Lifesaving care

Susan King was a patient with complex care needs, who without an extra special intervention and teams from Broadgreen Hospital and Liverpool Heart and Chest Hospital (LHCH) working outside of the current constraints, may not have survived.  

In 2024, Susan spent four-and-a-half months in hospital after developing a septic knee infection, and following tests, discovered that she required a heart valve replacement.  

Consultant Mr Harry Rourke, orthopaedic surgeon at Broadgreen Hospital, said: “I was initially approached by a consultant at Liverpool Heart and Chest Hospital for advice on the treatment of a patient that was in their Intensive Care Unit. Mrs King had been on antibiotics for a septic knee, but the infection wasn’t clearing, which prevented Liverpool Heart and Chest Hospital performing her heart valve replacement."

Mrs King required treatment for her knee to be stable enough to have the lifesaving heart operation, but under the existing arrangements Liverpool University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust could not anaesthetise her.  

This is because she was under the care of Liverpool Heart and Chest, who have specialists in heart conditions who advise and provide safe anaesthetic options for those with specific and complex heart conditions.

Mr Rourke added: “We could operate on Mrs King’s knee at Broadgreen Hospital, but she would need to be anaesthetised in LHCH, because they’re specialists in treating patients with heart conditions. It was agreed that only by working together could Susan receive the life-saving care that she required.

“We had a meeting which involved around 10 consultants including orthopaedic, cardiac and anaesthetists, as Mrs King’s care was such a complex case. 

“Mrs King was anaesthetised in Liverpool Heart and Chest Hospital and brought through to Broadgreen Hospital’s operating theatres for her partial cement spacer knee replacement, which has antibiotics within the spacer to treat the infection locally.  

Once Mrs King had recovered from the knee operation three weeks later, the team led by Mr Soppa at LHCH were able to perform open heart surgery.  

Harry added: “Mrs King’s care is an example of how a move towards working as one, will enable us to provide world-class care pathways by working in collaboration. By having conversations, we were able to work together to benefit the patient, while also making her future treatment and operations easier to manage.  

Susan received a knee replacement in early 2025 and her recovery and rehabilitation have been successful. 

Susan said: “The care I received was outstanding from both hospitals; the staff were superb and despite the circumstances the treatment was amazing. I was in Intensive Care, the High Dependency Unit and I was really ill at one time, they weren’t sure that I’d pull through, but it was thanks to Mr Rourke and Mr Soppa working together to come up with a solution that I’m still here – I owe my life to them.”