HEART patients from the Taunton area with severely blocked arteries who cannot undergo routine surgery are now getting specialist treatment close to home.

A total of 15 people have already benefited from a complex surgical procedure, called Rotablation, now available at Musgrove Park Hospital.

Most cardiac patients with blocked arteries can have a routine percutaneous coronary intervention, when a needle is inserted in their body and a balloon placed into the narrowed artery to squeeze it open before placing a stent across the narrowing to keep it wide open.

But a few patients with a high build-up of calcium cannot be treated this way.

Previously, they would have had to either travel to Bristol for the Rotablation procedure, or potentially have a coronary artery bypass operation, which has higher.

Rotablation uses a tiny drill to power through the hard calcium rather than the soft lining of the blood vessels ahead of a procedure using conventional techniques with balloons and stents.

By having the intervention at Musgrove, local patients avoid longer and more complicated bypass surgery or a second procedure and most can be discharged the next day.

More than £13,000 was donated by the League of Friends to buy the Rotablation machine.

Consultant cardiologist Dr Mike Seddon, who set up the service at Musgrove, said: “Having Rotablation available here at Musgrove has made a huge difference, and has already significantly benefited a number of our patients.”

Patient Patricia Hockin, who benefited from Rotablation, said: “I found the treatment went really well and I didn’t even ask for sedation so I was able to watch the whole procedure being carried out.

"The hospital staff were excellent and kept me informed throughout.

“I only needed an overnight stay and was then able to go back home.

"I was even able to play table tennis within three weeks of my operation.”

League of Friends chairman Peter Renshaw said: “We are very pleased to have funded this important machine that will not only have a great benefit for patients, but also consolidate Musgrove as a centre of excellence.”