Bendigo man’s life saved through “impossible” surgery

6 October 2020

A Bendigo man is enjoying a second chance at life thanks to the creativity and innovation of Victorian doctors who came together to tackle an otherwise “impossible surgical problem” affecting the 65-year-old’s heart.

Kevin Furness of the Bendigo suburb of Strathdale is recuperating after the surgery at Knox Private Hospital to treat a false aneurysm on his aortic arch that would have ended his life without the intervention.

Leading vascular surgeon, Professor Michael Grigg, said the location of the aneurysm and impact of previous operations created a unique challenge that commonly used stent surgery could not overcome alone.

“It really was a near impossible surgical problem,” Professor Grigg said. “We have excellent medical technology to use stents lower on the aortic arch, but where Kevin’s problem was located in the proximal aortic arch meant we needed a novel solution including using the stent in a way the manufacturer had never seen or heard of being done before.

“It meant we had to design the operation from the start and map out every step, planning for all the things that could happen and how we were going to deal with them.

“Another critical part of the operation was the support of cardiologist, Dr Michael Rowe, who essentially ‘paced’ Mr Furness’ heart during the operation to prevent the aneurysm blowing out and allow accurate placement of the stent graft,” Professor Grigg said, while the surgery was a combination of creativity around known technology, expert medical teamwork, and a world-class medical facility at Knox, it is Mr Furness who is at the centre of the achievement.

“He had a condition he probably could not have survived much longer, and he took on surgery that also could have taken his life. All of us are just so thrilled for him that it has worked as well as it has and that he’s home recovering.”

The operation was undertaken at Healthscope’s Knox Private Hospital to take advantage of the hybrid operating theatre, which was capable of supporting the surgery and critical imaging simultaneously, and alongside additional cardiac intervention.

Knox Private Hospital General Manager, Vincent Borg said the hospital was delighted to be able to support world class specialists with world class facilities. “We congratulate Professor Grigg and the entire team who came together here to achieve a second chance at life for Mr Furness. We wish him and his family the best for his recovery.”