Coronation Street’s Chris Fountain reveals he is set to undergo heart surgery
Coronation Street’s Chris Fountain undergoes heart surgery after a terrifying mini-stroke
Chris Fountain had heart surgery on Friday as he shared snaps from his hospital bed and has released a video to let his fans know he’s okay.
The Coronation Street star, 35, took to his Instagram Stories on Thursday to update fans on his health after recently suffering a Transient Ischemic Attack (TIA).
Earlier, the actor shared a video on his way to the hospital, saying, “So the day has come. Just walking to the hospital. I have the mother here for moral support. Here we go.’
Chris, who played Tommy Duckworth in the ITV soap, then shared a photo of himself in bed, followed by a clip next to his mother.
Chris playfully told her, “Get off your phone, you should help me feel better.”
Health: Chris Fountain had heart surgery on Friday as he shared snaps from his hospital bed
Hospital: Previously, The Coronation Street star, 35, took to his Instagram Stories on Thursday to update fans on his health after recently suffering a Transient Ischemic Attack (TIA)
Chris, who is also known for playing Justin Burton in Hollyoaks, underwent pre-surgery last month and explained what his upcoming surgery would entail.
He said, “What they do is go in through my crotch, go into my heart and put this thing through where the hole is and it leaves a metal umbrella and they pull it through, it leaves another little metal umbrella behind on the other side.
“Then my heart grows around it and hopefully that means no more strokes and I have a little bionic heart.
“It’s a little nerve wracking because it’s a heart procedure, but apparently it’s 99.9% successful. I’ll have to take it easy for a week or so after it’s done.
“So yeah, we’re doing a marathon and then we’re going to do heart surgery, like you.”
It comes after Chris revealed he lost the ability to speak and was “fearing for his life” following a mini-stroke in August.
The actor was admitted to Hackney’s Homerton University Hospital after the incident, after which he continued to talk “like a toddler”.
Chris realized something was seriously wrong after he woke up to find he could no longer pronounce his speech, prompting the terrified star to call 111 from his London home and request an ambulance.
‘Here we go’: The actor shared a video on his way to the hospital saying, ‘So the day has come. Just walking to the hospital. Got the mother here for moral support’
Support: Chris shared a clip with his mom joining him for support
The star later found out he had suffered a TIA, commonly referred to as a mini-stroke, due to blood clotting in his brain.
He told The Mirror: “When the doctors confirmed I’d had a TIA and said the word stroke I just couldn’t believe it, there was a moment of sheer panic just scared of what it would mean for the rest of my life .
‘Can I have another? Would the next one be even worse and would I lose the use of my arms or legs? I was really scared and just burst into tears.”
Chris was eventually transferred to The Royal London Hospital where he underwent further tests for five days before being released into the care of his concerned family.
Career: Chris is known for playing Tommy Duckworth in Coronation Street
He added: ‘The doctors said they saw some damage to the left side of my brain, from where your cognitive abilities are controlled.
“What’s scary is if I hadn’t called 911 when I did that and got to the hospital so fast that I don’t know if that clot could have traveled to the wrong place in my brain, I could have died. That gag was like a ticking bomb in my head.’
Doctors later discovered that the clot was caused by a small, previously unnoticed hole in his heart that allowed blood to flow into his brain – meaning he would need surgery to close it.