8 weeks post-op rib pain

[valerie415]

Hi all, I'm 8 weeks post-op today, hurrah! I'm feeling good except I have this pain to the right of my sternum (which I think I mentioned before) that I finally deduced must be my ribs. And especially in one spot in particular it is very tender in the area above the breast one one of the ribs. The sternum itself has been healing fine and has no pain.

I'm just wondering if this is normal to still have pain in the rib area? There's no pain at all on the left side, only on the right in that one spot. I've had it for awhile and it hasn't improved.

Has anyone else experienced this? I was going to have my surgeon look at it, but he's gone till the end of August, so thought I'd ask you all for advice!

Thanks so much!
--Valerie

 

[Lily]

I don't know if this is similar to what you are describing since this is in a different location; but I developed a really bad pain just to the right of the bottom of my sternum, maybe around a similar post-op time as you are now. Mine turned out to be a cartilage inflammation called costochondritis. I didn't take any medications for it, and would probably rethink that now because it has hung on for a long time and I still have an occasional "zing" from it, and possibly the medications could have gotten rid of it for me, though I really can only guess about that.

Just a wild thought and maybe not similar to the pain you are describing.

 

[mainframe]

I started to have a pain under my rib cage on the right side that started approx. 8 weeks post op that on and off still bothers me 6 months later. I also have a sharper back pain in my left shoulder blade that started about a month ago and hasn't gone away. Wish I knew what they were. My efforts at ignoring them and hoping they will go away isn't working.

 

[Lynlw]

I started to have a pain under my rib cage on the right side that started approx. 8 weeks post op that on and off still bothers me 6 months later. I also have a sharper back pain in my left shoulder blade that started about a month ago and hasn't gone away. Wish I knew what they were. My efforts at ignoring them and hoping they will go away isn't working.

I know you just had your wires removed, did you mention the other pains too? If not I would tell your doctor if you still have pain this far out.
I'm a doctor, just a Mom, but It sounds like it could possibly be either be pericarditis/Dressler's syndrome or pleurisy (inflamtion of the pericardial sac -around the heart or pleural sac- around lungs) which both can be fairly common after OHS, usually it is short term and most people I know had pericardial or pleural effusions (fluid and inflamation) shortly after surgery, that either needed tapped or a course of NSAIDS and/or steroids, usually it clears up, either by itself or with treatment but sometimes can be longterm or chronic IF the inflamation continues
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/pericarditis/DS00505/DSECTION=symptoms
If you have acute pericarditis, the most common symptom is sharp, stabbing chest pain behind the breastbone or in the left side of your chest. However, some people with acute pericarditis describe their chest pain as dull, achy or pressure-like instead, and of varying intensity.

The pain of acute pericarditis may travel into your left shoulder and neck. It often intensifies when you lie down or inhale deeply. Coughing, taking a deep breath or swallowing food also may make the pain worse. Sitting up and leaning forward can often ease the pain. At times, it may be difficult to distinguish pericardial pain from the pain that occurs with a heart attack.

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/pleurisy/DS00244/DSECTION=symptoms
The sharp, fleeting pain in your chest that pleurisy causes is made worse by coughing, sneezing, moving and deep breathing. In some cases, pain may extend from your chest to your shoulder. You may find relief from pain when you hold your breath or when you apply pressure over the painful area.

If you haven't I would talk to your doctors, no sense being in pain if it is something that can be helped fairly easily or it could also be something else that the sooner they DX the better the outcomes.

 

[Mentu]

Valerie, like Lilly, I developed Costochondritis but it occurs in that area where the ribs meet the sternum. It can spread from there to the shoulder as well. My Doctor said that there is no accepted treatment other than to use anti-inflamatory drugs; for me, the best response has been from regular (coated) aspirin. For me, the site of the inflamation (Not Infection) is painful to the touch and has had some swelling. The shoulder strap in the car has been the single biggest irritant since this problem started so I've used a pillow to protect that area. If you have not discussed this with you Doctor, I would suggest that you do so as it can indicate other problems including lung issues. Also, occasionally, a rib can fracture as the result of surgery. Take care.

Larry

 

[lavlie]

Valerie, All those weird pains do come and go. It used to give me nightmares. Think minimum like Costochonditis, take your NSAIDs at least 600mgs and see your doc when he gets back. You will get completely well I`m sure

 

[ejc61]

I know you just had your wires removed, did you mention the other pains too? If not I would tell your doctor if you still have pain this far out.
I'm a doctor, just a Mom, but It sounds like it could possibly be either be pericarditis/Dressler's syndrome or pleurisy (inflamtion of the pericardial sac -around the heart or pleural sac- around lungs) which both can be fairly common after OHS, usually it is short term and most people I know had pericardial or pleural effusions (fluid and inflamation) shortly after surgery, that either needed tapped or a course of NSAIDS and/or steroids, usually it clears up, either by itself or with treatment but sometimes can be longterm or chronic IF the inflamation continues
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/pericarditis/DS00505/DSECTION=symptoms
If you have acute pericarditis, the most common symptom is sharp, stabbing chest pain behind the breastbone or in the left side of your chest. However, some people with acute pericarditis describe their chest pain as dull, achy or pressure-like instead, and of varying intensity.

The pain of acute pericarditis may travel into your left shoulder and neck. It often intensifies when you lie down or inhale deeply. Coughing, taking a deep breath or swallowing food also may make the pain worse. Sitting up and leaning forward can often ease the pain. At times, it may be difficult to distinguish pericardial pain from the pain that occurs with a heart attack.

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/pleurisy/DS00244/DSECTION=symptoms
The sharp, fleeting pain in your chest that pleurisy causes is made worse by coughing, sneezing, moving and deep breathing. In some cases, pain may extend from your chest to your shoulder. You may find relief from pain when you hold your breath or when you apply pressure over the painful area.

If you haven't I would talk to your doctors, no sense being in pain if it is something that can be helped fairly easily or it could also be something else that the sooner they DX the better the outcomes.

What lynlw said.
The only reason I didn't think I was having a heart attack is that I just came from surgery 7 weeks prior and my pre-op tests showed clear arteries.
Leaving the hospital after surgery, I was given a boatload of percocet. I started taking that to sleep. The severe pain was on and off. After a few weeks, it was tolerable and after a month it went away.

 

[irel]

Chest Pain

Chest Pain

I had pain on my right side/ribs which was directly under my right breast, I asked the surgeon and he stated that it could be some internal bruising. I have since learned that they also took an artery from the right side of my chest for one of the bypasses and perhaps this was causing the pain, similar to the incision they made on the inside of my left thight to get a vein for the other bypass. I has now been 4 mos postop and the chest pain has gone. Hope this helps....Gord

 

[mainframe]

I just had one sternal wire removed. The resulting hole in the chest is the one thing that doesn't hurt. I've got a Dr. appontment tomorrow to discuss the shoulder pain. I'll bring up the pain under the rib cage.

It couldn't be Costochondritis, I haven't be to Costco in months.

 

[valerie415]

Thanks for your replies. That's very interesting about the costocondritis--it does fit the description. It said that it eventually goes away on its own, with or without anti-inflammatory drugs.

Since I'm leaving here next weekend and my dr. is gone, I might try going into the ER of the hospital where I had the surgery and see if I can see a resident cardiac surgeon and see what he says. But if not....I'll just leave it for now and pray it heals on its own.