Heart Murmur Surgery and Back Muscle Development

[Medina]

Subject: Seeking Experiences: Heart Murmur Surgery and Back Muscle Development

Hi everyone,

When I was 2 years old, I had surgery to correct a heart murmur. The incision was made on my back, just below the scapula. The surgery was successful and I live normally now, but from that incision down to my waist, I have no muscle, specifically the latissimus dorsi muscle; I only have muscle around the scapula. I feel that I have the same strength on the affected side as I do on the side with normal muscle. Has anyone else experienced this, or am I an isolated case?

Thank you!

 

[dornole]

Interesting. My daughter has an incision in that spot from a pda ligation done when she was a day old (arguably -90 days old since she was a 2 pound preemie). The scar has grown with her from a small slit to a pretty long deal. She is a very lightweight and low muscle person but her back looks reasonably normal and her function is normal. She did have a lot of PT as a child focused on her back because she had a 40 degree scoliosis of her spine as well as kyphosis.