Emma Willis reveals she had heart surgery after doctors discovered a hole as she thanks husband Matt who 'never left my side'
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Emma Willis has revealed she underwent keyhole heart surgery after doctors found a hole in her heart.
The TV presenter, 49, took to Instagram on Wednesday and shared several photos of herself taken in hospital following the procedure.
The former Big Brother host told fans she discovered she has had a hole in her heart since she was born and so had surgery at the Royal Brompton Hospital in London.
Keyhole heart surgery involves making small incisions in the chest as opposed to the breastbone as in traditonal open heart surgery.
The surgeon accesses the heart through the incisions, allowing for a less invasive approach with fewer complications and a faster recovery time.
In a lengthy post, Emma thanked her husband Matt and the staff at the Royal Brompton Hospital who looked after her.
She wrote: 'A big humungous THANK YOU to the team at the Royal Brompton Hospital for their care and support.
'A few weeks ago, I had keyhole heart surgery, which feels very strange to write, and even stranger when I say it out loud. From investigations last year, to diagnosis and then surgery, they were absolutely incredible. As was @mattjwillis who never left my side.
'Turns out, I’ve been pottering around for 48 years blissfully unaware I had a hole in my heart. Isn’t it bonkers what’s happening in our bodies that we have no idea about…
'What blows my mind even more is the wonders of modern medicine, and the spectacular people that save, fix and help us every single day.
'Can you imagine what it must feel like to have a pair of hand that can do that job?! They are the real superstars… ⭐️
'A few of those people are Dr Alexander Lyon who investigated like a true super sleuth Professor Wei Li, echocardiogram extraordinaire. Catrina, Carl and Tim who kept me at ease and humoured me when they were putting me to sleep.
'Marcus, Janet, Jayne, Hannah and Reem who monitored me at various points. Paulette, who was always up for a chat, gave great hugs, and loves a cinnamon slice as much as I do!
'There was a lovely woman with me in recovery but I was so out of it I can’t remember her name (so so sorry) and my surgeon, Dr Ee Ling Heng… She was recommended as ‘a spectacular pair of hands’, but my god, shes that and so much more.
'She has an ease and warmth that made me feel instantly comfortable all whilst being incredible professional and informative. I ask a million questions, and she answered them with the patience of a saint.
'I knew as soon as we met that she was the woman I wanted poking around in my heart. Thank you Ee Ling, you’re one in a trillion.'
Emma and Matt have been together for more than 20 years and they have three children together - Isabelle, 15, Ace, 13, and Trixie, eight.
They tied the knot in 2008 and are approaching their 20th wedding anniversary, but have overcome some struggles over the years, including Matt's drug and alcohol addiction.
Former Busted star Matt recently told MailOnline how couple's therapy has helped him and Emma move on from challenges in their decades-long relationship.
They started marriage counselling in 2020 yet Matt admitted Emma was originally reluctant to do it, but is now glad they did because it 'transformed' their marriage.
Matt explained how they turned to therapy after feeling stuck and not being able to move past 'certain things' in their relationship.
'I don't think [therapy] is for everyone but I think you'd be surprised with how much you can benefit from it,' he told MailOnline while discussing his and Emma's new project with Disney Cruise Line.
'Emma was definitely not up for it when I mentioned it, but she's really pleased we did. It's been transformative.'
'I think people instantly jump to the fact that you need therapy because you're in trouble, that's the pre-conceived notion,' he added. 'But we weren't in trouble, we just had certain things that we couldn't get past.'
The singer told how therapy helped him and Emma fully 'understand' one another and come to grips with the other person's point of view.
'We fully understand each other, that happened years ago, but honestly I think couple's therapy helped with that, it really did,' he went on.
'We really got to learn how to understand each other. At the end of the day, we want the best from each other.
'That's been the real turning point, actually going ''I want to really understand what you want and how to give that to you and what you want from me, and how I can do that''. But also staying true to ourselves.'
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