Neil Driver’s Heart Valve Disease Story

In 2019, the father of two and grandfather of four, Neil Driver, was diagnosed with aortic stenosis after visiting his GP with swollen ankles. Five years later, Neil’s condition had worsened, and he received his life-saving valve replacement. Now, Neil is looking forward to the rest of his life with his family, symptom-free. This is his story: 

My story started in 2019 when I went to my GP because of swollen ankles. The GP gave me a once-over and mentioned there might be something wrong with my heart. I found it hard to believe — how could swollen ankles be related to my heart?

The GP sent me for an ECG at my local hospital in Tameside, where they discovered I had moderate aortic stenosis. I was told I’d need yearly monitoring to see how it progressed.

Then Covid came.

It wasn’t until two years later that the hospital called me and said I hadn’t been seen in a while and needed to come in. I went for another echo, and this time, they said it had worsened. After the scan, I met with a cardiologist who told me I now had *severe* aortic stenosis. He showed me a picture of my heart valve — it had narrowed a lot and was very small.

I remember him asking if I felt breathless. I said no, but thinking about it later, I noticed I was panting going up the stairs — but I thought I was just out of shape. I also remembered that at Man City games — where I’m a season ticket holder—I sit at the bottom of the stand with my son, and there are a lot of steps to get out of the ground and onto the tram. I was really struggling with those steps. One day, my son even asked, “What’s up with you?” By the time we got to the tram, I was hands-on-knees, panting. But I just thought I was unfit.

After that appointment, the doctor told me I’d be meeting with a surgeon from Wythenshawe, who comes to Tameside once a fortnight. She talked me through what would happen and said that I’d need the valve replaced at some point. It was a lot to take in at the time.

We discussed my underlying health issues, and she mentioned that although I was typically too young for a TAVI (a less invasive valve replacement) because of my liver and stomach problems, she thought she could make a case for it. But she had to justify why a TAVI would be better for me than open-heart surgery.

That’s when things really started moving. I had to undergo a series of tests to see if I was fit for the treatment. After that, I had an angiogram, met with the TAVI nurse, and then Dr. Sharma at Wythenshawe. He said he could do the TAVI, but it wasn’t urgent. It would happen sometime in 2024.

Early the next year, they told me it would likely happen in June — and that’s exactly what happened. I was admitted to the hospital, and they performed the procedure. I stayed for three days before heading home.

The procedure itself was quite painful for me. I had a lot of discomfort from a catheter in my left wrist. The nurse said it was just due to the positioning of the needle — I was unlucky. The pain nurse was there to help, but because of my underlying conditions, they couldn’t give me certain drugs.

Afterwards, symptom-wise, I felt great. The week after, I was back to doing a bit of gardening and light duties around the house. Not long after, I was even back to playing golf — using a buggy, of course, as I was told not to lift anything heavy.

Now, I’m looking forward to holidays with my wife — starting with Las Vegas this week and a cruise next year. It’s like nothing’s happened to me. I’m excited for the rest of my life with my wife, kids, and grandkids.

Heart Valve Voice Chair Phill Read said, “Neil’s story is an inspiring reminder of how crucial it is to raise awareness about heart valve disease. Thank you, Neil, for sharing your journey with us—your courage helps others recognise the importance of early diagnosis and treatment. As we mark International Heart Valve Disease Awareness Week 2024, stories like yours highlight how far we’ve come in offering life-saving treatments like TAVI. It’s heartening to see you symptom-free and ready to enjoy life with your family. Together, we’ll continue to amplify the patient voice and ensure more people like Neil can live full, healthy lives.”