Toni Braxton Opens Up About Emergency Heart Surgery

Toni Braxton is on the mend after undergoing an emergency heart procedure.

The singer suffers from systemic lupus erythematosus, which the CDC says causes the immune system to attack “its own tissues, causing widespread inflammation and tissue damage in the affected organs. It can affect the joints, skin, brain, lungs, kidneys, and blood vessels.”

Toni told People magazine she had put off routine testing for the disease, and when she finally did have the tests done she found out she had some heart abnormalities.

The 55-year-old said, "I kept putting it off thinking, 'Oh, I'm fine. I'll be okay.' But my doctor was persistent and I went to get tested in the last week of September. I did a specialized test and they looked at my heart and saw some abnormalities.”

Braxton continued, “I found out that I needed a coronary stent. My left main coronary artery was 80% blocked. The doctors told me I could've had a massive heart attack, I would not have survived."

She went on, "It was a traumatic moment for me. I was in shock. I remember that day because my chest was aching often, just hurting. And I thought I was just sad because unfortunately my sister [Traci Braxton] had just passed and I thought, 'Wow, I'm really aching in my heart for my sister.' And come to find out, of course I was sad about my sister, but I also had underlying health issues. It was my body talking to me, telling me something's not quite right."

Toni had to undergo surgery to have the stent inserted, which helps keep the artery open. She stayed in the hospital for a few days to recover.

Looking back, she said, "It was really a scary moment. Had I not gotten that test, my life would've been different." Moving forward, she said, “I will not put off tests.”

It has been six months and she shared, “there are good days and bad days,” adding, “When my body tells me to take it down and relax, I have to listen to it.”