Doctors will create British medical history this week when they give a patient a new heart valve through no more than a small hole in the groin, rather than traditional open-heart surgery.

Cardiologists at the Glenfield Hospital, Leicester, will operate for just 10 minutes, and the patients will leave hospital after two days rather than several weeks. The procedure will also cost the NHS a lot less.

Dr Jan Kovac, a consultant cardiologist at the Glenfield, said: 'This technique is the biggest invention in cardiology for 30 years. Patients will be able to have heart valves replaced through the skin rather than having to endure open-heart surgery.'

During the operation an incision is made in the groin and the new valve is inserted using a catheter and implanted, before being expanded in the heart.