pregnancy and hear murmurs

I am five weeks pregnant and in good health.  My Ob/Gyn said he heard a soft murmur and that was common with pregnancy since our bodies are pumping more blood.  He seemed casual about it, but I am a little concerned.   I have had pvcs this year and did have an echo last year.  Everything looked fine.  Should I be worried?

I will probably have a c-section because my pelvis is narrow.  Will surgery be dangerous for me if I have a hear murmur and do they usually go away after pregnancy?  Thanks in advance.

Regards,

Lisa

[CCF CARDIO MD - DLB]

Dear Lisa

Flow murmurs are common during pregnancy. If you recently had a normal echo, it is unlikely that you developed a problem with your heart so suddenly. If the murmur is in fact new and just a flow murmur, it should go away after pregnancy. A murmur with a normal heart is of little significance and should not pose a risk to surgery. If the murmur gets significantly louder, then the situation will need to be reevaluated. Also, it is possible that it is just a soft murmur that your other doctor did not hear or did not feel was worth commenting about.

I hope this has been useful. I wish you the best of luck. Feel free to write back.

Information provided here is for general purposes only. Specific questions should be addressed to your own doctor. If you would like to make an appointment at the Cleveland Clinic Heart Center, please call 1-800-CCF-CARE or inquire online by using the Heart Center website at www.ccf.org/heartcenter. The Heart Center website contains a directory of the cardiology staff that can be used to select the physician best suited to address your cardiac problem.