A seven-year-old boy has been saved by London surgeons after becoming the first child in the UK to undergo angioplasty for heart failure—a procedure typically reserved for adults. Elliot Atkins, from Colchester, Essex, was diagnosed with heart failure and a rare condition called middle aortic syndrome, which left him unlikely to survive without intervention.
Medics at Great Ormond Street Hospital (GOSH) performed the angioplasty to widen narrowed arteries, reversing his heart failure—a condition previously considered irreversible—and making him fit for life-saving surgery. Doctors believe he could be the first child ever to receive this intervention for heart failure, with no other documented cases worldwide.
A Mother's Relief
Elliot's mother, Amy Govier, said he is now “running around with his friends and happy” and training for his school sports day. “He's just a bundle of joy, he always tries to make people laugh,” she told the Press Association.
The Journey to Diagnosis
Elliot was born healthy at Musgrove Park Hospital in Taunton, Somerset. But at 11 months old, he became seriously unwell after a chest infection. A scan revealed an enlarged heart, and further tests at Bristol Royal Hospital for Children confirmed heart failure, dangerously high blood pressure, and a narrowed aorta.
Referred to GOSH, Elliot was also diagnosed with middle aortic syndrome, where the aorta and kidney blood vessels become severely narrowed, reducing blood flow and straining the heart, kidneys, brain, and eyes. Major surgery was initially too risky due to advanced heart failure.
A Pioneering Procedure
Doctors from various specialties decided to attempt angioplasty—a routine treatment in adults but never before performed on a child with heart failure. The technique uses a small balloon to widen narrowed blood vessels, improving blood flow.
Elliot's father, Tom Atkins, a military medic, said the lack of precedent was daunting: “There was nothing that we could go and look at and read. We couldn't Google anything to reassure ourselves.” However, discussions with surgeons put their minds at ease.
After a series of six angioplasties by age two, Elliot became strong enough for a complex aortic bypass graft with a single kidney transplant in July 2025. The surgery created a new blood flow route and relocated his kidney to improve blood supply and control blood pressure.
Life After Surgery
Now seven, Elliot is thriving. “He just knows he's got this scar on his tummy, and that's it,” Ms. Govier said. “He is very excited for sports day.”
Since Elliot's first angioplasty in 2020, GOSH teams have performed similar procedures on other children with heart failure. Dr. Jelena Stojanovic, Elliot's clinician, said: “Following Elliot's intervention, we have successfully performed this on several other children from the UK and abroad. This is a very rare condition, but what is important is that children can be offered the chance to survive.”
She added: “He's doing remarkably well, taking fewer medications, his quality of life has improved significantly, and he's back to activities every child his age should enjoy.”
