If You Have a Heart Murmer is It Risky to Get a Tummy Tuck? Some Doctor Cant Even Hear It.

Hi there-

Without knowing a lot more about your particular situation, and having you evaluated by a cardiologist, I would not be comfortable telling you it would be okay to proceed with your tummy tuck.

On the other hand, please know that the vast majority of murmurs are insignificant and do not in any way increase your risk or interfere with your ability to have a tummy tuck.

Ask your doctor if a cardiology evaluation would be appropriate before proceeding with surgery.

The safest thing to do is to get what surgeons call "medicine clearance".  Start with your internist to work up this murmur.  You may need to see a cardiologist as well.   Its best to work this up before your surgery to avoid any surprises.  Best of luck.

It is very likely that the asymptomatic cardiac murmur that you mentioned will not prohibit you from undergoing tummy tuck surgery safely. However, it will be in your best interests to be evaluated by a cardiologist prior to the procedure.

Best wishes.

You probably have no added risk for a tummy tuck.


Heart murmurs can be a finding associated with diseases of the heart valves, but most murmurs are innocent, and are not associated with any disease process.  

If your primary physician knows you are considering having a tummy tuck, he or she can can decide if any further evaluation is in order. 

Most surgeons administer antibiotics for a tummy tuck. If your surgeon does not do this routinely, the presence of a murmur should be a indication to give you antibiotics, which is usually an intravenous dose just as surgery is about to start. 


Best wishes.

A heart murmur is a group of specific sounds made by heart structures which may be diseased when the blood rushes through them. Millions of women have innocent, clinically insignificant murmurs of the mitral valve. But, other murmurs may be associated with narrowing of diseased heart valves or with heart failure. Since all doctors are not ceated equal and since they have different interests the inability of some doctors to hear YOUR murmur does not mean their are normal. It is best to be examined by a Cardiologist who WILL be able to educate you about your murmur as well as its clinical significance. He would also tell you and your surgeon how safe it would be to proceed as well as what measures if any need to be undertaken before during and after your surgery.

Good Luck

Peter A Aldea, MD

Hi.

Most heart murmurs are not serious and it is safe to have surgery with them.  Your internist can tell you if yours is not a problem