I would like a facelift. Had a heart stint in 2 years ago. Am I safe?

If your cardiologist says "no", then they must feel that the risk is too high. I have safely operated on patients with stents. At the same time, I have had a few patients whose cardiologist did not clear them and could not have surgery. Best to follow your cardiologists advice. 

A lot depends on what kind of medication you are taking and what all of your underlying health problems are.  Certainly, a facial plastic surgeon is not the one to make a decision about your heart health for undergoing a procedure.  On the other hand, your cardiologist may be personally opposed to facial plastic surgery.  If you feel this is the case, a second cardiology opinion may be warranted.

Hi.  This question is more complicated than it sounds - are you on Plavix, or ASA?  How many stents do you have?  Have you cardiac clearance from your heart doc?  Can you stop your medications safely?The risk is mostly related to the anesthesia - and the risk of bleeding & hematoma from your medication.  If it is deemed unsafe to stop your blood thinning meds for surgery, as determined by your cardiologist, or if the cardiologist says you are moderate or high risk for anesthesia, then I wouldn't perform your facelift.

If your Cardiologist is very opposed to your procedure, I would find out why.  There is a very real difference between a medically unsuitable patient and a Cardiologist with a bias against Plastic Surgery.  Since I have seen a number of instances of this implicit bias among Physicians, You may want to consider another opinion on your candidacy for surgery. If however, there is legitimate concern for your health, you should not have the surgery. 

When it comes to issues that can kill you, and issues that can improve the way you look, it is important to keep your priorities straight. I do not know the size of your stent, the location of your stent, the potential occlusion of your stent now, the occlusion before, whether you are on blood thinners, and numerous other factors that contribute to your health and safety. These lie in the realm of cardiology -- a very complex and important field. Should you wish to seek another opinion besides your cardiologist, I advise you to seek at least two other cardiologists' opinions, if not three. You must have thorough medical clearance before any legitimate plastic surgeon would operate on you.  Although I do understand you wish to look better, do not pursue this if it is unsafe. 

As a facial plastic surgeon that performs over a 100 facelifts a year, I always rely on the expertise of my colleagues in cardiology, internal medicine, etc. to clear the patient for surgery. We are talking about a very elective surgery that has inherent risks. If a colleague who knows my patient well feels uncomfortable with the patient having the procedure, that is enough for me to not proceed. Your health and safety is the primary concern.

As many other surgeons have discussed, safety is the number one priority. I've never had a cardiologist be totally against a patient having a facelift. Such a statement is noteworthy and would definitely give me pause. Your cardiologist's concerns should not be dismissed outright by the operating surgeon.That being said, the extent of the facelift operation can be tailored to each patient's needs. In some cases the surgery can be done under pure local anesthesia as a mostly skin operation. Fat grafting can also be done under local; or long-term facial fillers used as an alternative. 

See the link below for more info.



A detailed examination will help delineate the best surgical option. A more conservative operation may allay some of the cardiologists concerns. A frank discussion between your Board Certified plastic surgeon and your cardiologist would be the next best step.

Medical clearance from your cardiologist is required in order to proceed with surgery. I strongly recommend General Anesthesia provide by M.D. Anesthesia for this operation

Hello and thank you for your question. I have performed facelifts safely in patients with cardiac stents.  But this is only in careful coordination and clearance for my patients' cardiologists.  Without your cardiologist's medical clearance, you should not have surgery, no matter what your plastic surgeon says.  Your safety is the number one priority.  I always recommend that your plastic surgeon speak directly with your cardiologist and perhaps they will work together to find a solution.
Best wishes and good luck.
Richard G. Reish, M.D.
Harvard-trained plastic surgeon

Bottom line, it sounds to me as if your cardiologist has told you that it would not be safe. I would definitely follow his or her advice. While it is lovely to look younger, it is not worth risking your health. Kindly,Kouros Azar