Harry Potter Actress Miriam Margolyes Gives Health Update, Shares About Her Recent TAVR Surgery

82-year-old British actress Miriam Margolyes, famously known for her role as Professor Sprout in Harry Potter, recently gave an update about her health condition. In her interview on the podcast Table Manners with Jesse and Lennie Ware, she spoke about her undergoing TAVR short for transcatheter aortic valve replacement a surgical method to treat the narrowing of the aortic valve.

Her new surgery has saved her from open heart surgery which according to her would have been much more invasive.

---

Miriam Margolyes Health Condition

Miriam Margolyes's health condition (Image by pressfoto on Freepik)

In May, Margolyes was admitted to The Royal Brompton Hospital due to a chest infection. The actress had to go through a TAVR procedure and replaced her transcatheter aortic valve with a cow's aortic valve.

In her interview with Jesse and Lennie Ware, she said:

“I've got a cow's heart now. Well, not the whole heart. I've had an aortic valve replaced by a cow's aortic valve.”

When the hosts further asked about the procedure she had gone through she explained how the surgeons made two small incisions in her groins and then inserted a specialized device and facilitated the replacement of the aortic valve with a cow's aortic valve.

“And I don't know how they pull it up, but they sort of pull it up with stereos. And then when it comes to the point, when it's in your heart, they pull a little string, and it goes pow! And lo and behold, your artery or your aortic valve is shoved unceremoniously to the side."

Miriam Margolyes further stated that she does not know much about the procedure and if it is a common procedure or not but she was certain that this surgery is definitely a much better option compared to open heart surgery due to its less invasive nature.

---

Open Heart Surgery vs. Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement

Open heart surgery is highly invasive compared to TAVR (Image by Freepik)

Open heart surgery as claimed by Miriam Margolyes is a much more invasive technique when compared to its counterpart Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement.

As the name suggests in open heart surgery the surgeon cuts through the chest in order to reach the heart and treat the defective valve in the heart.

Moreover, people with other health conditions and aged people have a higher risk factor when they indulge in open heart surgery as they get more prone to stroke. Due to its invasive nature, open heart surgery comes with plenty of meds and diet restrictions.

On the contrary, TAVR requires 2-3 days of hospitalization only and does not have many side effects on the body.

---

All these challenges in the last year have made Miriam think about her life in more depth. With her unexpected surgery, she has started to take her life in a more serious way.

In her interview with Vogue, she confronted about her young days:

“When you're young, you never think about death. Now every morning when I get up, I think, ‘Hmmm, another day,’ which maybe I wasn't expecting.”

---

From Miriam Margolyes's health journey, one must take note of the fragility of life and the importance of health in order to live life to the fullest. The first priority should always be your health and in order to maintain that one should try to inculcate healthy changes in their daily routine.