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  • Heart Murmur

    Hey guys !! My surgery is one week from tomorrow. I went for my pre-op testing a couple of days ago. As if I wasn't nervous enough, they told me that I have a heart murmur which I never knew I had. Now I need some special clearance after taking a couple more tests. Is this anything to be concerned about? It's been a few days since the testing and I still haven't heard anything from the doctors. They said not to worry about it. My surgery is in one week, talk about last minutee...
    http://mixasu.blogspot.com/

  • #2
    It's important to define "heart murmur." My "murmur" is a mitral valve prolapse that I've known about since I was a teen and is very slight. It is common in people with scoliosis as it seems to be part of this whole connective tissue disorder. I did see a cardiologist before my surgery. He did a standard EKG. I had had a stress echo a few years ago. He assured me that I was fine for surgery and that his office had doctors at the hospital that would be there in case there was any cardiac complication. So see what the tests say and you'll have a better idea of what's going on! Good luck!
    Kathy, 43
    Diagnosed as a teen
    Boston brace 2 years
    63 degree lumbar curve
    Surgery August 26, 2009
    Anterior approach fused T12-L4
    now 28 degrees

    Comment


    • #3
      I to have mitral valve prolapse and I agree with Kathy I think its common in people with scoliosis.I wish you well with your surgery and a speedy recovery.
      Aug.17,09 Anterior
      Aug.20,09 Posterior
      Fused T-10 to Sacral Pelvis
      Cedars-Sinai
      Dr.Pashman

      Sheri 47 years young
      Husband married 30 years
      3 kids 29,28,25
      4 grandkids 10,8,5,3

      Comment


      • #4
        I have the same thing...very slight, a pretty common thing, and in most cases, no worries for surgery. Good luck!
        Chris
        A/P fusion on June 19, 2007 at age 52; T10-L5
        Pre-op thoracolumbar curve: 70 degrees
        Post-op curve: 12 degrees
        Dr. Boachie-adjei, HSS, New York

        Comment


        • #5
          Originally posted by kt2009 View Post
          It's important to define "heart murmur." My "murmur" is a mitral valve prolapse that I've known about since I was a teen and is very slight. It is common in people with scoliosis as it seems to be part of this whole connective tissue disorder. I did see a cardiologist before my surgery. He did a standard EKG. I had had a stress echo a few years ago. He assured me that I was fine for surgery and that his office had doctors at the hospital that would be there in case there was any cardiac complication. So see what the tests say and you'll have a better idea of what's going on! Good luck!
          REALLY? I had no idea MVP was common with scoliosis patients. Mine wasn't discovered until I was 40 years old!! Before surgeries I need to be treated with antibiotics to prevent complications. Now I also need it due to having the implants anyway.

          I hope everything works out for you just fine. Think of it this way--it's better to know than not to know.
          __________________________________________
          Debbe - 50 yrs old

          Milwalkee Brace 1976 - 79
          Told by Dr. my curve would never progress

          Surgery 10/15/08 in NYC by Dr. Michael Neuwirth
          Pre-Surgury Thorasic: 66 degrees
          Pre-Surgery Lumbar: 66 degrees

          Post-Surgery Thorasic: 34 degrees
          Post-Surgery Lumbar: 22 degrees

          Comment


          • #6
            I think i used to have a heart murmer when i was a baby and i was told it was an irregular heartbeat. But the last couple times i have been to my pcp shes says it sounds normal. So i hope everything is fine with you as well.
            -Bethany
            pre-op L 74*
            pre-op Th 56*
            surgery scheduled for jan. 6th 2010
            getting nervous

            Comment


            • #7
              I also have a heart murmer, had it for a good while -- also anti-biotics before the dentist. When I had to have shoulder surgery, during my clearance with a heart doctor, he told me not to worry so much about it, but that anytime I had to have surgery, I would have to get it checked out first even thought it is slight.
              Dolores A
              June 4, 2009 Anterior L3 - S1
              June 8, 2009 Posterior T4 - Pelvis
              Mark Agulnick, MD FAAOS
              NY Spine & Scoliosis Center

              Comment


              • #8
                Two years agao I was concerned that my now 12 year old son had many symptoms of Marfan's Syndrome (a connective tissue disorder). It has many of the signs that we with scoliosis sometimes have...long thin bones, MVP, chest abnormalities...though it is rather rare. Turns out, he's fine.The big problem is that Marfan's also affects the aorta and causes it to weaken. My son has pectus excavatum (a concave chest). His aorta is fine, but I asked the pediatric cardiologist to listen for an MVP. He said he didn't hear anything. But he also said that embryonically, when the chest forms so does the mitral valve. And chances are, if he has any malformation in his chest, eventually he might have an MVP. So we are watching for that. I found that very interesting.
                Kathy, 43
                Diagnosed as a teen
                Boston brace 2 years
                63 degree lumbar curve
                Surgery August 26, 2009
                Anterior approach fused T12-L4
                now 28 degrees

                Comment


                • #9
                  I have had a murmer since I was about 10 or 12. In the 80's it was diagnosed as MVP. Before my surgery I was having increased problems with tachycardia and irregular beats so I was sent for a complete cardiac workup.

                  The cardiac specialist said that I did not have MVP and that many people were incorrectly diagnosed with that back in the 80s. I do have a heart murmer, irregular beats and occasional tachycardia, but it is not MVP. He ran a stress test and had me wear a monitor for a few days and said my heart is just fine. He gave me the go-ahead for the surgery and I had no problems at all.

                  Sheri
                  At age 56 my curves measured: 48/60/30 with lots of rotation and getting worse
                  Posterior fusion T5-L4 June 30, 2009
                  Excellent correction

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    That is weird. I think I had all the same symptoms Sheri just mentioned in the last 10 years or so. I even had to take a beta blocker for awhile but after surgery went off it because my blood pressure kept going really, really low. I've had to have aorta checked due to a problem there--which I have already forgotten how to even describe but had to have the stress test with ultrasound for it. Makes you wonder if it's some kind of linkage with scoliosis at least with some of our anecdotal information here. Janet
                    Janet

                    61 years old--57 for surgery

                    Diagnosed in 1965 at age of 13--no brace
                    Thoracic Curve: 96 degrees to 35 degrees
                    Lumbar Curve: 63 degrees to 5 degrees
                    Surgery with Dr. Lenke in St. Louis--March 30, 2009
                    T-2 to Pelvis, and hopefully all posterior procedure.

                    All was posterior along with 2 cages and 6 osteotomies.

                    Comment


                    • #11
                      Thanks everyone for your responses and good wishes =D

                      I did not know how common the heart murmur was. I kind of thought that the doctors were just saying that to get me to take an extra test. My aunt is a nurse, and the first thing that came out of her mouth when she heard about the heart murmur was cha-ching !! lol I've gone through many physicals and doctor appointments the past couple of months and no one has ever said anything about my heart until last Tuesday.

                      I called again today to try and get my results of the electrocardiogram and still got no answers. I did learn that I got clearance today by the hospitalist. If I got clearance for the surgery, then they must have gotten the results and it couldn't have been too bad !! That's another thing that I don't understand. Shouldn't it be your primary doctor who would have to issue the clearance for the surgery?? I guess that I was mistaken.

                      7 more days, and I'm surprisingly calm !!
                      http://mixasu.blogspot.com/

                      Comment


                      • #12
                        You're doing great and believe it or not, you will get calmer as it gets closer...as I've said before...it kind of develops a life of it's own and you're just doing everything to get ready and then the doctors take over.

                        I also had one tachdycardia (sp?) event two years ago and I get a lot of wierd sensations and beats...apparently also common. I definitely have a mild MVP, but after the echo stress and wearing the monitor for 24 hours no one could explain the tach. event.

                        I did get clearance from my PCP, but when she remembered the event and I told my surgeon about it, they both wanted me to clear surgery with a cardiologist. I felt so much better after I did that.

                        About the connection...while researching Marfan's, I did come across information saying that many of these skeletal and heart conditions are found together, though it does not indicate Marfan's. We're just special, I guess!
                        Kathy, 43
                        Diagnosed as a teen
                        Boston brace 2 years
                        63 degree lumbar curve
                        Surgery August 26, 2009
                        Anterior approach fused T12-L4
                        now 28 degrees

                        Comment


                        • #13
                          Originally posted by 52skeedoo View Post
                          I have had a murmer since I was about 10 or 12. In the 80's it was diagnosed as MVP. Before my surgery I was having increased problems with tachycardia and irregular beats so I was sent for a complete cardiac workup.

                          The cardiac specialist said that I did not have MVP and that many people were incorrectly diagnosed with that back in the 80s. I do have a heart murmer, irregular beats and occasional tachycardia, but it is not MVP. He ran a stress test and had me wear a monitor for a few days and said my heart is just fine. He gave me the go-ahead for the surgery and I had no problems at all.

                          Sheri
                          I too was diagnosed with MVP in the 80's and before my surgery had another ECHO cardiogram and was told it wasn't MVP but that I have two floppy valves. What the difference is, I haven't a clue. I have irregular beats but no tachycardia. My PCP Doctor tells me it isn't serious, and I didn't have problems with a 14 hour surgery, so I guess he is right.
                          Diagnosed with severe lumbar scoliosis at age 65.
                          Posterior Fusion L2-S1 on 12/4/2007. age 67
                          Anterior Fusion L3-L4,L4-L5,L5-S1 on 12/19/2007
                          Additional bone removed to decompress right side of L3-L4 & L4-L5 on 4/19/2010
                          New England Baptist Hospital, Boston, MA
                          Dr. Frank F. Rands735.photobucket.com/albums/ww360/butterflyfive/

                          "In God We Trust" Happy moments, praise God. Difficult moments, seek God. Quiet moments, worship God. Painful moments, trust God. Every moment, thank God.

                          Comment


                          • #14
                            You're doing great Mixasu, keep it up, you're nearly there!

                            I too was diagnosed with some sort of heart problem after surgery. They ran an ECG after I had severe indigestion, I suspect they thought I was having a heart attack because I had pain in my arm and shoulder and jaw. Anyway, it was just indigestion and Mylanta fixed it but the nurse did say the next day that they'd found a small problem with the ECG. After that I didn't hear anything further and nobody seemed to know anything about it.

                            After reading this thread I just phoned the hospital to see if I could get whatever notes were made at the time. It's interesting because it's starting to sound like Scoliosis and heart murmurs may be linked in some way.
                            Surgery March 3, 2009 at almost 58, now 63.
                            Dr. Askin, Brisbane, Australia
                            T4-Pelvis, Posterior only
                            Osteotomies and Laminectomies
                            Was 68 degrees, now 22 and pain free

                            Comment


                            • #15
                              Interesting topic here...I have been told I have Marfan's Syndrome. Im a little skeptical though, since there is really no clear cut test to diagnose it. I do have a dialated aortic root in my heart though, and I'm undergoing tests to get clearance for surgery. I already had an electrocardiogram and an EKG. I go in next Tuesday for a CT coronary scan.

                              Anyway, good luck Mixasu!
                              Pre-surgery- 80°+ thoracic/ 60°+ lumbar
                              Still unsure of post-op numbers
                              37 yrs. old, 6'7" ish
                              Scoli pics

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