Corby boy second in world to have pacemaker

17 year old Andrew Morgan is only the second person in the world to be fitted with the new pacemaker - which is the first of its kind as it can withstand MRI scans.

After collapsing with heart problems last year - Andrew was given the pioneering new implant by cardiologists at Kettering General Hospital.

Andrew said: “I had been perfectly healthy and fine and then all of a sudden last September I began feeling dizzy and light headed, and I passed out

“This happened a few times and I went to my GP and then to Kettering General Hospital where I was referred to a heart specialist. That’s when I found out I had a intermittent episodes of heart block - which means the electrical impulses that make my heart beat regularly weren’t working properly.

“I had the operation, under local anaesthetic, on March 17 which took about one-and-a-half hours and now I feel a lot better."

The operation was carried out by KGH cardiologist Dr Mohsin Farooq.

Dr Farooq said: “The new device offers several major advantages. We know that 50%-75%of patients with a pacemaker would benefit from having an MRI scan at some stage of their life – and this would probably be higher for younger patients.

“This new device also has other advantages which include managing certain types of a very fast heart beat as well as slow heart rates.

 “The device can also be monitored remotely – which is another revolutionary new function. That means Andrew will be able to sit at home with a monitoring box attached a phone line which can allow us to regularly monitor how he is doing without him needing to come to hospital every time.”

Mum Sally Fellows, who is a staff nurse at KGH, said: “Andrew has felt much better since the operation and is not suffering from the nausea and dizziness that he had before.

“While he has to be careful initially he can return to his normal level of activity after about six weeks once the device has been fully embedded in his tissues so that it won’t move.

“I know he is looking forward to playing football again and we are also planning to go ahead with a parachute jump for the Lakelands Hospice charity in Corby in September. Andrew, myself, my other son, Matthew, (21) and my niece, Ellie Baker, are all going to do the jump.”