A trip to the dentist turned into a full scale medical drama for a boy recovering from open-heart surgery.

While having a tooth pulled out is frightening enough for most children, for Eduard Horandi-Clevett it could have been life-threatening.

So, a heart specialist was asked to be in the room while the four-year-old had his two front teeth removed.

His mother, Kirsty, 24, from Consett, County Durham, said: "Because of his heart condition, they thought it would be best to have a specialist there at the same time."

Eduard, who has been in and out of hospital since he was just six days old, had been bouncing up and down on his brother's bunk-bed when he tripped and fell, chipping his milk teeth.

But, while a quick trip to the local dental surgery would have been enough for most children, Eduard had to be taken to Newcastle's Freeman Hospital following the fall two weeks ago.

Mrs Horandi-Clevett said: "His heart condition means we have to be extra careful when things like this happen."

Eduard, who has two brothers, Ronald, six, and 19-month-old Alfie, first came to the notice of doctors before he was even born.

A heart defect was picked up while he was in the womb, during Mrs Horandi-Clevett's 20-week scan. He was diagnosed with hypoplastic left-heart syndrome, which means the left side of his heart had failed to develop properly, leaving him certain to die without proper treatment.

Within hours of being born, he was given drugs to keep his heart pumping. At just six-days-old, going under the surgeons knife during a six hour operation.

Mrs Horandi-Clevett and husband Adam, a bus driver, were told their son would face further surgery throughout his young life.

The couple have to be constantly vigilant when Eduard catches childhood bugs and must watch him for signs of heart problems.

But, with his last operation almost a year ago, The Grove Primary School pupil is now back on the road to recovery.

Mrs Horandi-Clevett, a full-time mother, said: "He is more or less able to do all the things that other little boys can. But, he does find it difficult to run around for too long. He can get tired quite quickly."