DIY SOS star, 55, issues urgent advice to fans as he shows off huge open-heart surgery scar: ‘I was ticked off!’
BBC DIY SOS star Mark Millar has revealed his surgical scar following a triple heart bypass operation.
The 55-year-old TV builder shared health updates on Instagram yesterday, showing the lengthy scar that stretches from his chest to the top of his stomach.
Millar underwent the life-saving surgery after suffering a heart attack whilst cold water swimming off Clevedon’s coast in north Somerset late last year.
He was rushed to Bristol Royal Infirmary where doctors performed the emergency procedure.
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In his latest update, Millar expressed excitement about returning to swimming seven weeks after his operation.
“That was amazing, that was the first time I’ve been in the water since November,” he shared on social media. The builder completed 10 lengths and described feeling “so high” after the exercise.
“This is amazing I am alive,” he added, clearly emotional about reaching this milestone in his recovery journey.
However, Millar admitted he has been struggling with his mental health during recovery.
“I’ve been a bit quiet about my post op recovery but I’m doing well and healing well but I’ve struggled a bit mentally because I feel vulnerable,” he explained.
The TV star revealed his concerns about his surgical wound, which extends the length of his chest.
“I’ve been open from here to the top of my stomach so I get a bit worried about someone or me knocking it,” he said.
Shortly after sharing his swimming achievement, Millar revealed he had been reprimanded by a medical professional.
“I was slightly ticked off early from someone in the cardio unit but I should have waited until 12 weeks until the sternum is completely healed,” he admitted.
The builder warned his followers against following his example, explaining the risks of premature exercise.
“Please don’t swim before 12 weeks, I’m sorry for doing that,” he cautioned, adding that he would focus on walking instead for the remaining recovery period.
Millar has worked as a carpenter across the UK, Europe and the US after growing up in Belfast.
He joined DIY SOS as Project Manager six years after initially declining a presenting role in 1999 due to client commitments.
On the show, he worked alongside presenter Nick Knowles, determining how to complete weeks of work in just nine days.
He left the programme in 2018 to present Channel 5’s Dream Kitchens and Bathrooms with Mark Millar and also hosts BBC One’s How Safe Is Your House.
In a previous health update three weeks after surgery, Millar reported feeling “fantastic” and making good progress.
“I feel amazing, I’m walking I’m averaging seven thousand steps a day, I feel fantastic I have my appetite back,” he shared from his hospital bed.
He described being “exhausted for about two weeks and a bit tender” following the operation.
The builder expressed gratitude to the medical team who saved his life.
“I really am making my way back and thank you to the surgeons and doctors that helped me.”