Considering his heart was “running on one cylinder”, Neville has led a great life.

The hard-working father-of-three didn’t know he had a congenital heart defect until it was diagnosed late last year, in his early 60s. Throughout life, Neville’s only symptoms were being out-of-breath after sport, and feeling as though his recovery was slower than friends of the same age.

“Occasionally in the evening I would get this pain between my shoulder blades, and it would stretch from one side to the other,” he said. “I didn’t know or think that it was a heart symptom.”

Neville was referred to cardiothoracic surgeon Adrian Pick at Cabrini for open heart surgery to repair the complex congenital heart defect.

Today, less than a week after surgery, Neville is shocked at how well he is recovering.

“I can’t believe it,” he said. “And they’ve told me soon I’ll feel like I’m 40 again.”

Neville and wife Diane recommend to heart patients to arm themselves with knowledge.

“Ask questions of your doctors, and your GP,” he says. “Arm yourself with as much information as possible.

“Before this, I thought people had a heart attack and went to emergency – that’s not my story at all.”

Cabrini offers a broad range of cardiac care supported by diagnostic testing, state-of-the-art operating theatres, an acute cardiac ward and rehabilitation programs.

For more information on cardiac services at Cabrini go to www.cabrini.com.au/heart