Melvyn Hayes, 84, was touring in the play You’re Only Young Twice in 2012 when each night as he walked on stage he noticed a pain in his chest. The pain only lasted a few moments, so he blamed it on indigestion. But after noticing he could only walk 50 yards before having to stop for a breather, the actor decided to book in to see a specialist. Speaking to Mirror.co.uk in 2014, he said: “I knew that I had to take action.
Deep down I knew that, ultimately, I might need a bypass
Melvyn Hayes
“Three years earlier, during an annual check-up, my doctor detected a heart murmur and referred me to a specialist. That’s when I discovered I had furring of the arteries.
“At that point, the cardiologist classed my condition as moderate and something treatable with tablets.
“But deep down I knew that, ultimately, I might need a bypass.”
The specialist he went to see explained what was happening to his arteries – he was developing coronary heart disease.
A decision was then made for Melvyn to undergo a bypass. This involved removing veins from his legs to put in his chest and a replacing a valve.
He said: “To me, it sounded a disaster but he said the bottom line was that if I did nothing, eventually I’d die.
“I asked if there was an alternative and when he said I could wait another six months if I could stand the pain, I decided to try that.
“I walked to the car park and sat in my car for 15 minutes before thinking, ‘This is stupid!’ I went back in and said, ‘Let’s do it!’
Melvyn had a triple heart bypass and a valve replaced on January 31, 2013, and while he said the recovery period was long, he felt a massive improvement.
What is coronary heart disease?
Coronary heart disease is what happens when the heart’s blood supply is locked or interrupted by a build-up of fatty substances in the coronary arteries.
The NHS further explains: “Over time, the walls of your arteries can become furred up with fatty deposits.
“This process is known as atherosclerosis and the fatty deposits are called atheroma.
Atherosclerosis can be caused by lifestyle factors and other conditions, such as smoking, high cholesterol, high blood pressure and diabetes.
Why is a bypass carried out?
A heart bypass, it’s full name, a coronary artery bypass graft, diverts blood around narrowed or clogged parts of the major arteries to improve blood flow and oxygen supply to the heart.
The procedure involves taking a blood vessel from another part of the body and attaching it to the coronary artery above and below the narrowed area or blockage.
A double, triple or quadruple bypass refers to the number of heart arteries that are bypassed.
If you experience chest pain, heart palpitations or unusual breathlessness, see your GP.
Another star who’s opened up about his heart condition is Emmerdale actor Steve Halliwell.
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