Former Strictly Come Dancing star Susannah Constantine has opened up about being rushed to hospital for emergency surgery after experiencing pins and needles, tinnitus, and a swollen left eye. The 61-year-old initially dismissed the symptoms but later learned she had a one in three chance of suffering a brain haemorrhage, paralysis, or stroke.
Doctors diagnosed Constantine with a rare condition called venous fistula, an abnormal connection between an artery and a vein. She told OK! Magazine: "They said 'It's Hobson's Choice, if you don't have the operation, you've got a one in three chance of having a brain haemorrhage, being paralysed or having a stroke.'" Surgery carried a one in ten risk of the same outcomes.
Reflecting on the ordeal a year on, Constantine said: "It was a very rare thing where I had a leak – the arteries were bleeding into the capillaries and trapping the spinal cord, and affecting my brain." She had previously shared a video on social media showing her on a drip, thanking the NHS and the neurosurgeons who treated her.
Fans and colleagues sent well wishes, including Zoe Ball, Johannes Radebe, Trinny Woodall, and Lisa Snowdon. Constantine also opened up about her hearing loss, which led to her getting a hearing aid, describing it as "transformative" and "liberating."
