5 months post op sore sternum

[RWS]

Anyone else complain about this ? My sternum is still sore, from top to bottom along the incision. Feels like a bone bruise or whatever. Everything else is great, walk many miles a day, etc..My Doc has checked me out and says give it time. I'm just anxious I guess, trying to be patient.

 

[MarkU]

My sternum was sore for a long time after my AVR, probably 8-9 months. Two years later it is still tender at the bottom if I bump it or put any pressure on it. I still can't comfortably use any of the exercise machines at the gym where you have to put your chest up against a pad on the machine.
Just goes with the territory I think.
I think that some of my discomfort comes from my wires and I have given some consideration to having them removed, but am not sure it would be worth the hassle.

Mark

 

[Ross]

I'm 9 mos out now and still, when I cough or sneeze, have some discomfort. It really does take a long time to heal.

 

[Creed3]

Hi Randy!
I'm six months post op and still have sternum soreness. Some days it isn't as bad as others. It isn't that bad though. It doesn't keep me from doing anything. It's just sometimes I can go and completely forget that I had any surgery and then sometimes those little aches and pains rise up. At first it bothered me because I thought they should all be gone by now, but I'm beginning to realize it takes a good long while to completely heal. Mark is also right. Sometimes when I am feeling sore, I often wonder if it the wires. It doesn't bother me that much to have them removed, yet! I'm beginning to think that no matter how long post op we are, that we are always going to have a little bit of aches and pains that pop up from time to time.

Take Care!
Gail

 

[terry40]

I'm so glad you brought up this subject...

I'm so glad you brought up this subject...

I'm going to my PCP to discuss this very thing, 5 months post-op and still so sore, I have to crack my sterum back into place sometimes, and a rib on the right side feel indented.
I will be going for my six month check-up at the end of April, with the works too.

I've read on other threads how some had to have the wires removed, I'm hoping this is not the case, and it's just being slow to heal, I've never had a broken bone before, is this how it's suppose to feels???

Terry40

 

[Granbonny]

For the Ladies

For the Ladies

I have never worn a bra..1 year post op..NO soreness..Have worn chemises..Button down blouses or Pull-overs. For dress up..wear a jacket..I cannot imagine any woman with a bra on..tightness across the sterum

 

[terry40]

Granbonny

Granbonny

The picture is oh so cute, a grandbaby????

I was thinking it could be the bra thing, it's worth a try to go bra-less for a week a see if there's a difference.

But what about the guys???Cross dressing maybe???

 

[Georgia]

bras (youse guys can skip this)

bras (youse guys can skip this)

I didn't wear a bra until about 4/5 weeks after surgery. I'm more comfortable without one, therefore only wear one when fashion (or the presence of others) dictates. I bought a couple a size larger than I normally wear, and they're quite comfortable for a while; but not for hours and hours. I notice a LOT of nerve twinges and odd itchy-pains when wearing a bra that I don't have when I don't. The bras also seem to make the numb areas hurt (??? I have no idea).

I've found Warner's "Friday Bras" are particularly surgery-friendly and don't irritate the scar.

My take-home booklet from the hospital suggests that wearing a bra will make the incision less painful; either written by a man or a VERY LARGE woman, methinks.

Georgia

 

[Bob]

Me too

Me too

Add me to the sore sternum list. Iam 10 weeks out and still have chest pain and the need to gulp air now and then. I had hoped this would go away but after reading this thread I guess I will live with it. As if we have a choice. Thanks for putting this problem up on the forum.

 

[ALCapshaw2]

Immediately after surgery (my second), I had NO feeling in my sternum / chest. After several weeks, the nerves regenerated and then I was aware of soreness and chest pains that would come and go for months. At 10 months post op, I don't feel much of anything unless I overdo it working in the yard or exercising. It just takes time.

FWIW, I seem to have every possible cause of chest pain known to man (my GP agrees) and I've learned to just ignore it, or do a 'mini stress test' (walk up stairs and see how I feel) to see if it is heart related or something else. I got tired of too many false alarms and trips to the ER!

Note: If you call any nurse or hospital, they will tell you to go straight to the ER where they will do a heart enzyme test (IV) and hold your for a 3 hour observation.

It can be a tough call. If you suspect it is heart related, it is best to get checked out at the ER. If it is muscle or sternum related, take a tylenol and 'tough it out'. That's my non-professional OPINION. You may want to ask your GP for his /her advice on how to react to chest pains that come and go.

'AL'

 

[hensylee]

I am 3 yrs post-op (for bypass) and my sternum definitely is tender to pressure. We were told it would take a full year to heal and knit. They never said it would still be touchy, tho. But it is.

 

[Rain]

I just hate those ?****y traps?!

I just hate those ?****y traps?!

It'll be three years since my surgery in about a week... I still have pain in my sternum if I?m doing something that pushes or pulls on it for too long a time.... or if I tweak my body in just the wrong way.

I've actually wondered if it was because I started doing 'things' to soon after my surgery... before it had a chance to totally heal. Kinda sounds like everyone has this problem though.

 

[Les]

I'm a little over seven years post-op from my second AVR and even to this day, if I'm on the floor watching TV or playing a board game while lying "chest down" the sternum aches somewhat after about half an hour. Gail is right, it's just one of those things that are going to crop up on occasion...
________________________
Les AVR '93 / '95

 

[martha]

I am two year three months since surgery. The top and bottom of the scar are still tender. There are days that wearing a bra is so uncomfortable. That I can't wait to get home and take it off. Was told by the cardio that there is some arthritis there now. That's the way the bone knit. martha

 

[medtronic of borg]

Bras?

Bras?

terry,
I have no idea about the bra thing but guys....well a short cute story...I once had a cath done when I was 18...I woke up to find they had wraped my groin with a presure bandage with out noticing they had wraped my genitals into it. It became a very major thing to releace it and void!!!

Medtronic of borg

 

[hensylee]

teehee teehee lol ooooh I am so sorry. teehee

 

[Nancy]

Med-

Sounds like a very ouchy situation!

 

[John Cochran]

I am wondering how much of the reported sternum soreness here is related to the bone itself, and how much is related to the ligaments and tendons in that area.

Once I knew my sternum had healed, I very slowly started doing push-ups again. These tend to strengthen a lot of muscles in the upper body, but also get that connective tissue limbered up and stretched. At 10 months post op, I have no sternal pain at all, and full feeling has returned to that area. I did have a mini-sternotomy which in my case meant that the upper 1/4 of the sternum was left intact, so this might be a factor as well.

I'm not suggesting that people start doing push-ups after surgery unless they've checked with their doctor first, since sometimes the sternum can take more than the normal 100 days to heal. But if it's OK with your doc, I think it's worth trying. I now do 3 sets of 15 pushups, with about a 20 seceond rest between sets. I started out by doing "half" pushups--only a few at a time, then slowly increased the number and the range of motion.

Good luck!
--John