliver a life-saving service for patients, investing in innovative ways to treat patients effectively, in a person-centred way.”
International Heart Valve Disease Awareness Week
International Heart Valve Disease Awareness Week (16-22 September 2024) is a vital initiative led by Heart Valve Voice in collaboration with the Global Heart Hub and its affiliate members.
The campaign week is dedicated to shining a light on the importance of understanding the symptoms, risks, and treatment options.
For more information visit: https://heartvalvevoice.com
