Miriam Margolyes is an icon. She is funny, blunt and unpredictable. All those traits have enabled the actress to become one of the most well-loved celebrities in Britain.
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Even though Margolyes is known for her bluntness, she remains quite a private person. For instance, not much is known about her personal life. Only in 2023, did she reveal that she had been with her partner, Heather Sutherland for over 50 years and that the two had chosen to never live together.
But now, on 18 October 2023, on a podcast episode where she was a guest, Margolyes has revealed that she had to undergo a very serious heart operation.
Miriam Margolyes gets heart surgery
On Jessie and Lennie Ware’s podcast called Table Manners, which aired on 18 October, Margolyes revealed that she had undergone a ‘procedure called transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR).’
In pure Miriam Margolyes fashion she said:
I've got a cow's heart now.
Indeed, a TAVR ‘replaces an aortic valve that is not working properly or is diseased with an aortic valve made from animal tissue.’
Miriam gave more details about the operation which is described as ‘minimally invasive.’ She stated:
I'd never heard of that operation. But it saves you from having open heart surgery, which would be infinitely more invasive.
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’ other health scares
This is not the first time that Miriam Margolyes has opened up about her health. Indeed, Mail Online reports that Margolyes had already mentioned a heart problem when she posed for Vogue in June 2023.
At the time she described the health scare as ‘unexpected’ and that it forced her to confront death. On that she said:
When you're young, you never think about death. You just think about your next f**k basically.
I think about death a lot.
Still in 2023, she had to go to the hospital for a chest infection. On the How To Fail podcast released on 6 September, Margolyes spoke about her diagnosis of spinal stenosis. In the frankness she is known for she said:
The one thing I have not conquered and should have conquered is my weight. (...) It's such a defeat. A cream bun, a chocolate, a helping of chopped liver is more important than your health and aesthetic presentation?
Adding:
It is a major failure and because of that I've got spinal stenosis, I can't walk, I'm going to be in a wheelchair before I'm much older
According to the NHS, spinal stenosis is:
a term used to describe a narrowing of the spinal canal. The narrowing may not cause any symptoms. However, the narrowing may progress to cause squeezing (compression) of the spinal nerves.
Spinal stenosis can cause back pain and/or leg pain. Most often it occurs when you walk. Weakness of the legs may make you feel unsteady. This may affect both legs or just one leg.
Hopefully, Miriam Margolyes doesn't have to go through any more health scares.
Read more:
⋙ Eamonn Holmes reveals his death arrangements with Ruth Langsford amid sad health updates
⋙ Eamonn Holmes: What health conditions does the GB presenter suffer from?
Sources:
Mail Online: Miriam Margolyes, 82, confirms she's undergone major heart surgery and shares health update
Express: Miriam Margolyes diagnosed with spinal stenosis - symptoms of the condition to spot
