Surgeons performed two heart operations on Nawal Mayor

Nawal Mayor was working on a heart scanner at London Independent Hospital on 19 April, when he fell ill.

The 54-year-old, from Walton-on-Thames, Surrey, then underwent two operations to unblock a main artery.

Doctors said his condition was so serious it was unlikely he would have survived had he been anywhere else.

Mr Mayor told BBC London: "I was getting really sweaty. I was getting quite panicky."

I really need to be alive because my children need me and my family need me

Nawal Mayor

He said the last thing he could remember was telling a member of staff he was feeling poorly.

Surgeons then used the heart machine - fixed by Mr Mayor - to scan his arteries, before operating on him.

Later the same day, he was operated on again and fitted with a replacement valve.

Professor Adam Timmis, from the hospital in Stepney Green, said: "Had this happened outside this hospital, it's very unlikely he would have survived."

Two weeks on, he is back at home recovering with his two children.

He said: "I really need to be alive because my children need me and my family need me, so things have worked out reasonably ok."