“Open Heart Surgery And Hair Loss?” Asks Tim
I just received a very interesting question about hair loss and heart surgery from Tim.
He writes, “Dear Adam - I had an aortic valve replacement and an aneurysm repair procedure done in February, 2009. Your book really helped me prepare for my surgery! Anyways, the operation and recovery went very well but now I seem to be losing my hair very rapidly. I am a 62-year old male that has been taking Propecia and using Rogaine for 20 years. Could it be the stress of the open heart surgery that is causing my hair loss? Has anyone else who has had this type of surgery had sudden hair loss like mine? Thanks, Tim”
I can really, really, really, really, really relate to Tim’s question about hair loss after open heart surgery.
“Why?” you might be wondering.
Well, I have to admit…I used to have a full head of hair. Then, I had open heart surgery. Now, I’m losing my hair like crazy. Maybe it is the stress of the surgery and recovery? Maybe it’s the stress of becoming a father? Or, maybe my age is simply catching up with me?
To answer Tim’s question, I just did some research about this topic. Unfortunately, I didn’t find any clinical research that connected hair loss with heart surgery. Then again, I doubt many grants have been issued for this type of research. 
Perhaps you can help Tim and me? Did you experience baldness or balding patterns following heart surgery? If so, please click here to leave a comment.
Keep on tickin!
About The Author: Adam Pick is a double, heart valve surgery patient and author of The Patient’s Guide To Heart Valve Surgery. This unique book integrates the clinical facts of heart valve surgery with the personal experiences of 78 former valve surgery patients to help patients and caregivers better understand the opportunities and challenges of heart valve surgery. To learn more about Adam and his heart valve surgery book, click here.
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July 23rd, 2009 at 11:03 am
Hair loss definately accelerated after surgery.
July 23rd, 2009 at 11:38 am
Thanks Cliff…
Perhaps there is some kind of trend here…
Open Heart Surgery = Male pattern baldness?
Regardless, I’d rather be bald than dead.
July 23rd, 2009 at 1:14 pm
coumadin/ warfarin lists its side effects as hair loss and mum definitely had clumps of hair coming out whilst on this
July 23rd, 2009 at 2:29 pm
I had aortic valve replacement and mitral valve and tricuspid valve repair at Cleveland Clinic in February. After I returned home, I noticed that I was losing a lot of hair. My comb would be full of it. At that rate, I thought I might go bald! But it has lessened now, thank goodness.
I don’t wish hair loss on anyone but am relieved to know that it might be related to my heart surgery.
James Ford
July 23rd, 2009 at 3:41 pm
At my 1st hair appointment in Mar. after Feb. MVP repair my stylist called my husband over as she lifted some hair on the back right side. I could see in the mirror that they were looking at something … I asked if I hand a mole that was new. I could see her mouthing “I’ve never seen this before.” She’s a little “dramatic” anyway. Not a mole … I just dropped it at that. Got home & was looking in the area … a round patch the size of a golf ball completely bald!! I just figured it was something to do with the surgery, the the drugs during surgery or after. It has all started growing back in.
July 23rd, 2009 at 4:01 pm
Good point Nendie!
To James… Glad to hear!
To Cindy… Yikes! Glad to hear the golf ball bald spot is filling back in!
Keep on tickin!
Adam
July 23rd, 2009 at 4:13 pm
I have to agree that there is some culprit associated with hair loss that comes as a result of OHS. I had a pacemake implanted on March 20th of this year and aortic valve replacement on April 20th. I am 62 and had been very happy with the amount of hair I had managed to keep. However, a few months after the OHS I find myself losing quite a lot of hair. Maybe extreme stress is the culprit.
July 23rd, 2009 at 5:51 pm
It might be useful to remember that things that happen about the same time often do not have a cause-and-effect relationship. For all I know there may be a connection, but there have been a lot of items on this blog that try to draw causal relationships for things that happen to us after our surgery. Well, most of us are at an age when our bodies are going to be changing, whether we replace heart valves or not.
July 23rd, 2009 at 7:43 pm
I had OHS to repair my tri-cuspid valve in September ‘08. My kids pointed out that my hair looked very thin in the front a few months back. I brushed it off thinking due to my hair being light, it just looked thin in certain light. Well, it really is thin…no way to disguise it! Several friends have commented on it recently, too. I thought maybe it was from the Metoprolol I was taking? I have been off that now for about a month and a half and am hoping for it to thicken up again. I honestly never thought about the stress as a possibility…intresting.
July 23rd, 2009 at 10:07 pm
Holy cow! (I have a bovine valve.) I think Jeanie may be onto something. Hair loss is actually listed as a side effect of Metoprolol. See the Side Effects section of the WikiPedia article: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metoprolol
Man, my barber is going to be thrilled!
July 23rd, 2009 at 11:21 pm
Sean -
Thanks for the “Holy Cow” pun… That one never gets old. You and Robin Williams should get together for some stand-up. But seriously, thanks for finding the information about Metoprolol and hair loss. Very helpful for all of us reading these comments - especially for those patients on the drug.
Keep on tickin!
Adam
July 27th, 2009 at 7:26 pm
On Jan 5 of this year, at the age of 39, I had a mechanical valve implanted to relieve the severe aortic stenosis that was caused by a bicuspid aortic valve. After surgery it seemed I was losing a lot of hair in the “part” and in the front along my hairline. I had experienced similar hair loss after the c-section to deliver my son 5 years ago and started using a hair product called Nioxin. I started using this again and I’m not sure but I think the rate of hair loss has decreased and is hopefully reversing. I am grateful to still be “ticking” but I really am not ready to be going bald. I hope this product helps others, too.
August 25th, 2009 at 1:26 pm
hi my name is Rozella…
I am a female 28yrs old. I had open heart surgery in 2007. I had work done to my aorta. I had we’ll call it a bubble in my aorta. it was removed and covered with a graft. Anyway everything went very well.
however less than a month after my surgery. the left side of my hair started to fall out… i didn’t know what to do… I just wash it and kept it condition. It grew back fully in sometime this spring 2009. My hair isn’t the same its not full and as long as it use to be. It also takes forever to grow back.
August 25th, 2009 at 4:03 pm
i had open heart surgery in april; i am a 56 year old female and losing my hair rapidly. i heard its common, 2 - 3 moths after a major stressful incident or surgery,
August 30th, 2009 at 7:13 pm
I am a 48 year old female. I had a pulmonary valve replaced and an atrial septal defect (hole) repaired in May, 2009. It’s late August and my hair is coming out in fistfuls. I also read that a stressful event such as surgery can trigger hair loss. I hope the rate of the hair loss diminishes over time and is only temporary. Does anyone have a comment about whether the hair loss subsides. I am not on any medication except aspirin.
September 7th, 2009 at 2:53 pm
I am a 44 year old female who had aortic and mitral valve replaced as well as bypass in May. Like Hallie, in mid August my hair started to come out at an alarming rate. I am losing handfuls a day, about 4 to five times normal rate. I am worried about how long this will last!
October 12th, 2009 at 4:10 pm
I’m a 62 y.o. female. I had an aortic valve, triple bypass and ablation done in April. I’m losing my hair, my hair is thin already so this really has me worried. I would love to know what I can do. One person told me to take a Zinc supplement, however I have not tried that yet.
October 12th, 2009 at 11:06 pm
Hi
I am 67 and had a full head of curly hair until I had an aortic valve replacement as well as a mitral valve replacement in early May of this year. Mid September I noticed my hair was thinning and it is now at the stage where I am considering a wig. Thyroid levels were checked and found to be fine so I am thinking it is because of the open heart surgery. However, none of my doctors seem to share my concern about this hair loss and have very cavalier attitudes and make remarks like “Don’t worry - it’ll probably grow back!” At this point, words like “probably” are not what I want to hear.
January 17th, 2010 at 10:51 pm
I had my mitral vavle repaired in Sept 2009. My hair is falling out and now it is noticabally thinner. I have been told that it is from all the anethesia. What can I do to make it grow back?