HEART patient Emma Moore's life has been transformed by a pioneering operation which took just 30 minutes to perform.

Ms Moore, 25, is one of the first people in the world to undergo the procedure, which looks set to revolutionise heart surgery.

Surgeons at the Freeman Hospital, in Newcastle, are hoping a tiny gadget, which slowly releases a drug which prevents the artery "furring up" again, will save the lives of hundreds of heart disease patients every year.

Diabetic Ms Moore was allowed out of hospital to her home in North Shields, North Tyneside, on Wednesday, less than 24 hours after the procedure.

More than 38,000 patients in the UK receive a stent every year - a metal tube which is inserted into a heart vessel to keep the blood flowing. But a third last less than six months as the artery re-narrows meaning patients have to undergo the operation again.

The new Cypher stent is the first drug-releasing system which reduces the risk of the vessel clogging.

It will allow doctors to treat more complex cases of coronary heart disease without the need for open heart surgery and cut recovery time.

Ms Moore was given a local anaesthetic and was able to watch on a screen as the stent was pushed towards her heart through a tube in her leg.

A balloon was inserted through the tube and went up to the vessel where it was inflated and then the stent was put in. The balloon was then deflated and taken out.

She said: "I felt a slight discomfort in my chest but there was no pain. I have noticed the difference already. My breathing is so much easier. I can't feel the full effect yet."

The procedure was carried out by consultant cardiologist Dr Azfar Zaman.