British Ice Dancer Buckland Undergoes Heart Surgery | Golden Skate

British Ice Dancer Buckland Undergoes Heart Surgery

CaroLiza_fan

EZETTIE LATUASV IVAKMHA
Record Breaker
Joined
Oct 25, 2012
Country
Northern-Ireland

MY GOODNESSS!!!!

Nick has been going through all this, and has still been competing?! :eek: Wow!

I'm not sure how I feel about this.

Coomes/Buckland are a team that has been improving greatly over the past few years, and you can understand how much they want to continue competing, and particularly as there are Olympics coming up. Let's face it, no disrespect to the other Team GB skaters, but Coomes/Buckland are going to be the ones that bring back Team GB's best result in Figure Skating.

However, your health is more important than sport. Especially when it is something as important as your heart.

Obviously, when I read the title of this thread, my first thought was "Oh my goodness! I hope Nick's OK". But, I am sure I'm not the only person whose second thought was about Sergei Grinkov.

Personally, I am not sure that doing something as physically strenuous as competitive skating is wise when you have a heart condition.

Sergei didn't know about his condition. But Nicholas does, and so he can make a choice about how to proceed.

I know what I would be doing if it was me. But, then again, I do not know what it is like to be a competitive sportsperson.

Regardless of what happens in the future in terms of skating, I hope that this procedure does sort out the problems Nick has been experiencing with his heartbeat.

All the best Nick!

CaroLiza_fan
 

karne

in Emergency Backup Mode
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Jan 1, 2013
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Australia
This reminds me a little bit too of Gregory Merriman, who had an inflamed heart sac just before Nebelhorn Trophy in 2009.
 
Joined
Aug 16, 2009
Great that they found it in time.

An arrhythmia can be life-threatening if NOT found, but it's often correctable these days with some variant on a pacemaker. Keep in mind that the heart runs on electrical impulses; this is a bit like a short-circuit. It also looks as if this was one of the kinds of arrhythmia that can be improved by cauterizing an area in the heart.

I'm not a doctor, but I had a cardiologist in the family, so I have some small knowledge of these things, and I hope this helps a bit. Just to reassure everyone, this is very different from what Sergei Grinkov had, which seems to have been a genuine, early-onset atherosclerosis, or closure of an artery by cholesterol. It's also very different from a heart valve malfunction, which usually needs significant surgery (a valve replacement or repair), but which is also more curable than the closed artery. The arrhythmia is not related to any bacterium or inflammation. Some people just have it or develop it.

Depending on the situation, this could just be a bump in the road for Nick. It's actually not uncommon in young people, and it tends to show up in the very athletic because they exert themselves so much more than average. Some kids collapse and do not end well, but many these days are found in time, and they just proceed with their lives after treatment. The sudden appearance of an arrhythmia during a sport or game is why many sites in the U.S. now have defibrillators so they can immediately jolt the heart's electrical system back into smooth running.
 

lcd

Match Penalty
Joined
Mar 11, 2007
Uh … the term "Heart Surgery" is certain to conjure up all sorts of uber dramatic images of some poor soul undergoing a chest cracking experience. These days, while not completely straight forward, these type of procedures are usually done with a less invasive approach. The can treat these types of conditions using catheters which are inserted through vessels in the groin. The patient is very often only lightly sedated.

Am not trying to minimize the extent of his condition or the nature of risks, but it seems a very smart thing to do considering he apparently had an arrhythmia during competition last season. Better to address this type of thing sooner, rather than later or regretfully never/too late.

All the best to him for full health and a safe recovery.
 

KKonas

Medalist
Joined
Oct 31, 2009
Great that they found it in time.

An arrhythmia can be life-threatening if NOT found, but it's often correctable these days with some variant on a pacemaker. Keep in mind that the heart runs on electrical impulses; this is a bit like a short-circuit. It also looks as if this was one of the kinds of arrhythmia that can be improved by cauterizing an area in the heart.

I'm not a doctor, but I had a cardiologist in the family, so I have some small knowledge of these things, and I hope this helps a bit. Just to reassure everyone, this is very different from what Sergei Grinkov had, which seems to have been a genuine, early-onset atherosclerosis, or closure of an artery by cholesterol. It's also very different from a heart valve malfunction, which usually needs significant surgery (a valve replacement or repair), but which is also more curable than the closed artery. The arrhythmia is not related to any bacterium or inflammation. Some people just have it or develop it.

Depending on the situation, this could just be a bump in the road for Nick. It's actually not uncommon in young people, and it tends to show up in the very athletic because they exert themselves so much more than average. Some kids collapse and do not end well, but many these days are found in time, and they just proceed with their lives after treatment. The sudden appearance of an arrhythmia during a sport or game is why many sites in the U.S. now have defibrillators so they can immediately jolt the heart's electrical system back into smooth running.

The procedure sounds similar to the installation of a pacemaker. My 91 year-old mother recently had a battery replaced in her pacemaker and was treated as an outpatient and was back on her feet hours later, doing fine. Hopefully this was a similar-type of procedure and he will be fine for Sochi.
 

SamuraiKike

Medalist
Joined
Jan 26, 2008
Umm Buckland is an Ice Dancer. not Pair Skater (just a nitpick I know)..

I wish him all the best but please get rid of that MJ FD monstruosity.
 

azcalder

Rinkside
Joined
Nov 25, 2006
You're right....and I know that. They train with Evgeni Platov in NJ. Definitely a senior moment...Actually I copied it from a post on Skate Fans and didn't think. Sounds like the procedure was a success. I wish them well at the GB Nationals and Sochi. I agree with the MJ program...saw it first in SLC and didn't like it then....haven't changed my mind.
 

CaroLiza_fan

EZETTIE LATUASV IVAKMHA
Record Breaker
Joined
Oct 25, 2012
Country
Northern-Ireland
Thank you to all that have replied giving more information about Nick's condition. It was very re-assuring.

After posting my reply, I was showing the story to my Mum, and she was telling me that one of our neighbours has the same condition. I knew she had a heart problem, but didn't know anything more than that.

But, anyway, apart from the fact that she also has a bad back, our neighbour is doing alright. And she is double Nick's age.

So, that was re-assuring as well.

CaroLiza_fan
 

ice coverage

avatar credit: @miyan5605
Record Breaker
Joined
Feb 27, 2012
And Buckland had made some reassuring comments in his mid-November blog about moving forward after the procedure.

Nick Buckland and Penny Coomes ice skating blog: Bouncing back from a heart procedure

Excerpt:
After the last three weeks I never would have thought I’d be sitting writing this blog feeling so positive. It’s been a big test for our resilience and to be honest a huge challenge for me, my family and for everybody involved.
I want to thank Professor Sharma and Dr Behr for dealing with me so professionally and also to UK Sport for their support throughout. Their support has allowed me to continue with my Olympic ambition and beyond.
Life constantly tests your character and being given the chance to bounce back from this has made me realise I’m ready for anything this Olympic season throws at me!
 
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