Looking at 18 year old Georgia today, it is hard to believe she has been through three lots of major open heart surgery and a revolutionary procedure to replace a heart valve.
Georgia first arrived at Great Ormond Street Hospital when she was just a few days old. Doctors diagnosed Georgia with having a hole in her heart and a blockage in the artery responsible for carrying blood to the lungs.
Georgia underwent extensive surgery when she was a few weeks old, then at 18 months and again when she was four. By the age of eleven, she needed an operation to replace a faulty heart valve and also to fully close the hole in her heart. This would usually mean more major open heart surgery, but this time Georgia elected for an innovative procedure pioneered by Professor Philipp Bonhoeffer.
The technique involved making a tiny incision in Georgia’s leg and reaching the heart via a catheter in order to carry out repairs. This pioneering technique meant Georgia didn’t need to go to intensive care after the operation. It also radically reduced the amount of time she needed to spend in hospital and she didn’t need to endure further scarring.
The surgery has given Georgia a new lease of life. She is physically able to do lots of things she would have found impossible before - like taking part in a recent school hiking trip!
