Surgeon Proves a Life Saver for Ealing Tugboat Skipper
William Coleshill could have dropped dead at any moment
William 'didn't want to cause a fuss'
An Ealing man who captains tug boats has had his life saved by timely surgery.
83-year-old William Coleshill lives locally but still works at sea towing decommissioned ships to new ports or shipwrecking yards on the coasts of Turkey and Pakistan.
He had had surgery nearly a decade ago after the main artery leading out of his heart had swollen to a point where it was threatening to burst. Unfortunately the procedure had begun to leak, putting his life at risk again.
William was used to the throb of the engine beneath his feet but paid less attention to the pulsating feeling in his own body. It was a sign of trouble below decks and his GP was amazed to hear William had been living with the sensation for several years.
He said he didn’t like to make a fuss but his GP realised that urgent attention was needed and he was referred to Nung Rudarakanchana, a vascular and endovascular surgeon at Northwick Park.
Nung said, “If the artery had burst he could literarily have dropped down dead so it’s great to give him a new lease of life.
He was tasked with replacing the existing stent - a fine mesh-like tube covered in fabric - that stops the artery from rupturing.
“It’s big procedure which involves opening up the abdominal cavity and I had to unpick parts of the existing stent from the artery wall. It’s a long delicate procedure and Mr Coleshill has made an extraordinary recovery considering his age.”
William is thankful but remains unflustered about his brush with death. He said, “I’ve survived Force Eleven gales where the waves have been bigger than tower blocks. You just have to stay calm and ride it out.”
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February 2, 2022
