Julia Butterworth given second chance at life after 'world-first' heart valve surgery

Yorkshire Post

Julia Butterworth was told last year that there wasn't much more that could be done for her. But her heart team went above and beyond, contacting surgeons from all over the world. She underwent a high-risk procedure to replace a heart valve and now has a second chance at life.

Transcript

00:00My name is Julia Butterworth and I live in Leeds.

00:03In 2022 I had a double heart valve replacement, which initially I had done in 2007.

00:11They also tried to repair my tricuspid valve, which they couldn't do.

00:18So from then on I've been monitored.

00:22I also have a kidney transplant, so between my heart and my kidney

00:27I kept being fluid overloaded and it put a strain on my organs.

00:33Last year, last summer, I was admitted again into hospital with fluid overload

00:40and after about four weeks I was told that there was nothing else that could really help me with

00:47and my life expectancy was about six months.

00:53At that point, they quickly got end-of-life support in

01:01and we talked about auspices and things like that.

01:06And then a week or so later, the doctors came back and said,

01:11we've been doing some research and we've sent scans and things to other surgeons around the world

01:19and we've got a reply from somebody in Denmark who feels that he could do a procedure on his tricuspid valve.

01:28So I had gone from one stage of being told I could be dead by Christmas

01:38to being told that there was a chance that I could survive.

01:42It was a high-risk procedure, but to me there was no other alternative.

01:47So since then I've been doing quite well and it means that I can play with my grandchildren now

02:00and do everyday things basically.

02:04And I just want to say a thank you to the NHS and particularly my surgeons

02:11and all the staff that looked after me while I was going through this emotional rollercoaster.

02:20One day I was planning my funeral and then the next week I was thinking about the future

02:25if I came through this operation.

02:28And I think what I find, I still find it quite overwhelming that today,

02:37you know, I've gone past certain episodes where in Mother's Day

02:42and I never thought I'd get to see that on my granddaughter's birthday last week

02:47and just to be there for them milestones overwhelms me

02:52because I didn't think I'd be here for that.

02:54I'm good at the moment, yes, heart-wise I feel lots better.

03:01I can walk further, I can do bits and bobs in and around the home.

03:08I just do more and I can, I just have more energy to do things

03:15and yeah, I feel, I feel well.

03:21It initially was just to replace, repair the heart valve.

03:28The heart valve came from India

03:30and when they tried to do it, I had a, my initial, my original heart valve had a gap in the circle

03:42and they had to, there were nowhere to sew the heart valve onto

03:49so, so, they, they worked their magic and, um, and it was a success.

03:58Um, and then when I came round in intensive care

04:01and Dr. Gatenby came to see me,

04:04she told me that it was, um, the first time it had been done in the world

04:08which was a shock and I felt overwhelmed by it all

04:13and I still kind of can't get it in my head that, you know,

04:19there went so much trouble to, to, um, to do this for me.

04:25Massive thanks, yeah, to, to everybody, the ICU staff, the surgeons,

04:30is the surgeons teams, um, the staff on Ward 18, um, just everybody,

04:39they're just so supportive of not just myself but my husband and my family.

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