From healthy living to a heart bypass – Steven’s story

But just one health screen changed that.  

From spinning to surgery

Following one of his regular spin classes, Steven noted and mentioned to his wife that he had been experiencing jaw ache. It was noticeable enough to mention to his dentist and physiotherapist, but at the time, it was deemed to be unremarkable and simply related to his teeth. Steven also hadn’t had any chest pain, palpitations or breathlessness, so no further care was suggested or given at this time.

It was only following a health screen as part of his corporate package from work that a few other concerns were noted. His cholesterol was raised, as was his blood pressure slightly, and this was eventually tied back to the jaw ache, which is a common symptom of cardiac issues. The GP conducting the health screen recommended that he see a cardiologist, although she said there was no obvious urgency as there were no worrying symptoms being shown.

Steven then booked an appointment with Dr Oliver Guttmann at The Wellington Hospital.  

Getting to the root of the problem

At his first consultation at the end of January 2025, Dr Guttmann arranged for Steven to have an echocardiogram and CT coronary angiogram. Steven then underwent a cardiac MRI and an invasive coronary angiogram. This revealed significant blockages and coronary artery disease. Due to the severity of the condition, Steven remained as an inpatient and was then admitted for surgery.

In February, Steven underwent coronary artery grafting bypass (CABG) surgery, as well as an endoscopic radial artery procedure under the care of Mr Dincer Aktuerk, Consultant Cardiothoracic Surgeon. This was performed to improve blood flow to the heart. During Steven’s CABG, healthy blood vessels were taken from his leg and grafted (attached) onto the heart muscle to bypass the affected coronary arteries, creating new routes for blood to reach the heart.  

This procedure ultimately saved Steven’s life as he could have easily had a major heart attack at any point. After 36 hours in intensive care, he was then transferred to the ward where he recovered and was discharged home a week later.

Recovery and recuperation

Six weeks after surgery, and after a fairly intense recovery period at home, Steven feels great. While he is continuing to build up his exercise routine again, and has allowed himself the time to process the procedure, he has managed to go for a gentle jog or two, which has made him incredibly grateful for Dr Guttmann’s expertise and the care received.

He also signed up for cardiac physiotherapy following being offered a complimentary four-week programme via a private cardiac rehabilitation provider, and has personally enrolled himself in a further 12 sessions with the cardiac rehab provider to ensure he is back to full health and exercise sensibly after major surgery.

Dr Guttmann reviewed Steven six weeks after the procedure and was incredibly pleased with his progress. He was then reviewed again after 12 weeks where Dr Guttmann advised that he could consider himself recovered. That was music to Steven’s ears as he had, somewhat cautiously, been declaring he thought he had pretty much recovered for three or four weeks as he felt good, although his wife was understandably cautioning him about being too confident. Dr Guttman requested Steven to come back and see him in 12 months to begin annual checks going forward via his private medical insurance.

Now, Steven is using his experience to help others who’ve found themselves in similar positions to him. With his consent, Usha Gopalan, Cardiac Clinical Nurse Specialist, put Steven into contact with patients at The Wellington Hospital who had been diagnosed with severe coronary artery disease. These patients were very anxious about having heart surgery, but on sharing his story, Steven helped ease their worries.

“His openness and reassurance had a significant positive impact, helping to ease their fears and making the lead-up to surgery far less stressful,” says Usha.

Steven also added “My coronary disease was caught - many aren’t as lucky. I didn’t have a heart attack, but if I had done, I may not have survived it. Going to The Wellington Hospital and seeing Dr Guttmann, Mr Aktuerk and Miss Gopalan was quick, remarkably effortless, and the care I received was just brilliant. I’m just very grateful – for everything.”

We wish Steven continued good health and thank him for his time in sharing his story. If you have private medical insurance as part of your corporate healthcare package, you may be eligible for a heart health check. If you want to pay for your treatment, you can find information and our cardiac experts at The Wellington Hospital here.