Saw my cardiologist one week after surgery. Says that I now have a clear heart murmur. Before surgery, the heart murmur was barely audible. He says that the murmur is the result of the anatomy of the heart changing. I figured that the heart murmur would go away after the surgery. Anyone else told this?
Heart Murmur after Surgery
- Thread starter Rmonteag
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Marguerite53
Premium Level User
I don't know what valve you had replaced, but the new valves are definitely noisier than a native valve; even tissue. Or at least the sound is different and could then, I suppose be considered a murmur since it doesn't sound natural.
Marguerite
Marguerite
acr
Well-known member
I guess the question here is does the cardio think that this is a noise that will pass, or does he see it as something that needs more surgery to resolve ? I'm no heart man but I'd not have thought that the anatomy would change that quick.
Debster
Well-known member
Hi! My mom has a definite murmur..louder than before surgery-4 years ago. They have never seemed too alarmed by it...she sees cardio every 6 months...Deb
Jkm7
Well-known member
I agree you need to know what is causing the abnormal sound.
An echo is a good place to start.
An echo is a good place to start.
Can't add much to others posts. Ask your cardio for more info. Be your own advocate and be vocal when you need answers.
Welcome aboard and I hope your recovery is going well.
According to Mayo Clinic, there are innocent heart murmurs and abnormal heart murmur. I quoted an exerpt below. You need to check with your cardio for more details on what he meant.
Mayo Clinic website: http://mayoclinic.com/health/heart-murmurs/DS00727/DSECTION=causes
Quote:
There are two types are heart murmurs: innocent murmurs and abnormal murmurs:
Innocent heart murmurs: A person with an innocent murmur has a normal heart. This type of heart murmur is common in newborns and children. More than half of all children have heart murmurs at some time, and most of those murmurs are harmless.
An innocent murmur can occur when blood flows more rapidly through the heart. Conditions that may cause rapid blood flow through your heart, resulting in an innocent heart murmur, are:
Physical activity or exercise
Pregnancy
Fever
Anemia, in which there aren't enough healthy red blood cells to carry adequate oxygen to your body tissues
Hyperthyroidism, an excessive amount of thyroid hormone in your body
Changes to the heart due to aging or heart surgery also may cause an innocent heart murmur. Over time, innocent heart murmurs may disappear, or last your entire life without ever causing further health problems.
Abnormal heart murmurs:
An abnormal heart murmur is more serious. In children, abnormal murmurs are usually caused by congenital heart disease. In adults, abnormal murmurs are most often due to acquired heart valve problems.
Although most heart murmurs aren't serious, some may result from a heart problem. The most common cause of abnormal murmurs in children is congenital heart disease — when babies are born with structural heart defects. Common congenital defects that cause heart murmurs include:
Heart valve abnormalities. Congenital heart valve abnormalities are present at birth, but sometimes aren't discovered until much later in life. Examples include valves that don't allow enough blood through them (stenosis) or those that don't close properly and leak (regurgitation).
Other causes of abnormal heart murmurs include infections and conditions that damage the structures of the heart and are more common in older children or adults. For example:
Rheumatic fever. Although rare in the United States, rheumatic fever is a serious inflammatory condition that can occur when you don't receive prompt or complete treatment for a strep throat infection. In many cases, rheumatic fever may permanently affect the heart valves and interfere with normal blood flow through your heart........Unquote.
You may read more details in the above website.
According to Mayo Clinic, there are innocent heart murmurs and abnormal heart murmur. I quoted an exerpt below. You need to check with your cardio for more details on what he meant.
Mayo Clinic website: http://mayoclinic.com/health/heart-murmurs/DS00727/DSECTION=causes
Quote:
There are two types are heart murmurs: innocent murmurs and abnormal murmurs:
Innocent heart murmurs: A person with an innocent murmur has a normal heart. This type of heart murmur is common in newborns and children. More than half of all children have heart murmurs at some time, and most of those murmurs are harmless.
An innocent murmur can occur when blood flows more rapidly through the heart. Conditions that may cause rapid blood flow through your heart, resulting in an innocent heart murmur, are:
Physical activity or exercise
Pregnancy
Fever
Anemia, in which there aren't enough healthy red blood cells to carry adequate oxygen to your body tissues
Hyperthyroidism, an excessive amount of thyroid hormone in your body
Changes to the heart due to aging or heart surgery also may cause an innocent heart murmur. Over time, innocent heart murmurs may disappear, or last your entire life without ever causing further health problems.
Abnormal heart murmurs:
An abnormal heart murmur is more serious. In children, abnormal murmurs are usually caused by congenital heart disease. In adults, abnormal murmurs are most often due to acquired heart valve problems.
Although most heart murmurs aren't serious, some may result from a heart problem. The most common cause of abnormal murmurs in children is congenital heart disease — when babies are born with structural heart defects. Common congenital defects that cause heart murmurs include:
Heart valve abnormalities. Congenital heart valve abnormalities are present at birth, but sometimes aren't discovered until much later in life. Examples include valves that don't allow enough blood through them (stenosis) or those that don't close properly and leak (regurgitation).
Other causes of abnormal heart murmurs include infections and conditions that damage the structures of the heart and are more common in older children or adults. For example:
Rheumatic fever. Although rare in the United States, rheumatic fever is a serious inflammatory condition that can occur when you don't receive prompt or complete treatment for a strep throat infection. In many cases, rheumatic fever may permanently affect the heart valves and interfere with normal blood flow through your heart........Unquote.
You may read more details in the above website.
Kathy McCain
Well-known member
I too, have a heart murmur, and irregular hear beat. My cardio is not concerned with either. He said it is fairly common in valve patients. My echo was normal. So was my stress test.
Cozycat
Well-known member
I, also, have a heart murmur after getting a new mechanical aortic valve. Cardio says he can barely hear it and, at this point, he doesn't want to even do any tests because they aren't really valid so soon after surgery. He wants to wait and let the valve settle in. And since I feel good and have no complaints, I am happy with this. My cardio is the Buddha of cardiology....he is so soothing and just kicks back in his chair and listens to you, then works his calmology and soothes all your fears and questions.
My heart also skips beats on a regular basis but on an irregular rhythm. But I am not aware of it at all unless I'm sitting there taking my pulse at my wrist or neck. He didn't seem concerned about this either but did say to call him if I became aware of the skipped beats during my regular activities. I have no A-fib or anything else so will go with his judgement. At this point the only meds I take are the Coumadin for my mechanical valve and Fosomax and calcium for my bones. Feel really fortunate about that.
Midge
My heart also skips beats on a regular basis but on an irregular rhythm. But I am not aware of it at all unless I'm sitting there taking my pulse at my wrist or neck. He didn't seem concerned about this either but did say to call him if I became aware of the skipped beats during my regular activities. I have no A-fib or anything else so will go with his judgement. At this point the only meds I take are the Coumadin for my mechanical valve and Fosomax and calcium for my bones. Feel really fortunate about that.
Midge
BigOwl
Well-known member
Even though I can't hear my new mechanical aortic valve, when I went in for my echo last week, the tech could hear it the minute I walked in the room. I have a pronounced pulse where my PCP used to hear my heart murmer (at the base of my throat), and occasionally I can feel it pumpin' away when I'm agitated or my BP's a little high (mainly after I do my cross-training workout). So it's like my old pre-surgery heart murmur, only this time it's a good one rather than a bad one.
