'I'm looking forward to doing normal things again' - Mum-of-two has heart procedure in Leeds never before performed in UK

A mum-of-two who only discovered she had been born with a heart condition after she had children herself is one of two patients to have had heart surgery in Leeds using a procedure never-before performed in the UK.
By The Newsroom
Published 6th Jun 2023, 11:50 BST

Leeds Children’s Hospital heart surgeons carried out the procedure on Vicky Waite, 43, from Tingley in response to Scimitar Syndrome, a rare congenital condition in which a vein from the right lung is abnormally connected to the heart causing oxygenated blood from the lung to return to the wrong side of the heart.

The new ‘Lugones’ procedure – pioneered in Argentina by Dr Ignacio Lugones – is an innovative way to redirect the blood to the correct side of the heart, using the heart’s own lining.

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Fellow patient Emma Clements, 29, from Wetherby, also had the procedure, which has the potential to improve quality of life, decrease fatigue, and reduce the risk of heart failure.

Vicky Waite was one of the first patients to undergo the procedure.Vicky Waite was one of the first patients to undergo the procedure.
Vicky Waite was one of the first patients to undergo the procedure.

Special Educational Needs teacher Emma was diagnosed with scimitar syndrome at the age of 19 but only required surgery recently when her condition deteriorated. The pair are treated within the children’s hospital as congenital cardiac patients.

Vicky, who often found herself feeling breathless and tired, said: “I’m looking forward to being able to go to the beach, play football with my kids without getting out of breath… just do normal things without having to take a million breaks."

It is hoped that more patients will now benefit from the procedure in Leeds and across the UK.

Related topics:LeedsTingleyWetherby