Bridgnorth pensioner back running and hiking after keyhole heart surgery

Andrew Davies, aged 70, from Bridgnorth, is now back hiking the fells and pounding the streets after undergoing a life-changing operation at Wolverhampton’s New Cross Hospital.

Father-of-two Andrew had a health scare in July 2017 when he was left struggling for breath during a park run in the Lake District and then again in a training run soon afterwards.

He was prescribed tablets and to record his heart rate and then had a private consultation with Dr Sanjiv Petkar, a consultant cardiologist at The Royal Wolverhampton NHS Trust, in that year.

In the July he underwent a type of electric shock treatment under sedation to restore his heart’s normal rhythm at New Cross Hospital.

However, in 2019 he was found to have suffered an atrial fibrillation, an irregular and often very rapid heart rhythm that can lead to blood clots, as well as increase the risk of stroke, heart failure and other complications but recovered unaided.

In November the following year, when he became breathless while out shopping in Shrewsbury, he was taken to hospital and was found to have really low blood pressure and a high heart rate.

Around the same time, he was told to report for his second cardio check but this one didn’t work as well and he ended up at the emergency department at New Cross feeling unwell.

Following a series of tests, he was discharged but later that same day, he collapsed at home and was admitted to New Cross and it was decided to give Andrew keyhole surgery under sedation, a procedure which involves inserting a tiny camera from the groin to the heart and which lasted around five hours.

Andrew joined Telford Harriers and recorded a best time from his nine marathons of three hours 21 minutes, at London, before becoming a member at home town Bridgnorth Running Club.

Since being given the all-clear to restart running in June last year, he has completed the Couch to 2.5 kilometre, a running programme for beginners, and has built up to a maximum of four runs each week.

His longest run since the operation is six-and-a-half miles and he has even entered his first post surgery race, the Dudley-Kingswinford 10 kilometre run.

Andrew, who also joins a hiking group for weekly walks of up to 13 miles around south Shropshire, said: "It’s given me my life back.

“Before I couldn’t even lift the watering can to water the plants, now I am now back to running several times a week.

“I am so indebted to Dr Petkar because otherwise I wouldn’t be able to do what I do.

"You take your life for granted until something like this happens."