“Can you have general anesthesia with an irregular heartbeat?”
I am a 39 year old male. I want to know if you can have general anesthesia with an irregular heartbeat?
8 Answers
It depends. There are many different types of irregular heat rhythms - some are more worrisome than the others. Make sure you talk to your anesthesiologist and discuss before the surgery.
Yes. As long as the irregular heart beat is not significantly affecting the blood pressure or the heart rate.
Yes
It depends on the type of irregular heart rhythm, its onset (is it chronic or acute), and how it impacts your hemodynamics. If it is a stable heart rhythm and a normal rate, it should be safe to proceed with anesthesia. However, your anesthesiologist may request a cardiac consult depending on the information that you provide.
Of course, it would depend on the type of irregular heartbeat. In general, an irregular heartbeat would be a relative contraindication to general anesthesia. Having said that, many patients with and irregular heartbeat safely undergo general anesthesia every day. Ask your surgeon and anesthesia team about it. They should have a Risk, Benefit, and Alternatives discussion with full disclosure before you have surgery.
Good luck!
Good luck!
Yes. Your anesthesiologist will be monitoring and treating your heart rate and rhythm.
It depends on the type of irregular heart rhythm and how fast the rate is. You can have general anesthesia provided your ventricular rate is less than 100 beats per minute. You should consult with your cardiologist to make sure that your rhythm is benign.
Yes, you can. However, your cardiologist should make sure that your heart is healthy before getting any anesthetic. They will likely do some tests to determine how well your heart functions. This should be done before you receive anesthesia.
