EXCLUSIVE: Having worked as a cardiothoracic ICU nurse for 15 years, Elio is more than familiar with hospitals. But roles were reversed as the 38-year-old prepared to undergo heart surgery himself in the very hospital he works in. In a recent episode of RPA , the father of two revealed he's been living with mild mitral valve regurgitation for over a decade.
Elio's condition worsened in the last two years, and it was enough to warrant important surgical intervention. Stream the last episodes of RPA on 9Now. Speaking to 9Entertainment, Elio admitted he was "initially reluctant" to undergo surgery at Royal Prince Alfred hospital where he works.
"I thought it would be awkward seeing all the people I work with and feeling so vulnerable," he said. But it was a thought that quickly passed when it dawned on him that RPA offers revolutionary robotically assisted minimally invasive surgery. You can meet ICU nurse Elio in the video above.
"My initial fears went away quickly. I know the quality of the people that I work with. I knew I would be in great hands," Elio said.
Elio's condition in layman's terms meant that he had a leaky heart valve. It required delicate surgery that literally tugs on his heart-strings to correct. Elio placed his trust in colleague and friend of 10 years Dr.
Tristan Yan. READ MORE: Aussie man's bright yellow skin a sign of a dangerous liver condition RPA is one of the only public hospitals in Australia with a da Vinci Xi surgical robot. Speaking.
