Patients
Information for patients
Plain-language guides to the operations I perform and to recovery afterwards. They explain what to expect, but cannot replace a conversation with your own surgical team about your individual situation.
Coronary artery bypass surgery
Bypass grafts carry blood around narrowed coronary arteries to improve the blood supply to the heart muscle.
Read →Aortic valve surgery
Replacing a narrowed or leaking aortic valve, including sutureless valves and minimally invasive surgery.
Read →Mitral valve surgery
Repairing or replacing the mitral valve, the valve between the left heart chambers.
Read →Surgery on the aorta
Planned surgery for an enlarged aorta, and emergency surgery for aortic dissection.
Read →Recovering after heart surgery
What to expect in the weeks after you go home, and when to seek help.
Read →Life after cardiac surgery
Activity, driving, wounds and when to seek help: a ten-page guide to take home.
Open PDF →Being referred
I see patients through the NHS at Leeds General Infirmary. Referrals for heart surgery are made by your cardiologist, usually after discussion at a multidisciplinary heart team meeting. If you think you may need heart surgery, speak to your GP or cardiologist.
Questions to ask your surgeon
- Why do you recommend this operation, and what are the alternatives?
- What is my individual risk, and what affects it?
- Which incision and which grafts or valve will be used?
- How long will I be in hospital, and what will recovery involve?
- What will happen to my medicines before and after surgery?
This information is general and does not replace advice from your own clinical team. Please do not send personal medical information through this website. For urgent concerns contact NHS 111, and in an emergency call 999.