Aortic surgery, complications and recovery – Clare Davis's story
Patient Clare Davis and aortic surgeon Mr Michael Sabatai share two perspectives on complex aortic surgery, after Clare experienced a spinal cord injury following an extensive operation on her aorta.
Clare's story
Clare Davis was diagnosed with an Aortic Dissection in August 2019 after experiencing episodes of chest pain and numbness in her left arm. Following her diagnosis, she was transferred to St Thomas' Hospital, where her blood pressure was stabilised before she returned home under close surveillance.
Genetic testing subsequently confirmed that Clare had Marfan syndrome. By early 2021, her aorta had enlarged significantly and surgery was recommended because of the risk of rupture.
Clare knew that the operation would be extensive and that there were significant risks. She recalls approaching the decision simply: without surgery she felt she was a “ticking time bomb”; with surgery there was the possibility of a good outcome.
The operation lasted around 12 hours. Afterwards, an MRI confirmed that Clare had suffered a spinal cord injury, leaving her paralysed from approximately the waist down.
In this talk
- Patient: Clare Davis
- Surgeon: Mr Michael Sabatai, Consultant Aortic Surgeon
- Event: Annual Patient Event 2026, Birmingham
- Duration: 23:45
- Topics: Aortic Dissection · Marfan Syndrome · Complex Aortic Surgery · Spinal Cord Injury · Surgical Risk · Rehabilitation · Patient Experience
Adapting to a new normal
Clare's recovery involved far more than recovering from the original operation.
She developed an infection around her graft which required an extended course of antibiotics, before eventually transferring to the National Spinal Injuries Centre at Stoke Mandeville for rehabilitation.
There she describes discovering new ways of exercising and rebuilding her independence, including hydrotherapy and the freedom of being able to swim again. After six months and six days in hospital and rehabilitation, Clare was finally able to return home.
Despite everything that happened, Clare expresses enormous gratitude to the team who treated her. Her message to them is striking: “It may not have been perfect, but I'm here.”
The surgeon's perspective
Following Clare's recorded story, Mr Michael Sabatai explains the extraordinary complexity of the surgery she underwent and offers a candid perspective on what complications mean for the surgeons responsible for treating patients.
He describes an operation involving replacement of much of the aorta, requiring a large multidisciplinary team and many hours in theatre. He explains the planning, monitoring and decision-making involved, as well as the limits of current medical knowledge: even when recognised precautions are taken, devastating complications can still occur.
Michael also reflects on the emotional impact of adverse outcomes on surgeons themselves — and the process of examining what happened, questioning whether anything could have been done differently and learning from each patient's experience.
The result is an unusually open conversation about risk, uncertainty and the human experience on both sides of complex aortic surgery.
This presentation was recorded at the Aortic Dissection Awareness UK & Ireland Annual Patient Event 2026, held in Birmingham on 18 September 2026.
