Northumberland woman who fell ill in Spain had 'one of the worst cases' of heart valve failure doctors had ever seen

A Cramlington woman, 77, had "one of the worst cases" of a heart condition doctors had ever seen.

But experts at the Freeman Hospital have now carried out a life-saving operation to replace the faulty valve in her heart - which had begun to narrow.

Kathleen Scarth had been in Spain when she suddenly noticed she was starting to feel unwell.

She said: "I noticed that I had started to lose my breath easily whilst I was on holiday. I would have to stop to catch my breath when out on a walk. A friend of mine came over to visit me, she said ‘that is not you’, and she encouraged me to go and see my doctor.”

After returning to the UK, Kathleen saw her GP and was sent for heart function tests. She added: "The cardiologist at the hospital said it was one of the worst cases they had seen.”

After saving Kathleen, the heart team at the Newcastle Hospitals NHS Trust has now carried out its 2000th transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) operation. The procedure involves fitting a replacement heart valve by using wire inserted into a blood vessel in a patient's leg.

Kathleen is now looking forward to getting back to an active life. She said: "After coming home following the procedure my breathing is much better. Before, I could not walk properly without sticks and my whole body was tired.

“I am no longer walking with sticks and slowly I am starting to exercise again. I have a 70th birthday party to attend later this year – dancing is my passion, so I am looking forward to taking to the dancefloor.”

Consultant cardiologist, Mohammad Alkhalil, who performed the operation. He said: “10% of patients over the age of 80 have narrowing of the heart valve. This often starts off mild and becomes severe quickly. Left untreated, 50% of patients will die within two years.”

Newcastle’s Freeman Hospital has been performing TAVIs since 2008 and Kathleen was the 2000th person to have the operation there. Dr Alkhalil continued: “Around 30-40 years ago, the only treatment we had for patients was open heart surgery to take the valve out.

“Now, due to advancements in technology, we are able to offer this far less invasive procedure under local anaesthetic. The procedure can be completed in under an hour and we sometimes see patients go home the same day.”

This simple life-saving treatment means patients do not require a long stay in hospital, but the outcome is still transformative, as Kathleen explains: “After coming home following the procedure my breathing is much better. Before, I could not walk properly without sticks and my whole body was tired.

“I am no longer walking with sticks and slowly I am starting to exercise again. I have a 70th birthday party to attend later this year – dancing is my passion, so I am looking forward to taking to the dancefloor.”