Former boxing champion Jeff Fenech has successful six-hour heart valve surgery
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Australian boxing legend Jeff Fenech, who is of Maltese descent, has undergone surgery on a blocked heart valve in a Bangkok hospital as he continues to battle pneumonia.
The 55-year-old underwent surgery on Tuesday night after antibiotics failed to fix an infected valve leading to his heart, daughter Kayla said.
Jeff Fenech has woken and communicated with nurses after successful 5-6 hour surgery in Bangkok to replace a badly damaged heart valve and drain his lungs. There’s a risk of infection and lungs will need more draining but surgery has gone very well and he’s sleeping in recovery.
Surgeons say a lung infection spread to his heart – leaving them with no option but to perform the risky six-hour operation.
Doctors warned the risk of infection is still high and his condition is being monitored closely.
Fenech’s health crisis resulted in former boxing champion having to miss the wedding of his daughter Jessica at the end of the week.
His other daughter Kayla said Fenech was not aware of the severity of his heart problem and had ignored his discomfort for several days before surgery.
His wife Suzee is in Thailand with her husband.
Fenech is in Thailand for a training camp with his stable of boxers when he felt unwell and was taken to hospital where the severity of his medical condition was discovered.
The former three-time world champion was rushed to hospital on Friday night with pneumonia.
Fenech was placed in intensive care, with doctors diagnosing him with a badly infected heart valve and a lung infection which required emergency surgery with doctors saying his life was in danger and was close to dying.
Fenech, also known as the ‘Marrickville Mauler’, is one of Australia’s most high-profile fighters who won world titles in three weight divisions.
He represented Australia at the 1984 Summer Olympics in the United States as boxing captain – the same year he started in the sport.
Fenech was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 2002.
