Heart transplant day: Stephen gets a new heart

5 live has been following the story of heart transplant patient Stephen Halsey, who received a life-saving operation at Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Birmingham.

Chris Warburton was in the theatre at the time of recording, where consultant surgeon Neil Howell showed him the procedure step-by-step.

“When it goes well it’s the best operation in the world,” Neil Howell says. “When it doesn’t it’s the worst operation in the world. This man cannot live without a heart.”

The following audio contains some of the key moments of the surgery: from the moment the new heart arrives, to Stephen's chest cavity being stitched up.

This clip is originally from 5 live Heart Transplant Day on Tuesday 2 June 2015.