Cardiac surgeon speaks straight from the heart
Baby Ashton with his parents before a heart operation
Our next programme (Monday, 31 October 2011, 19:30 GMT) got to me even before the final edit, simply because it shows the work of .
Baby Ashton is just six-weeks-old as he is taken into the operating theatre.
It's hard not to feel for the parents who entrust the lives of their newborns to the surgeons. As we discover in the show we should not just admire the skills of the doctors but we should understand the immense pressure they are under.
Consultant cardiac surgeon, Leslie Hamilton
As consultant cardiac surgeon Leslie Hamilton admits for the first time on television: "It got to the stage where I couldn't do it anymore."
His skill was never in question, it was a matter of confidence. With only two surgeons trying to keep a children's heart unit running, it meant never really being off duty.
Unusual cases didn't come through often enough for the surgeons to practice particular skills so they became second nature.
"You don't get into the comfortable phase of doing the same operation regularly. Children respond differently, unpredictably"Mr Hamilton now only operates on adults, but was part of so they can be bigger, with more surgeons.
Under one of four options Newcastle's Freeman could close, but even the consultants under threat of losing their own unit on Tyneside say it's best for the service as a whole.
It's a very real stress that these doctors have been under, never mind the sheer concentration needed to operate on a heart the size of a walnut.
Dad hands Baby Ashton over to the medical team
In tonight's film it's difficult not to feel the same sense of fear as Ashton is taken into the operating room.
Yes the surgeons are heroes, but they aren't super-human.
Hi, I'm Chris Jackson - presenter of the North East & Cumbria's very own current affairs programme, Inside Out. Welcome to my blog where I'll reveal some behind-the-scenes goings-on and share my thoughts on the stories we cover.
Comment number 1.
At 31st Oct 2011, barbara g wrote:our son has been operated on by both these brilliant surgeons, after watching your programme tonight we think you have put the review for having fewer centre,s as a much better option than all the reports we have read! these men never go home they are there when you wake and still there when you goto sleep!!! we would travel anywhere,sleep on the floor or in a tent as long as our boy is getting the best care availlable!!!
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Comment number 2.
At 31st Oct 2011, Mand wrote:Whilst the Freeman article was 'nice' I found it a bit twee. Safe and sustainable needs to happen but the people of the north have a right to know what will happen if Freeman closes. Leeds does not offer the surgery Newcastle does. Any child heart transplant will go to London, and Berlin heart to London, Birmingham staff may be trained up to use the levelof Newcastle but really the top of Northumberland to London is going to cost lives, lives that can be saved by keeping the Freeman.. I am proud to stand as a heart mum, thanks to the Freeman I have 2 kids without I would have 1. Simple. x
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Comment number 3.
At 1st Nov 2011, Wendy wrote:Our son was born in 1991 with 2 heart defects. He was admitted to Killingbeck Hospital in Leeds when he was 9 days old. Mr Hamilton operated on him when he was 10 days old and again when he was 4 weeks old. When Thomas was 8 he needed another operation and we had no hesitation in contacting Mr Hamilton who had then moved to the Freeman in Newcastle as we only wanted the best surgeon for our son. We did the same again for his 4th heart operation when Thomas was 10. We don't live in the Leeds or Newcastle area (we live in Derbyshire) but we had no hesitation at all in travelling anywhere in the country for the best treatment available for our son.
When Thomas was in Leeds when he was 4 weeks old in Intensive care, Mr Hamilton still came in to the unit to see how he was doing on the day he was moving to his new home and job in Newcastle - sheer dedication form a fantastic man.
I totally agree with the proposals of having less but larger units with more specialist surgeons. It has to be safer than just have 2 very dedicated surgeons who do need, and have, a life a way from the hospital.
It was very sad viewing to see the stress and strain Mr Hamilton and Mr Asif were put under
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Comment number 4.
At 1st Nov 2011, TracyPears wrote:While I agree that Safe and Sustainable has to happen, and I have the upmost respect for all the surgeons and colleagues at the Freemans after both my partner and duaghter having had surgery, I have to agree with Mands comments above.
We know that my daughter who has HRHS will possibly need a heart transplant in the near future, we have already been told this, my concern is, when the time comes if this surgery is not happening in Newcastle, will she have the luxuary of time to get to London for a transplant, as this would be the closest.
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