A WEE COUNTY woman has spoken of her fear that her heart condition may worsen as she waits months to receive life-saving treatment.

Angela Kenny, 57, experienced atrial fibrillation (AF) for the first time in 2020 and has been added to a waiting list for a procedure.

AF is an abnormal, irregular heart rhythm in the top chambers of the heart which can feel like your heart is fluttering.

The married mother-of-three was first treated after four weeks, undergoing a successful cardioversion – a procedure which uses a controlled electric shock to shock her heart back into a normal rhythm.

However, in September 2023, Angela began to feel AF returning, and has been unable to work as a care assistant.

When she saw a cardiologist in November, she was told the wait for the operation may be longer this time, with Angela among thousands of Scots currently on NHS waiting lists for a heart procedure.

If Angela’s second cardioversion is unsuccessful, she may require an ablation – another procedure to restore a normal heart rhythm.

She said: “They said I might wait 8-9 weeks for another cardioversion, but I’ve been living with this for four months already.

“The cardiologist told me waiting time for ablation in our area is between nine and 10 months.”

An ablation procedure is not provided in the NHS Forth Valley area and is instead provided at a specialist cardiology centre in either Glasgow or Edinburgh.

While she waits for the procedure, Angela finds herself feeling breathless, feeling dizzy and suffering from palpitations.

Heart problems unfortunately run in Angela’s family, with her father dying of a heart attack aged 39, while her sister had a cardiac arrest 12 years ago.

Just last month, Angela called an ambulance after experiencing chest pains but was told there were none nearby and she should make her own way to A&E.

Luckily, her husband Brian was able to take her, but had to wait a further five hours before being seen by a doctor at 3am.

She added: “I’m anxious because the longer this goes on, the more damage there could be to my heart, and it could ultimately cause heart failure.”