Aortic Dissection beginnings – a patient and surgeon narrative
Simon Gawthorne and his surgeon, Mr Amit Modi, share the remarkable story of Simon's acute Type A Aortic Dissection — from its unexpected discovery and emergency surgery to recovery and life afterwards.
A story told from two perspectives
What does an Aortic Dissection look like from both sides of the operating theatre?
At our 2026 Annual Patient Event in Birmingham, patient Simon Gawthorne was joined by Mr Amit Modi, Consultant Aortic Surgeon, to tell the story of Simon's acute Type A Aortic Dissection from two very different perspectives.
Simon was 68 and had led an extremely active life. Following an illness towards the end of the previous year, he was due to have a follow-up echocardiogram before travelling abroad. He went to hospital on 2 January expecting a routine appointment.
Instead, the echocardiogram raised immediate concerns and further investigation revealed an acute Type A Aortic Dissection. What had begun as an ordinary hospital appointment became an emergency transfer to University Hospital Southampton for life-saving surgery.
In this talk
- Speakers: Simon Gawthorne, Patient; Mr Amit Modi, Consultant Aortic Surgeon
- Event: Annual Patient Event 2026, Birmingham
- Duration: 30:45
- Topics: Type A Aortic Dissection · Diagnosis · Emergency Surgery · Recovery · Patient Experience
The surgeon's perspective
Mr Modi takes up the story from the other side.
Using Simon's medical imaging, he explains what the clinical team could see, why they concluded that Simon's dissection was an acute event and the decisions that followed.
During Simon's transfer to Southampton, his heart stopped and he required CPR. After arriving conscious in intensive care, Simon was prepared for emergency surgery.
Mr Modi explains the extensive operation that followed, including replacement of Simon's aortic root and valve, ascending aorta and part of the aortic arch. He also describes the challenges the surgical team encountered and the decisions they made during the procedure.
Recovery and life afterwards
Simon then takes the story back, describing what those events felt like as a patient — from the frightening ambulance journey and preparation for surgery to waking up the following day and beginning his recovery.
His account also demonstrates that surviving an Aortic Dissection is only the beginning of the story.
Simon talks candidly about the physical effects of major surgery, loss of strength and stamina, and the emotional impact on both him and his family. He describes feeling frightened and anxious and explains how learning more about what had happened to him, together with psychological support, helped him begin to make sense of his experience.
There is also plenty of hope.
Following discharge, Simon gradually increased his walking, returned to gentle exercise and travelled again. He describes completing 20,000 steps during a trip to the Dolomites and later fulfilling an ambition to visit the Belgian Grand Prix at Spa.
While some physical symptoms and a degree of anxiety remain, Simon describes his stamina as improving and himself as mentally positive.
Watch the full talk
This 30-minute presentation combines the lived experience of an Aortic Dissection patient with the clinical perspective of the surgeon who treated him, providing an unusual insight into diagnosis, emergency treatment, major aortic surgery and recovery.
It was recorded at the Aortic Dissection Awareness UK & Ireland Annual Patient Event 2026, held in Birmingham on 18 September 2026.
