A 14-YEAR-OLD from Hucknall has undergone a pioneering operation set to transform the care of future heart patients.

The eyes of the medical world were yesterday trained on young Michael Keeling, who was born with a serious heart defect.

150 leading heart surgeons watched on a giant screen at Glenfield Hospital in Leicester for a glimpse into the future of heart surgery – a future which promises to be safer, simpler, better for the patient and cheaper for the NHS.

Michael – a normal, happy lad who likes Liverpool and hates hospitals – has already undergone four serious operations, his first when he was just nine-weeks-old.

He suffers from Tetralogy of Fallot – a congenital heart complaint which has several debilitating side effects, including a potentially fatal narrowing of the heart's main pulmonary valve.

Widening this valve previously involved traumatic open heart surgery; breaking the sternum and opening the rib cage to get to the heart.

However, doctors at Glenfield have found an easier way to repair affected hearts.

This is not only reassuring for Michael today – it's good news for tomorrow's heart patients.

"Each time you open the sternum it gets more difficult," said consultant paediatric cardiologist Dr Magdi Toefig.

Dr Toefig and his colleagues have developed a way of opening and repairing the heart's pulmonary valve by going in through the patient's groin.

It's a tricky procedure for the surgeon to get right but has massive benefits.

After open heart surgery, patients could expect to spend at least a week and a half in intensive care, at a cost to the NHS of around £1,000 per day. After keyhole surgery, the patient can leave the following day.

This heartening news seemed to have little calming effect on Michael yesterday morning.

He was wheeled down for his fifth operation at 10.40am yesterday. His mood, previously upbeat, was beginning to darken.

"He just wants to go home," said his mum, Alison.

"He hates hospitals. He's done quite well so far but now it's time for him to go down, he starts clinging on.

"It feels a bit weird to think that there will be so many people watching Michael's operation, but the staff here are fantastic and we are sure it will go well.

"I've asked for a video of it and I might watch it later, but I didn't want to see it as they were doing it."

During the operation top heart specialist Dr Philipp Bonhoeffer explained the procedure and answered questions via a face microphone. The operation took less than 35 minutes – and mum Alison was surprised by the speed.

"It seems to have gone really well. This is his fifth operation and his third replacement valve," she said.

"But this new procedure will make such a difference to him. He would have been off school for six weeks if this was open heart surgery. We're hoping he will go back a week on Monday."

The watching heart specialists were impressed.

Dr Martyn Thomas, from Guys' and St Thomas Hospital in London, said: "This really is the frontier of interventional heart work.

"This really is a new front. It's minimally invasive, no big cut in the chest and the recovery times are much improved.

"This is the future. It won't happen straight away, and it won't be suitable for all patients, but it will help many across the world."

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