Patient Story

As a baby, I was born with Tetralogy of Fallot in 1972. Four years later, I was operated on at the Royal Brompton. It must have been a very worrying time for my family, and I feel very lucky to have survived.

In my lifetime, I have had four open-heart surgeries, with valve repairs and replacements. I am so grateful to the cardiology teams and surgical experts at the Brompton Hospital, Guy’s and St Thomas’, and my local Brighton hospital, the Royal Sussex, for supporting me and my family through so much. The level of care has always been incredible. I really appreciate that the yearly check-ups have been local to me in Brighton, with Cardiologists Dr James and now Dr Parish, who has been so supportive and informative. It has been reassuring to know that I have advice and support near to where I live. The joint management of past operations in London, with follow-ups locally in Brighton, has been so beneficial. It has enabled me to have easy access to appointments, therefore reducing stress and travel time.

Recently, I had to have an ablation at St Thomas’ after a year of sporadic atrial fibrillation, which required a lot of trips to A&E for cardioversions at my local hospital, the Royal Sussex. It was then decided that it would be beneficial to have the ablation at St Thomas’. It has been a relief to know that my cardiologist, Dr Parish, and the specialist ACHD nurses can look at my health problems as they arise. If I need advice or information shared with the arrhythmia or surgical team at St Thomas’, there is a positive connection. Marti, Charmaine and Roberta from the ACHD team at the Royal Sussex Hospital are so supportive and knowledgeable. If I have atrial fibrillation symptoms, they will always give me relevant advice or assist me in getting the treatment I need.

Going forward, I have no hesitation with having dual care. It has worked well, not having to travel to London for general heart appointments, and it has been very helpful when recovering from open-heart surgery to see the Brighton cardiac team. It has not been an easy journey, but with loving family support and the endless care and advice from the many wonderful medical teams, I feel extremely grateful to be living a wonderful life with my precious family.

Naomi