A LLANDUDNO man was one of the first in the UK to undergo pioneering robotic heart surgery.

Owen Veldhuizen, aged 51, was back at home last week only 48 hours after an operation to repair a damaged heart valve at the Liverpool Heart and Chest Hospital.

He was the fourth to benefit from the UK’s only robotic heart surgery programme.

He said: “The way everything fell into place was miraculous, and I hope to be back at work with Cartrefi Conwy housing association by mid-March. I didn’t even know I had a problem until my GP discovered I had a heart murmur, which would only have got worse.

“The hospital told me they had acquired a robotic machine thanks to a major fund raising campaign and asked if I was happy to be one of the first to use it.”

The operation was conducted using keyhole surgery, allowing the machine, controlled by a surgeon, to do the work with a minimum of trauma to my body.

He added: “My surgeon explained I would be one of the very first patients in the country to undergo this type of pioneering surgery.

“Although I was a little bit nervous, when he explained the benefits of the procedure, I felt reassured and was confident I was in the very best and safest hands possible.”

Mr Paul Modi, consultant cardiac surgeon at the hospital, who performed the surgery, said: “The benefits of this new programme will be enormous. It will significantly increase the number of patients who can undergo minimally invasive surgery.  Equally importantly, it will also reduce post-operative pain, lower the risk of infection, and ensure stays in hospital are considerably reduced.”

Owen added: “It’s incredible what Mr Modi and his team did for me. He told me about the benefits of robotic surgery and I would be back home quicker, but never in my wildest dreams did I imagine I would be back home within two days.”

With its team of newly-trained robotic surgeons, the hospital expects to conduct between 250-300 heart and lung operations in the next 12 months.

The four-armed da Vinci robot is named after the Renaissance artist and inventor who foresaw the coming of robots.

Operated by a consultant surgeon, the robot behaves the same way as a surgeon would when carrying out open surgery, but through tiny holes.

Hospital last week, where he was operated on to repair his damaged mitral valve.

On Saturday afternoon, two days after his successful operation, Owen was amazed to be

walking out of hospital ready for the trip back home.

The hospital’s new robotics programme will enable more patients requiring specialist

cardiothoracic treatment to benefit from cutting edge surgery.

Heart disease kills someone every six minutes and it’s estimated that more than 12 million

people are living with some form of lung disease. 

Liverpool Heart and Chest Hospital – the first specialist Trust in the country to be rated

outstanding by the Care Quality Commission – is at the forefront of the battle against these two leading causes of death in the UK.

As one of the largest specialist hospitals in the UK, it serves a population of 2.8 million

people, spanning Merseyside, Cheshire, North Wales and the Isle of Man. 

The 51 year old, who works for Cartrefi Conwy, a housing association in Conwy, said: “I was

referred to Liverpool Heart and Chest Hospital by my GP after discovering that I had a heart

murmur. Following a series of tests, I was told that I needed to have heart surgery to repair

my mitral valve.

“My surgeon explained that I would be one of the very first patients in the country to undergo

this type of pioneering robotic heart surgery. Although I was a little bit nervous, as soon as

he explained the benefits of the procedure and told me how quickly I would recover and be

back at home, I felt reassured and was confident that I was in the very best and safest hands

possible.”

He added: “The programme will also enable us to operate on those who are currently

considered inoperable because of their health, as there is far less trauma to the body

operating through small incisions only a few millimetres in length, rather than the more

traditional open surgery.

“This is especially important as we live in an ageing society and more people are living with

a number of health problems. Robotic surgery can make a huge difference to their lives.” 

Owen said: “It’s incredible what Mr Modi and his team have done for me. I know he told me

about the benefits of robotic surgery and that I would be back home quicker, but never in my

wildest dreams did I imagine I would be back home within two days.

“I’m so grateful and looking forward to the future, with nothing to hold me back.”

With its team of newly trained robotic surgeons, the Trust expects to carry out 250-300 heart

and lung cases in the first year.

Mr Mike Shackcloth, one of the Trust’s robotically trained consultant thoracic surgeons,

added: “Our robotics programme will not only allow us to provide even better care for our

patients, but it will also enable us to develop a training and research programme that will

ensure we can attract top trainees and consultants in the future.

“Our team at Liverpool Heart and Chest Hospital have national and international reputations

for outstanding care and treatment, and our new robotics programme will ensure we remain

at the leading edge of advances in surgery.”

The four-armed da Vinci robot is named after the Renaissance artist and inventor who

foresaw the coming of robots.  Operated by a consultant surgeon, the robot behaves the

same way as a surgeon would when carrying out open surgery, but through tiny holes - a

technique known as minimally invasive surgery.

Using the robot gives surgeons a high-definition view of the operating site in 3D via a screen

inside the control console, ensuring even greater surgical precision.