A Leeds man spent weeks in hospital enduring consecutive cancellations after going in to have his "uncomfortable breathing checked" only to find out he had suffered a heart attack and didn't even know it.
Andrew, says he did not feel any kind of pain at all. The 49-year-old presented at Leeds General Infirmiry (LGI) and told doctors of his discomfort.
But, a diagnosis revealed Andy had suffered a significan heart attack. In fact, Andy, who still was not feeling pain was in such gave danger he was instantly hospitalised and told he would not be allowed to go home until emergency surgery was performed.
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Explaining how it happened, Andy said: "I had a very very minor warning. It was a breathing complication. It built up over secven days. I had no pain and no symptoms at all. It was just uncomfortable breathing problem. So I came in and they said, I had had a heart attack.
Andy has a diabetic condition that affects the nerves in his body, which meant he suffered a "silent heart attack. Dr Betsy Evans, one of six consultant surgeons at LGI was tasked with saving Andrew's life together with her team said Andrew could have dropped dead: "He is an in patient on ward 16, type two diabetes.
"He is just 49 and will need three bypass grafts. So there are three vessles that have narrowed routes. And therefire yiy have bot got enougb blood getting to that part of the body which us the heart muscle.
"If a patieint needs tripple bypass surgery they have reached the last point in the line for asychemic heat disease. So it's major.
"The sort of pain that you typically of describe in heart attacks doesn't always occur in diabetics patients. They can have what we call silent heart attacks. They are not aware of the classic symptom of central crushing chest pain. They could drop dead."
Andrew, who was part of the 172 people waiting for heart surgery at LGI says he feels lucky. He said: "From all the scans they have done seen to find out the condition. I have been extremely lucky to have that minor bleep that has shown it up."
But Andrew's joy didn't last long as his scheduled operation was cancelled due to staffing issues at the hospital. Meaning he would stay in hospital much longer - unable to go home as he is at risk of a second attack.
Andrew's surgery was rescheduled a few more times, before he was assigned to another surgeon and given a confirmed time slot to get his surgery. Andy spent two days in intensive care after finally getting surgery.
And Andrew was excited as he said: "I am raring to go. They extended my life.
"They have jut said here you go. We have given you everything back. Go do something with it."
The doctors are also quite happy. Despite being swamped by many patients, and seeing many scheduled surgeries cancelled, Betsy, the doctor, says she still enjoys her job.
Dr Betsy said: "I love cardiac surgery because the amazing thing about the heart, is that it is an ingenious piece of engneering and despite what we do to it as cardiavc surgeons. Once you recover the heart from the operation and allow blood to go into it again it wakes up as if nothing ever happened."
Andrew's treatment and surgery was chronicled on Saving Lives in Leeds, a documentary show on BBC Two.
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