Mick Jagger heart surgery report shines light on valve replacement procedure
Mick Jagger of The Rolling Stones is reportedly scheduled to undergo heart valve surgery this week. The legendary singer and songwriter, who is 75 years old, announced over the weekend that he would need to postpone the band's upcoming U.S. tour.
"Mick has been advised by doctors that he cannot go on tour at this time, as he needs medical treatment," the Rolling Stones tweeted Saturday. "The doctors have advised Mick that he is expected to make a complete recovery so that he can get back on stage as soon as possible."
On Monday, Rolling Stone magazine reported Jagger will undergo heart valve replacement surgery. According to the Drudge Report, the procedure will take place on Friday in New York.
"I'm so sorry to all our fans in America & Canada with tickets," Jagger tweeted Saturday. "I really hate letting you down like this. I'm devastated for having to postpone the tour but I will be working very hard to be back on stage as soon as I can. Once again, huge apologies to everyone."
What is heart valve replacement surgery?
Heart valve surgery treats heart valve disease, a condition in which at least one of the four valves that keep blood flowing in the right direction doesn't function properly. The four valves include the mitral valve, tricuspid valve, pulmonary valve and aortic valve.
Each valve has flaps that open and close during each heartbeat. Sometimes the valves don't open or close properly. This can disrupt the blood flow through the heart to the body.
Heart valve surgery can be done either through open-heart surgery or a newer, minimally invasive surgery. Which procedure a doctor performs depends on the patient's age, health, the condition of the heart valve that is affected, and the severity of the condition.
Who needs heart valve replacement surgery?
Heart valve surgery is needed when the heart valve has built up calcium over time.
"This blocks the blood flow from the pumping chamber and that narrowing causes a pressure drop in the blood that's being pumped out and restricts it from being pumped out," Dr. Lars Svensson, chairman of the Heart & Vascular Institute at Cleveland Clinic, told CBS News.
Symptoms of this condition include:
- Shortness of breath
- Tiredness
- Chest pain
If it's not treated, people can have periods where they lose consciousness. "That's obviously when it can get very serious," Svensson said.
What is recovery like?
The normal recovery time after heart valve surgery is typically four to eight weeks, according to the American Heart Association.
Svensson notes it can be shorter following minimally invasive surgeries. "With these patients, we tell them they can start driving again in two to three weeks after surgery if they feel good," he said.
Jagger said he hopes to be back on stage as soon as he can. According to Svensson, there's a very good chance of that happening.
"If all goes well with the procedure, then he's very likely to be able to go back on tour," Svensson said. "He might not be jumping around on stage quite as much, but he hopefully will have a good outcome and have satisfaction with it."