‘I no longer fear dropping dead on the street’ (From Daily Echo)
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‘I no longer fear dropping dead on the street’
5:00am Saturday 16th February 2013 in News
Barry Martin with wife Lynda and consultants Dr Allan Odurny and Dr James Wilkinson.
“IT’S taken away that constant fear you have of dropping dead on the street.”
Those are the words of a patient who underwent a groundbreaking operation to help cure his high blood pressure.
Barry Martin, 69, has suffered from high blood pressure for 15 years – a condition that increases the risk of strokes and heart attacks in millions of people across Britain.
But thanks to a revolutionary new procedure carried out by surgeons at Southampton General Hospital, the grandfather- of-two is looking forward to a better quality of life.
As reported exclusively in yesterday’s Daily Echo, Barry, from Whiteparish, was one of two patients to have the operation on Thursday.
The new surgery is completed under a local anaesthetic and can lower blood pressure in just 45 minutes, using radio waves to burn away nerve tissue around the kidney arteries.
Following the procedure, known as renal denervation, Barry told the Daily Echo: “The operation was a surprise. I didn’t know about it until last Thursday!
“But I take six tablets a day for high blood pressure, so it made sense to have it done to try to reduce that number. That was a big attraction to me when deciding to go for it. “It’s all gone very well. It’s taken away that constant fear you have of dropping dead on the street.
“It’s always there and you don’t know it. It really is a silent killer.”
Barry’s wife of 42 years, Lynda, 61, said: “I’m really glad he’s had it done because over the years his blood pressure has been a major worry in our lives.”
Catherine Terry, 66, was the second patient to undergo the new procedure this week.
The grandmother-of-six, who lives with her husband, Don, in Ringwood, has suffered from high blood pressure for 20 years.
But she has struggled with the condition because her medication leaves her with headaches and muscle pains for eight hours every day.
Catherine, who works as a GP in Bransgore, said: “I’m hoping it will drop my blood pressure substantially. It’s probably too optimistic to think that it will cure it completely, but my chances in life will be improved substantially if my blood pressure drops even a little.
“There are a lot of people like me who can’t tolerate their medication, so I’d definitely recommend the procedure to them.”
Consultant interventional cardiologist Dr James Wilkinson and Dr Allan Odurny, a consultant interventional radiologist, performed the two procedures together at Southampton General Hospital on Thursday, with three more cases due over the next month.
It is predicted there will be up to 400 procedures commissioned in the next year, with between 30 and 40 of those in Southampton.
Comments(9)
chunky_lover
says...
9:10am Sat 16 Feb 13
downfader
says...
12:35pm Sat 16 Feb 13
Lockssmart wrote:If it is a congenital problem he might be able to lose the weight as easily. Sounds as if he's not like the average fattie in and around Southampton.
Weight loss would help too!
Stu J
says...
2:10pm Sat 16 Feb 13
chunky_lover wrote:I couldn't agree more! Too many people costing the whole system loads of money because they eat so badly and need loads of treatment and time off sick. We should be heavily taxing junk food so the food companies have to pay for the damage they cause and subsidise fresh healthy food.
err, it doesn't work like this - for a start the bloke needs to sort his diet out. People need to stop segregating health conditions... if your diet is crap, you get fat, you get high blood pressure, and so on and so on.....
In fact I think cr*p food should have to have the same kind of warnings and images as fag packets do.
However there are always people who suffer for more innocent reasons so well done to the people at the general.
downfader
says...
4:00pm Sat 16 Feb 13
downfader wrote:Sorry I meant "might not" in place of "might"
Lockssmart wrote:If it is a congenital problem he might be able to lose the weight as easily. Sounds as if he's not like the average fattie in and around Southampton.
Weight loss would help too!
Lockssmart
says...
5:02pm Sat 16 Feb 13
downfader wrote:True, but you can only put on weight if you put food in through your mouth. Any water retention can be dissipated by drugs. Maybe the word "salad" doesn't play a major role in his life. I wish him the best.
downfader wrote:Sorry I meant "might not" in place of "might"
Lockssmart wrote:If it is a congenital problem he might be able to lose the weight as easily. Sounds as if he's not like the average fattie in and around Southampton.
Weight loss would help too!
pip1970pip
says...
7:49am Sun 17 Feb 13
I have had high BP and been on drugs for it since I was 32 years old, I am now 42. Last year it decided to go to all news high's and doctors had to reign it back in with yet more drugs.
I DO NOT smoke, I am within my HEALTHY WEIGHT range for my height and always have been. I am fairly fit. I NEVER put salt on or in my food if I can help it and I only drink alcohol occasionally.....
So... I guess you guys would say 'oh your just a fluke!'
No, FACT is there are lots of people like me .... not your average heavy weight smoker ....thank you.
A lot of us (you feel fit to stereotype) have had this disease passed down to us. I am one of 3 siblings who are suffering along with my father died who sadly died at 40 from a brain haemorrhage.
So,,, how healthy are you and can you really, had on heart, sitting on your high pedestals hiding behind your computer screens throw any stones????? Its truly disgusting how you think you can look down on sick people like this.
Stop the stereotyping dribble,,your turn may yet come, your not immune to this disease you know and that's a FACT
Stu J
says...
10:10am Sun 17 Feb 13
pip1970pip wrote:I think you're the one who's acting like a 'know it all charlie'.
OKAY,, after reading all the comments here, then having a giggle at the ''know it all charlies'' I'll put you all straight instead of people having to read all this rubbish.
I have had high BP and been on drugs for it since I was 32 years old, I am now 42. Last year it decided to go to all news high's and doctors had to reign it back in with yet more drugs.
I DO NOT smoke, I am within my HEALTHY WEIGHT range for my height and always have been. I am fairly fit. I NEVER put salt on or in my food if I can help it and I only drink alcohol occasionally.....
So... I guess you guys would say 'oh your just a fluke!'
No, FACT is there are lots of people like me .... not your average heavy weight smoker ....thank you.
A lot of us (you feel fit to stereotype) have had this disease passed down to us. I am one of 3 siblings who are suffering along with my father died who sadly died at 40 from a brain haemorrhage.
So,,, how healthy are you and can you really, had on heart, sitting on your high pedestals hiding behind your computer screens throw any stones????? Its truly disgusting how you think you can look down on sick people like this.
Stop the stereotyping dribble,,your turn may yet come, your not immune to this disease you know and that's a FACT
Do some web searches as to why people get high blood pressure and see what most of the reasons are. This article that I just found is a great example, only 1 out of 6 main reasons listed is not diet or exercise related.
http://ezinearticles
.com/?Why-Do-We-Get-
a-High-Blood-Pressur
e?&id=1829004
On top of that when the article is accompanied by a picture of a fat bloke it's hardly a surprise that diet becomes the main subject of the thread.
Is talking about the majority the same as stereotyping? I'm also not sure that anyone has been looking down on sick people, saying that someone should sort their diet out is not really saying that you're better than anyone. It's far more likely that as someone who's experienced how much better it feels to have a decent diet actually wishes that others would sort it out, for themselves and the rest of us who have to pay for it.
Lockssmart
says...
1:41pm Sun 17 Feb 13
pip1970pip wrote:I did have high bp. Lost four stone and it cured it. So you may be talking out of that brown hole aswell.
OKAY,, after reading all the comments here, then having a giggle at the ''know it all charlies'' I'll put you all straight instead of people having to read all this rubbish.
I have had high BP and been on drugs for it since I was 32 years old, I am now 42. Last year it decided to go to all news high's and doctors had to reign it back in with yet more drugs.
I DO NOT smoke, I am within my HEALTHY WEIGHT range for my height and always have been. I am fairly fit. I NEVER put salt on or in my food if I can help it and I only drink alcohol occasionally.....
So... I guess you guys would say 'oh your just a fluke!'
No, FACT is there are lots of people like me .... not your average heavy weight smoker ....thank you.
A lot of us (you feel fit to stereotype) have had this disease passed down to us. I am one of 3 siblings who are suffering along with my father died who sadly died at 40 from a brain haemorrhage.
So,,, how healthy are you and can you really, had on heart, sitting on your high pedestals hiding behind your computer screens throw any stones????? Its truly disgusting how you think you can look down on sick people like this.
Stop the stereotyping dribble,,your turn may yet come, your not immune to this disease you know and that's a FACT
Lockssmart says...
8:15am Sat 16 Feb 13