When retired nurse Helen Woodward became out of breath simply making a cup of tea she knew something was seriously wrong.

The 88-year-old from Bournville was referred to Queen Elizabeth Hospital Birmingham (QEHB) where doctors discovered one of Helen’s heart valves, the aortic valve, was seriously narrowed. Rather than carrying out open heart surgery, Dr Sagar Doshi, Consultant Cardiologist, decided to assess Helen’s suitability for a minimally invasive procedure funded by the hospital’s official charity.

The trans-catheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) procedure involves implanting a biological valve suspended within a stent into the heart. In Helen's case the valve was inserted through a small incision on the left chest wall.

Helen said: “At first I put the breathlessness down to getting older but over a period of time it grew worse and worse. Although I knew something was seriously wrong, it was still a shock to be told I needed open heart surgery or this new TAVI procedure to give me my life back.”

Following open heart surgery the usual hospital stay for someone in their eighties is three weeks, but after the TAVI procedure Helen spent just five days in hospital and is now back to her former sprightly self.

“The difference it’s made to my life is immeasurable“ said Helen. “I’m so grateful to the hospital’s official charity for funding the TAVI procedure, which is literally a lifeline. I really thought I’d be too old for this treatment but, despite having had major surgery, I was home in a week.”

Dr Doshi, who heads the TAVI programme at QEHB, explained: “The TAVI procedure has been carried out just 44 times at QEHB since December 2008, when the programme started, and isn’t officially available under the NHS. It is only thanks to funding from the Queen Elizabeth Hospital Birmingham Charity that we have been able to help patients like Helen. We would love to be able to help even more people as we have the capacity to conduct 25 - 40 procedures per year.”

Patients up to the age of 91 have had the TAVI procedure although the average age is 82.

Dr Doshi added: “Patients can take tablets but these only relieve symptoms and do not slow the relentless worsening of symptoms. Having severe symptomatic aortic stenosis is a very debilitating illness and a very unpleasant way to spend your retirement years.

“Sadly half of patients who develop symptoms will die within two years from heart failure unless they have surgery to replace the valve. Unfortunately not everyone is fit enough to undergo open heart surgery and TAVI is a lifeline to this group. All surgery carries a risk but with TAVI the recovery time is significantly less than for patients who have had open heart surgery. The sooner patients can get back home the sooner they can start enjoying their life again.”

TAVI facts

• Aortic stenosis affects around 6 - 8% of the population over the age of 80
• It causes severe breathlessness on activity, angina, light-headedness and dramatically curtails life expectancy
• The advantages of the TAVI procedure are a far speedier return to normal activities and a dramatically shortened hospital stay 
• The TAVI team at QEHB uses the Edwards Transcatheter Heart Valve which is one of only two valves approved for this procedure. The valve can be implanted via a small incision at the top of the leg or may require a small operation on the chest wall if arteries in the legs are unsuitable

For more information about how you can support patients like Helen at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital Birmingham please contact the QEHB Charity on 0121 371 4852 or visit their website.