I was diagnosed with a heart murmur at birth, will that hurt my chances to get a Tummy Tuck or Brazilian Butt Lift done?

Hi. At our institute we always send our patients, age 40 and above, for a complete medical clearance before the surgery. If the patient is younger and has an antecedent history we will also get a medical clearance. If cleared, the heart murmur should not be an impediment to your surgery.Always seek out the opinion of a surgeon certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery with years of experience in tummy tucks, liposuction and fat transfers. Furthermore request to see before and after photos of previous patients by that doctor....not a clinic or surgery center. Do your homework......research and verify the doctor's credentials. Have they had problems with the Board of Medicine, disciplinary or otherwise. Any law suits? How about the center, clinic or facility? Are they accredited by a national organization or do they just have State approval. Understand that at the current time, there are three nationally recognized organizations responsible for the highest levels of patient safety, AAAASF, AAACH and JCHO. You owe it to yourself to position yourself for the best possible results but under the most stringent safety regulations, If you have kids, even more so.How about anesthesia? Will you have a medical doctor certified by the American Board of Anesthesiology or a certified nurse anesthetist (CRNA)? Understand that there is no substitute for research. Cosmetic surgery, no matter how simple it may be to the patients, are invasive procedures and as such carry certain risks and complications.In our office we use TouchMD which is a web based program in which patients have the ability to load their picture unto the program. We accomodate patinets from as far away as California. I then evaluate them and can actually draw on the picture to show a potential patient where the incisions would be located and how the procedure is to be realized. It's all done to comply with HIPPA which is the federal law that protects the patient's medical information. Look them up.Give yourself the highest percentage of a sucssesful operation. Good luck

Hello and thanks for your question.I would strongly recommend getting a medical clearance and discussing it with your surgeon.Best Wishes,Dr Sajjadian

Whether you can have a procedure performed depends on the severity of your murmur.  Cardiology input is invaluable.  If this murmur does cause issues with forward blood flow that is symptomatic or asymptomatic then the procedure(s) are not recommended. 

          Any concerns of this nature should be examined prior to surgery by a cardiologist so that clearance can be obtained for an elective procedure.Kenneth Hughes, MDLos Angeles, CA

If you have a heart murmur then you will need to be seen by your medical doctor or cardiologist to get clearance for the procedure.  The murmur may need to be worked up if it is still present.