One moment Josh Potts, a fit young bloke from Harden, north-west of Canberra, was standing in his home the next – six days later – he was waking up from a coma in the intensive care unit of the Canberra Hospital.
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At just 19, he'd suffered a sudden cardiac arrest after no previous history of heart problems. Luckily a friend found him in time.
On Thursday, seven weeks after the arrest, he became the first patient in the ACT to receive a new alternative to a pacemaker which he hopes will give him a normal life including being back soon on the footy field.
The surgery – performed at the National Capital Private Hospital in Canberra – also included stopping Josh's heart to test the device and ensure it jolted him back to life.
He had literally been given a heartstarter – a defibrillator – within his own skin.
The reserved dump truck driver admitted to a few nerves before the surgery but said he trusted cardiologist Dr Muayad Alasady and was looking forward to the treat of "a Kingsley's burger" after the operation.
But there was a bigger reward at the end of it all.
"Just live a normal life," he said.
Unlike a traditional pacemaker, the device, developed by Boston Scientific, does not require any electrical wires to be connected to the heart or fed through the veins.
Instead it is implanted under the skin, monitors the heart around the clock and sends an electric shock to the heart if it detects a dangerous change in its rhythm.
It is designed to prevent sudden cardiac arrest when the heart stops suddenly and without warning. The defibrillation keeps the heart going to prevent brain damage or death.
"The device gives them a shock within a few seconds instead of waiting for the ambulance to come and give them a shock which could take 10 to 20 minutes, which is very crucial time, obviously," Dr Alasady said.
Boston Scientific spokesman David Walker said there had only been 50 of the new devices fitted in Australia with Josh being patient No. 51.
Mr Walker said the weak link in a traditional pacemaker was the lead to the heart which was was constantly moving with the patient's heartbeat, eventually wearing out and needing to be replaced. By contrast, the lead in the new technology could remain in a patient's body for life, removing the need for future invasive procedures.
The new device – known as S-ICD (Subcutaneous Implantable Cardioverter Defibrillator) – also meant simpler surgery and a reduced risk of infection.
Dr Alasady said the battery would have to be replaced after a number of years, depending on how often an electrical charge was sent, but, again, there was no touching the heart or veins to do so.
He said the new technology was a good option for younger people who would live with the lead for potentially decades and for people at risk of infection, which was only heightened in older technology when wires had to be sent through blood vessels. It was also suitable for people who had issues with access to blood vessels.
Josh ticked two of those boxes because he was young and also in intensive care for two weeks due to infection. He was recovering well on Thursday after the 90-minute operation, ready to deal with his heart condition, which doctors believe may be hereditary.
Dr Alasady said because it was new technology, the hospital was being selective in choosing its patients, with one other set to receive the device. He believed once the technology was honed and the device made smaller, it could become available to more patients, including in the public system.
"We're already seeking approval from ACT Health to use this technology in the public hospital as well," he said.
National Capital Private Hospital general manager Elizabeth Porritt said she was delighted the hospital was able to bring the "world-class technology" to Canberra.
"We are excited to be the first ACT hospital to perform this operation and look forward to making it more widely available to the Canberra and local community," she said.
