Toni Braxton Reveals She Underwent Emergency Heart Surgery

Toni Braxton revealed that she encountered a health scare resulting in her having emergency heart surgery.

The 55-year-old singer, who has been open about her systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) diagnosis, revealed to PEOPLE magazine that she had fallen behind in her regimented preventive care, which includes regular urine and blood tests. She also revealed that she was experiencing chest pains but had initially put off seeking medical attention.

“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 revealed. “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.”

Unfortunately, all of this took place last year around the time her sister Traci died from cancer:

“A couple days after they did the procedure they told me that it was touch and go,” she revealed on the TODAY show. The singer went on to say that if she had skipped that doctor’s appointment she would have had a widowmaker heart attack, which occurs when the biggest artery in your heart is blocked.

Toni has overcome health hurdles in the past. The “Un-break My Heart” singer first revealed she had lupus in 2010 but was diagnosed in 2008. She admitted she initially felt ashamed of having lupus and didn’t want to go public about it. However, she says people helped her see that her condition isn’t something to be ashamed of, giving her the courage to speak openly about it. 

The Grammy-award-winning singer said at the end of her interview that her goal is a “long life and old age,”. She also encouraged everyone to get their regular screenings, which she does every three months.

Watch Toni’s Full Interview With TODAY Below:

We wish you the best with your health journey Toni!