When Ronald Thomas suffered a tear in his main artery, he came face to face with death.

Only half the people who suffer the condition survive the trip to hospital, and those who make it must undergo a complex operation, which takes up to 10 hours.

But Mr Thomas was one of the lucky ones.

He made it to Glenfield Hospital where he was treated by Dr Leon Hadjinikolaou and his team – who are the best the world at saving people with the condition, called an aortic dissection.

Almost everyone who is operated on by the team – 93 per cent – survives. This rate is higher than anywhere else in the world.

It is estimated the national and international survival rate is about 70 per cent per cent.

Statistics are collated informally by surgeons rather than by governments or health organisations.

It was three years ago when Mr Thomas, now 49, a student property landlord from Whetstone, felt a searing pain from his heart to his stomach.

The father of three said: "I knew there was something wrong and went straight to accident and emergency at Leicester Royal Infirmary.

"Doctors dismissed it as indigestion until I mentioned my aunt had died from an aneurysm a few years before.

"I was sent for more tests and this condition was detected. I was given two days to live. It seemed unreal at the time. I was rushed to Glenfield Hospital and within a few hours was in operating theatre."

It has taken him two years to recover and he is now helping geneticists in research to learn more about the condition.

Mr Thomas said: "I want to do anything I can which will help not just my family, but others, to understand more about this condition.

"If it hadn't been for the expertise in Leicester, I really don't believe I would be alive today."

It is estimated that in the past five years about 100 people in Leicestershire have suffered the condition, in which the wall of the aorta, the body's main artery, tears.

If it rips right open patients suffer massive and rapid blood loss.

The condition is so serious that about half patients die before they even reach hospital or are too ill to have surgery.

Dr Hadjinikolaou, a consultant cardiac surgeon, said: "We don't know what causes the tear but we believe it could be genetic.

"It is a lethal condition which happens quickly and without warning. I have even known people die as they are being transferred to the operating theatre."

Because the condition is relatively uncommon, it is difficult for surgeons to improve and perfect their skills in the procedure.

Each operation takes between eight and 10 hours and patients often have to be re-admitted to the operating theatre because of complications.

The condition has such a catastrophic effect on the body that doctors have to keep patients sedated for about three days to recover from the operation.

Dr Hadjinikolaou has operated on 46 patients suffering an aortic dissection in the past five years at Glenfield, enabling him and his team to perfect the procedure.

He said he would like to see patients flown in to Leicester's hospitals so they can benefit from their expertise.

Dr Hadjinikolaou said: "We are in the middle of England with easy access from all areas.

"It is difficult for surgeons to get experience of this operation because they see so few cases. At Glenfield we can provide the expertise."