I need to have ankle surgery early next year

[Forrest14]

How safe is it to go under general anaesthetic with heart failure

[Lowerfield_no_more]

The medical team who are responsible for your operation will be fully equipped to assess all risks associated against your general health condition including heart health vs. the procedure itself. If is isn't 'safe' they won't proceed. However there are risks associated with any medical procedure, some more significant than others, and these will be explained to you before the operation and you will be asked to sign a consent form or they will not proceed without that consent.

[Crystal614]

I need surgery on my shoulder. My surgeon explained to me it will be the decision of the anaesthetist who will have the final say if I am fit enough to have an anaesthetic. Surgery should have been done at the beginning of the year but I have been taken off the waiting list at my request while I try and sort out ongoing problems.

[10gingercats in reply to Crystal614]

Afriend needed surgery for a shoulder problem.In the meantime he needed a double heart bypass. All went well and the shoulder surgery followed a few months later .But as said the final descision will be with the surgical team who will no doubt liason with your cardiac docs.

[Dollywow1999 in reply to 10gingercats]

My bnp when checked in er was 804....really high???....but i still have to go have that hysterascopy dnc curretage nextvweek cause im tired of not knowing whats all this discgarge bleeding etc about

[Qualipop]

If your assessment concludes that it's not advisable, you will be offered an epidural instead. Years ago my mother had heart failure and needed a hip replacement. It was done under epidural. However treatment has improved dramatically now and is much safer. The anaesthetist and consultant will decide which is best for you.

[MichaelJH Heart Star]

I had the choice when I had revision surgery last year (delayed by over 18 months for various reasons including on more than one occasion that we dare not mention) and opted for an epidural . I also skipped the sedative as it only gives me a headache. Hope it goes well for you.

[MummaSoap]

Hi Forrest14

Obviously the anaesthetist will look at your individual case and discuss possible risks with you prior to your surgery.

However, I wanted to share my experiences with you in the hope that you feel a bit more reassured 🙂 I have had 2 operations under general anaesthetic, 1 before I knew I had heart failure and the 2nd was this year and with a more improved EF.

I had a hernia repair 3 week before it was discovered that I had dilated cardiomyopathy and my EF was between 32-37% in December 2020.

May this year saw me go under the knife again for 3 x wisdom tooth extractions and my EF is now believed to be around 45%.

In both instances I was in recovery a bit longer than I think they anticipated due to low blood pressure BUT other than that they were straight forward routine procedures.

Your medical team will not proceed with the operation if they feel that you’re too high risk to go ahead - I was told that anaesthetists are among the most risk adverse medical professionals you will come across; if they’re not satisfied, it won’t happen.

Wishing you all the best for your upcoming procedure.

I sincerely hope you find my reply helpful 🤞🏼

Take care

Soap 🧼

[Beanlover]

I was diagnosed with a heart problem just before a minor bowel op. I had a spinal anaesthetic, and it was much better for me as GAs make me feel very sick. You don't feel pain for longer aswell.My husband was diagnosed with a leaky valve just before a hip replacement, which was delayed until he saw a cardiologist, who was clear that it was fine to have surgery, but he will be also be having a spinal anaesthetic and sedation.