Tatoo with coumadin use

[Jessie316]

My preliminary surgery date for my AVR is 7/6 at Beth Isreal in Boston Ma. I am going for a mechanical valve and will be on coumadin after surgery. I would like to finish my tatoo on my back . What are the rules with coumadin and getting tatoo???? Please let me know I don;t know if I should tatoo prior to surgery I think taht is a bigger risk right now??

 

[laurad37]

I hope you find you answer. I have 4 tattoos (2 being on my back) and didn't really bleed much from any of them. I am not on coumadin either. I think it would make sense to get it finished before your on the coumadin rather than after.

 

[Lisa in Katy]

This has been discussed before and if you do a search for tattoo, you will probably find the earlier threads. The only thing I've heard is that they have more of a tendency to smear, but I'm not sure if that's from people on here who have actually experienced it, or just from what people think might happen. My brother has had several tattoos since his surgery, but he is inconsistent with Coumadin, so I'm not sure if he was on it at the time.

 

[Ross]

If you can find anyone to touch you while on Coumadin (Most pro artists will not) your tats may look like crap. I don't know that I'd recommend finishing it before surgery and risking infection, but if your going to do it, do it before surgery.

 

[Tbone]

Must agree with what is posted above. Do you have any photos of your tats?

 

[mattwisconsin]

I agree with everyone else here. This has been discussed here before. And my understanding is threefold. Infection, bleeding, and how it will be hard for the ink to take because of the bleeding.

 

[Jan]

Hi Jessie

my husband has lots of Tattoo's and I was speaking to the artist who did all his work about getting a tattoo while on Coumadin, and he said the ink could "bleed" under the skin and the design would look a mess so he would not tattoo any one on Coumadin.

cheers

Jan

 

[Karlynn]

I'd have it finished before your surgery. But please pre-medicate with antibiotic and let your cardio or surgeon know what you're doing.

 

[sheridan07]

If you can find anyone to touch you while on Coumadin (Most pro artists will not) your tats may look like crap. I don't know that I'd recommend finishing it before surgery and risking infection, but if your going to do it, do it before surgery.

I agree with Ross. I have 17 tats and was told a real good tattoo artist will not touch you. If you find one that will tattoo you, then run because they don't care about you. I would call your doctor and ask for some kind of meds so you won't pick something up that will make your condition worse. That's what I did before I got mine.

 

[Wade]

My artist says he does people on anti-coags on occasion.

I asked everyone I could think to ask while in the hospital. My Drs, nurses, anti-coag people all said the same thing. Risk of infection is the issue, not bleeding. I also don't think they understand how sanatized and clean a modern tattoo shop is.

 

[Ross]

You still have the issue of the tat looking like crap though. If your going to do it, do it before surgery, not after your on Coumadin.

 

[Wade]

I guess. I haven't noticed a real increase in bleeding since being on anti-coags myself though. My cuts seem to stop bleeding pretty quick. I try to keep my INR on the low 2 side though.

I plan to get my sleeve finished up sometime this summer/fall hopefully. I'll report back when I do.
If your tattoo artist is worth a damn, you shouldn't be bleeding much to begin with.

 

[Ross]

Like I said, it's not the bleeding that's the issue, it's what it does to the ink under your skin.

 

[ctyguy]

Wade...I'll look forward to your post if you do decide to finish your sleeve. I have a tattoo that I would actually like to either get removed or redone.