Tummy Tuck Q&A

94%

WORTH IT RATING

2,301 Reviews

Ask a Question

View Before and Afters

Average Tummy Tuck Cost: $7,925

Learn about Tummy Tuck

7,736 people and 863 doctors are talking about Tummy Tuck

Get Free Email Updates

Leaking Heart Valve - Can I Have a Tummy Tuck?

asked 1 year ago by Ireland1188 in Ireland
Latest answer by Otto Joseph Placik, MD
Question viewed 442 times
Tags: candidate, contraindication, heart, leak, valve

I have a leaking heart valve and have been told by my GP that it is not serious. I want to have a tummy tuck and this obviously involves going under a general anesthetic. Would my condition stop me from being able to have a tummy tuck??

12 answers to Leaking Heart Valve - Can I Have a Tummy Tuck?

"Leaking heart valve" and tummy tuck--Is it safe?

First of all, what exactly does your GP mean when telling you about a "leaking heart valve." Perhaps this was his way of describing a mild flow murmur, such as seen with mitral valve prolapse. Perhaps this is aortic regurgitation, which is potentially much more serious. Clearly, a more detailed explanation of exactly what he meant, and why he also said "It is not serious" is needed to give you a proper analysis of the potential risks, if any, and the recommendation to... more

Richard H. Tholen, MD, FACS
Minneapolis Plastic Surgeon

www.mpsmn.com

Medical clearance will be needed.

You will defiantely need medical clearance before undergoing the surgery. Anytime there are any health issues, medical clearance is necessary before surgery. see video

Otto Joseph Placik, MD
Chicago Plastic Surgeon

Leaking heart valve and surgery

WIth issues regarding your heart, you will need medical clearance to evaluate whether or not you can have surgery safely.

Steven Wallach, MD
Manhattan Plastic Surgeon

Abdominoplasty medical clearance

People with all sorts of conditions have abdominoplasty. A leaking heart valve for example will require a cardiologist to see you, preoperative antibiotics and postoperative blood thinners. Your surgery should be done in a hospital and your physician should clear your risk prior to moving forward. Overall, you need a little bit more caution and evaluation than a standard healthy patient as you can imagine, but remember that this is elective surgery that... more

Ricardo A. Meade, MD
Dallas Plastic Surgeon

www.DoctorMeade.com

Leaky Heart Valve likely Mitral Valve Prolapse

If what you are describing is a condition called mitral valve prolapse, then you are likely a candidate for a tummy tuck. HOWEVER, you must obtain a formal evaluation of your heart by a cardiologist before you consider any elective cosmetic surgery. Additional testing such as an EKG and likely an echo (ultrasound) of the heart will be necessary. In addition, if it is indeed mitral valve prolapse, you will likely require special preoperative antibiotics for MVP prophylaxis.... more

C. Bob Basu, MD
Houston Plastic Surgeon

www.basuplasticsurgery.com

Heart murmur & tummy tuck

Provided your cardiologist gives you a "letter of medical clearance", an asymptomatic heart murmur would not prevent you from having your tummy tuck done. All the best!

Thomas Fiala, MD
Altamonte Springs Plastic Surgeon

Your Health and Plastic Surgery

Whether you have a leaky heart valve or some other condition that is not completely normal it is natural to have concerns when considering plastic surgery. In my practice, and in most practices, all patients having surgery are required to get medical clearance before having their procedure. This includes basic blood tests, and EKG, chest xray, and urine test. In some cases a specialist clearance is also needed. In your case, you might consider a cardiologist clearance just to be... more

Adam Rubinstein, MD
Miami Plastic Surgeon

Find out exactly what your heart condition is

You most likely have a common condition called Mitral Valve Prolapse which should not prevent you from having a TT. To be completely sure you should see a cardiologist and get an echo cardiogram. This will tell you exactly what is wrong and how much the valve is leaking. Get a written report from your cardiologist (clearance) and keep copies of it yourself for any future surgery you may need or want.

Lori H. Saltz, MD
San Diego Plastic Surgeon

www.ljcsc.com

MVP and a tummy tuck

You should get clearance from your doctor but in an asymptomatic patient with a minor valve issue (most commonly mitral prolapse) there shouldn't be a problem having a tummy tuck.

Richard P. Rand, MD, FACS
Seattle Plastic Surgeon

Mitral valve leaks and elective cosmetic surgery.

Your valve problem is most nlikely with the mitral valve and is not serious. Many woman have thisw diagnosis which is nearly meaningly. Nevertheless some doctors suggest antibiotics during procedures, but this is generally considered unnecessary. Yes, you can have a tummy tuck safely. We do many patient surgeries with a diagnosis like yours. Having said all this, you definitely should be checked out by you internist and possibly cardiologist to be... more

George Commons, MD
Palo Alto Plastic Surgeon

www.pacfps.com

Leaky Heart Valve and Tummy tuck

A Tummy Tuck is an elective body contouring procedure. As such, it is very important that it is done safely with minimal risk and it would definitely be advisable to obtain preoperative clearance from a cardiologist to make certain you represent an appropriate risk for elective surgery. Although, some plastic surgeons, might do the procedure with sedational anesthesia, most would probably prefer to do a tummy tuck with general anesthesia. Either way, your... more

Stephen Delia, M.D.
Boston Plastic Surgeon

Preoperative Clearance is important for plastic surgery

With a leaking heart valve, or any other medical condition, a full preoperative evaluation, including blood tests and consultations with your primary care physician and other specialists is a vital part of consideration for any plastic surgery. Your plastic surgeon may ask that you see a cardiologist or your primary care physician to make sure that for you, the benefits of plastic surgery (in this case a tummy tuck) outweigh the risks based on your medical history. more