ASJ Aesthetic Surgery Journal · 2012

Broken heart syndrome: a risk of teenage rhinoplasty

Glamore M, Wolf C, Boolbol J, Kelly M.

What this paper says

Two teenage girls having cosmetic rhinoplasty developed acute stress-induced cardiomyopathy, known as broken heart syndrome, a condition usually seen in postmenopausal women and not previously reported in plastic surgery patients.

Overview

Broken heart syndrome, formally acute stress-induced cardiomyopathy, is a sudden, usually temporary weakening of the heart's main pumping chamber that follows intense stress. It is thought to result from a surge of stress hormones. The authors report two cases in teenage girls during cosmetic rhinoplasty, the first description of the syndrome in plastic surgery patients.

Sections of note

Case report of two patients; both teenage girls undergoing cosmetic rhinoplasty.
The syndrome is characterized by transient ballooning of the left ventricle.
It usually presents in postmenopausal women and is described in the cardiology literature.
The proposed mechanism is increased catecholamine levels.
The abstract does not describe the presentation, treatment, recovery or any link to drugs used during surgery.

What it means for a patient

A rare heart reaction to stress can occur even in healthy young people around cosmetic surgery.
Two cases do not give a rate; the abstract does not say how the patients recovered.
Sudden chest pain, breathlessness or collapse around surgery is a medical emergency regardless of age.

Why this paper matters

It alerts surgeons and anesthetists that stress cardiomyopathy is possible in an age group and setting where it is not expected. Rhinoplasty commonly involves injected epinephrine, a catecholamine, but the abstract does not address whether that contributed. Cause and prevention remain open.

Terms

Acute stress-induced cardiomyopathy: sudden temporary weakening of the heart muscle after physical or emotional stress; also called takotsubo or broken heart syndrome.
Left ventricle: the heart's main pumping chamber.
Ballooning: the ventricle wall bulging outward because it cannot contract normally.
Catecholamines: stress hormones such as adrenaline (epinephrine) and noradrenaline.
Postmenopausal: after the menopause; the group in which the syndrome usually appears.
Case report: a description of one or a few patients rather than a study of a group.

Summary written by rhinoplasty.cc from the abstract, 2026-09-08; not medical advice. The authors' own abstract follows.

From the abstract

“"Broken heart" syndrome is a rare phenomenon characterized by transient ballooning of the left ventricle and chronic heart failure, usually presenting in postmenopausal women. It is formally known as acute stress-induced cardiomyopathy and, although described in the cardiology literature, it has not been previously…”

Excerpt; the full abstract is on PubMed.