Man's open-heart surgery saved his son's life

"If I hadn't got checked I'd have dropped down dead," Jon Madden said

A man would have "dropped down dead" from a genetic condition if it hadn't been for his father's open-heart surgery.

Jon Madden from Wolverhampton was diagnosed with a bicuspid aortic valve 12 years ago.

He and his twin brother were warned by a doctor "you boys need to get checked" after surgeons realised during a quadruple bypass that their father, Bill Madden, had the genetic condition.

Jon Madden has now staged a fundraising walk in the Shropshire hills to thank the hospital which saved him.

No symptoms

He told the BBC: "If dad hadn't had the operation and I hadn't got checked, I would have had an aneurysm and it would have ripped my heart in half."

A bicuspid aortic valve is a problem present from birth in which the aortic valve only has two flaps instead of the usual three, which can cause problems later in life.

Mr Madden, who is now 49, was diagnosed with the condition at the age of 37 and his late father was diagnosed at the age of 70.

"I had no symptoms at all," the father-of-two said. "You don't even know you've got it."

After his diagnosis, the car salesman was told by consultant cardiologist Professor James Cotton at New Cross Hospital that he would need an aortic valve replacement in seven years’ time.

Mr Madden had annual check-ups, and seven years later, he was told by cardiac surgeon Nikos Nikolaidis that if he did not have the surgery, he had between three and six months to live.

His valve had changed dramatically, and he was told he had senile aortic calcification and needed an aortic valve replacement urgently.

Aortic calcification is where calcium deposits form on the valve with age, preventing it opening and closing properly.

Jon Madden said he felt shell-shocked after the surgery but that physiotherapy brought his confidence back up

"Dr Nikolaidis told me, 'If I don't fix you, you will be dead in three months'. He said it was the worst valve he'd seen in a long time," Mr Madden said.

"I remember sitting in his office, thinking 'I've just agreed to open heart surgery'.

"People said 'God, you're brave, aren't you?' but I had no choice."

Mr Madden had his aortic valve replacement at New Cross Hospital and said the treatment by staff was "superb".

“The surgery, care, physiotherapy, and aftercare I received was exceptional. The service I had was amazing, all the staff was superb from start to finish and so helpful."

Jon Madden completed a fundraising walk with his son, Hughie, for the NHS trust that saved his life

The father-of-two has praised the hospital's physiotherapy service, run by Chris Scordis, for building back his confidence after the surgery.

"I was dying to go home to see my wife and the kids after the surgery," he said.

"But when I was at home, I was shell-shocked. I just started crying.

"I was nervous just walking round to the shops in case anything happened to me - but physio brought my confidence up.

"I knew I wasn't going to break if I picked up a shopping bag.

“Thanks to Chris I was back at work in three-and-a-half months and feeling lots better.”

Jon Madden with son Hughie and friend Craig Thomas on their fundraising walk for the Royal Wolverhampton NHS Trust

The 49-year-old is now fundraising for the Royal Wolverhampton NHS Trust alongside his nine-year-old son, Hughie.

The pair hiked over Carding Mill Valley and The Long Mynd in Shropshire with their friend, Craig Thomas.

"I just wanted to say thank you to them, because the NHS gets bad press sometimes," Mr Madden said.

"I said I'm not going to jump out of a plane or climb Everest, but I'm going to do something positive to say thank you to the NHS and New Cross Hospital's Heart and Lung Centre."