The Duke of Edinburgh popularly know as Prince Philip and husband of Queen Elizabeth was last night under surveillance in the world-famous Papworth Hospital after emergency surgery for a blocked coronary artery.
The 90-year-old royal was flown to the specialist cardiothoracic unit, near Cambridge, in a RAF search and rescue helicopter after being taken ill at Sandringham with serious chest pains.
After ‘precautionary’ tests, Philip underwent what was described as a ‘minimally invasive procedure’ known as coronary stenting.
This involves placing a tube in the coronary arteries that supply the heart, to keep them open in the treatment of heart disease. Stents reduce chest pain and have been shown to improve survival rates in the event of an acute heart problem.
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| Duke of Edinburg |
Dr Simon Davies, a cardiologist at the Royal Brompton Hospitalin London, said: ‘It meant that the pain was from the heart. It means that one or more of the coronary arteries was badly narrowed or perhaps blocked.
‘That meant that the blood was not passing through that artery so the muscle was starving of oxygen and in danger of dying, in other words a heart attack, or was on the verge of one.’
In view of his age, the Queen’s husband, who still conducts more than 350 engagements each year, will remain in hospital for a day or so for further monitoring.
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| Sandringham House where Royal family had gathered to celebrate x-mas |
Sources said it was unlikely that members of the Royal Family would be visiting him in the coming hours but confirmed that his wife and children were being kept updated on his condition back at the Queen’s private Norfolkestate, where they are gathered for Christmas.
Although it may be viewed by some as uncaring, this is normal procedure within the Royal Family – and the Duke would have it no other way.
When he was in hospital for four days with a chest infection in 2008 he refused to receive any visitors and spent his time catching up on his paperwork.
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| Papworth Hospital |
Buckingham Palace said in a statement last night: ‘His Royal Highness the Duke of Edinburgh was taken to Papworth Cardiothoracic Centre this evening from Sandringham House for precautionary tests after experiencing chest pain.
‘Following tests at Papworth the Duke of Edinburgh was found to have a blocked coronary artery which had caused his chest pains. This was treated successfully by the minimally invasive procedure of coronary stenting. Prince Philip will remain in hospital for observation for a short period.’
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| Prince Philip with Queen |
It is believed the Duke was flown to the hospital, which is around 60 miles away from the Sandringham estate, by a Sea King helicopter from RAF Wattisham, near Stowmarket in Suffolk, where Prince Harry is based.
