Doctor performs open heart surgery on roadside to save crash victim’s life
A doctor carried out open heart surgery at the side of a busy road to save a motorcyclist’s life.
John O’Brien, 47, had a cardiac arrest following an accident and had the roadside operation before being loaded into an air ambulance.
He needed further life-saving surgery – and was recently able to walk his daughter down the aisle at her wedding.
Dr Mark Forrest, the Cheshire Fire and Rescue Service Medical Director who led the impromptu operation, has now received an official commendation.
The accident happened in Delamere, Cheshire.
Firefighters, paramedics and police were first on the scene with a doctor from the North West Air Ambulance and a local doctor, followed by Dr Forrest.
John, from Warrington,was anaesthetised on scene but just before he was taken to the helicopter, he suffered a traumatic cardiac arrest.
Doctors realised their only option was to operate and open Mr O’Brien’s chest in the middle of the road.
The procedure is rarely seen outside of a hospital operating theatre.
John’s chest was completely cut open, exposing his heart and lungs, to allow treatment of his internal bleeding, lung injuries and to massage his heart back to life.
Incredibly within a matter of minutes his heart was beating strongly and the bleeding had been controlled.
He was airlifted to hospital for further life-saving surgery.
Dr Forrest, who is also an NHS Clinical Director at Warrington Hospital and a consultant in anaesthetics, critical and prehospital care, said: “I arrived at the scene and was managing another casualty, when I noticed that the team where trying to resuscitate John, who had gone into cardiac arrest.
“Despite the huge effort by the doctors, paramedics, firefighters and police officers, nothing was working and it wasn’t looking good for him.
“We knew that the only chance of saving this man was to open up his chest to manage his internal injuries and to massage his heart until it started beating. This is rarely successful, but we did want to at least try.”
John was well enoug was able to walk his daughter Amy down the aisle this month and said: “I can’t thank Dr Forrest and everyone involved enough for helping me that day and for doing everything they could to save my life. I was lucky enough to be able to walk my daughter down the aisle and that’s all thanks to them.”
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