Leaking Heart Valve - Can I Have a Tummy Tuck?

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 proceed with elective surgery, to proceed with [specific] recommendations, or "Do not proceed, unsafe" may require evaluation by a cardiologist, or at least more information from your GP.

I have performed elective surgery on many patients with various types of cardiac issues, including valvular "leaks," flow murmurs, pacemakers or implantable defibrillators, and other concerns, but not without full review and recommendation by a cardiologist, and recognition and acceptance by both the patient and her surgeon (me) of the potential risks, including heart attack, stroke, or even death. Fortunately, this has never occurred with any of my patients, but it could, even in a patient without any pre-diagnosed heart problem!

Talk to your doctor!

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

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 you are requesting.  Nobody can guarantee that there can not be a problem, even if you didn't have the leaking heart valve.  Best wishes, 

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!

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 safe. 

You might also consider having a different kind of anesthesia. Check out the link below to learn about having a tummy tuck without general anesthesia.

If your doctor feels there is nothing to be concerned about then you are likely still a good candidate for surgery. i would recommend that you visit with a few well qualified plastic surgeons. In the United States I always recommend looking for board certification with the American Board of Plastic Surgery. If you have good communication with your surgeon and understand what he/she explains are the risks and benefits, the two of you can make a good plan together.

I hope this info helps!

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

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.  Hope this helps.

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 medical condition should be fully evaluated by a cardiologist. 

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. 

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.