Expert: Ronald Levy, M.D. - 7/11/2008

Question
Dear, Mr.Ronald Levy,
I was wondering if there is any chance that anesthesia could make an impact on someone's heart. I had plastic surgery done and my recovery time after anesthesia was really hard. After two months I've been diagnosed with brachycardia. I am not saying that it's the cause of the disease but as I felt fine before the procedure, it might has influenced symptoms to occur. Is that possible?

Answer
It is extremely unlikely that the anesthesia had anything to do with your diagnosis. Actually, bradycardia, if it's not too slow, is a good thing. It means your heart doesn't work too hard. If it is so slow that you need a pacemaker, that is worse. In either case, it is not from the anesthesia.

Ronald Levy, MD
Associate Professor of Anesthesiology
UTMB-Galveston