A FATHER who "died" 17 times was saved after desperate doctors carried out an emergency operation on him in Derby's A&E department.
John Gilmartin, who collapsed with no warning at the age of 41, needed 11 electric shocks from paramedics to keep his heart going on his way to the Royal Derby Hospital.
Once there, he suffered six more cardiac arrests.
Experts were so worried for him they operated in the A&E department's resuscitation room, without risking moving him to a specialist heart care theatre.
And, in a first for the hospital, they carried out a procedure to fit a miniature pump in John's heart while he was still in A&E.
The hospital said the lorry driver's condition was so serious it was a miracle he survived.
It has revealed details of his case to illustrate the kind of emergencies medics face in A&E and to emphasise that patients should think twice before attending if their condition is not serious.
Thanks to the care of the 10-strong team who operated on him, John is now recovering at his Chaddesden home with wife Sally and children Jack, 14, and Jade, 11.
He said: "I can hardly remember any of it but I'm so grateful to be alive. I remember nothing until I woke up in intensive care. The whole thing is so surreal."
David Ainsworth, general manager for acute medicine at Derby's hospitals, said: "This shows people should only come to A&E when they absolutely have to, as there are some very serious cases that we have to deal with."
John said: "Cases like mine show when it's the right time to go to A&E."
The father-of-two cannot remember a thing of the drama until he woke up in the intensive care unit at the Royal Derby Hospital.
The 41-year-old – who has a son Jack, 14, as well as Jade – said: "I remember feeling unwell and I remember sweating a lot, but that's it.
"It's a complete blank until intensive care – I had no idea what had happened."
Sally said: "He woke up that morning and he was fine – he went to the shop, came back and went upstairs.
"It was when he came back he said he wasn't feeling very well and I noticed his face was drained of colour.
"He went outside for a bit of fresh air but then he was sick down the drain, so I told him to go and lie down.
"The next thing, he's lying on the bed all stiff and purple, with his eyes in the back of his head, and I'm shouting, 'John! John!' at him but getting nothing back.
"There was nothing I could do but ring 999."
While Sally was performing CPR, paramedics from East Midlands Ambulance Service arrived at the Oakleigh Avenue home.
On the way to hospital, they had to use a defibrillator 11 times to deliver electric shocks which would restart his heart. He also had six cardiac arrests after he arrived.
Manjeet Riyat, consultant in the hospital's A&E department, said: "Patients like Mr Gilmartin would usually go to the cath lab but, because he'd had the cardiac arrests on the way to hospital, he had to go to A&E.
"But a team of specialists had already been alerted to Mr Gilmartin's condition and was ready to help him.
"Because every second counts in this situation, it was quickly decided to do the procedure there and then in the resuscitation room and not to move him, so the pump was brought to A&E."
Sally said: "They told me they were doing this procedure which had never been done like this before and, I have to say, it sounded terrifying.
"But, at the same time, they told me they had nothing to lose."
*DERBY TELEGRAPH COMMENT: John is living proof of the need to respect 999 calls
