How long is your scar??

[michellep]

Yes, Ross

Yes, Ross

I posted my pic back last March '07.

 

[Curtsmum]

Just to add my bit again Curts is 7 inches, Ross yours is very long.

 

[MikeHeim]

I'm at about 5.5". The top is actually pretty hard to see these days, but the bottom still looks kind of red with a couple bumps.

 

[Soilman]

Mines about 8-9 inches. I was kinda dissapointed in the length, but didn't even ask beforehand. All I knew is that the surgeon said to get an On-x from him, i'd get a full sternotomy. I REALLY WANTED the On-X. Crap! There went my chances to fulfill my dream of becoming an underwear model!

 

[kerri73]

Mine's in the long range - almost 12"... Since they went in when I was a baby, it stretched with me through the years (and you can see smaller scars from when they went in this last time). I also have a lovely 6-7" line across my ribs under one of my arms from when they operated between my ribs when I was young... And the asterisk, cross and lines on my stomach from the tubes all accent it all nicely. (growing up with it probably makes you just not worry about it anymore!)

 

[Isis]

Guess I'm one of the lucky ones.
I had a mini sternotomy; my scare is only 3 inches long and starts 2 inches below the top of the sternum. It's hardly visible anymore after 5 months.

 

[starrman]

Mine is six and a half inches long nicely coupled with two lower horizontal scars from the lung tubes. It is a battle ribbon of life and I am glad to have it....considering the alternative. I'm not sure if size really matters with this; the important thing is that we can all still talk and maybe even smile about it!

 

[Kathleen]

Mine is 11 1/2 inches long. I am 5'2". My first surgery was almost 29 years ago and they did what they termed a plastic surgery closure. Each following surgery they used the same site but it got a bit longer on each end.

 

[AgilityDog]

I've never measured it, but I'd guesstimate at 12 inches, plus the 4 inch horizontal for the defib, plus the 2 or 3 little ones for the drain tubes. I'm 5'7"
I'm beginning to think people without OHS scars look funny. After a year plus, it's mostly just white, with one little pink area near the bottom, so it's not as shocking as when it was fresh.

 

[witzkeyman]

7". straight as an arrow. thin as can be. actually, a piece of art if I may say so myself.

 

[Gnusgal]

My OHS scar is about 10 inches long. But that's partially because the surgeon went on past where he "needed" to go and cut out my old pacer scar to make it all one (unlike how it was before). The top part of my scar is pretty smooth, but the bottom is a bit raised. None of it really bothers me, though.

I also have a newer scar for my ICD which is (in my opinion) much uglier. Not as bad as it was after they removed the infected one and had to let it heal from the inside out, but ugly just the same. Part of that is because the ICD distorts it with its bumpiness underneith. It's only 2 inches long, though.

I have one that goes under my left arm from when I had a shunt when I was 5. That one is really long, but I hardly ever remember its there. It's really faint (and under my arm, so I don't see it).

Then there are all the little scars from laproscopic surgery, drain tubes, etc. Sometimes I play dot-to-dot with them and make a sail boat! The OHS scar is the mast of the sail and the ICD scar is the flag on top!

 

[halleyg]

I've never actually measured my scar, but I guess it's about 7 inches or so. The top of if is flat, has a white line and darker around that. The bottom 3 inches or so is keloid and really ugly, but at least that part no one has to see. My first OHS was through heart port and that scar is hidden under my right breast - thought I had avoided the ugly scar! I really don't like it and am going to my dermatologist in a week, but from what I've read I don't think much can be done about it.

 

[JAJ99]

Mine is 6-7 inches long but in a place where no one will ever see it, except my husband . I had a thoracotomy that started close to the sternum under my right breast.

 

[DebbyA]

5 inches long, starts about 3 inches down from my collarbone notch. I'm 5'5". My cardiologist recommended the cut, called it a 'boatneck'.

 

[tobagotwo]

13.5"

Wonderful, wonderful surgeon. But HUGE hands...

Best wishes,

 

[Glenda]

Mine is 12.5". I always thought it was long because I'm rather fat

 

[Debbie]

scar

scar

Wow, thanks everyone for all the posts. It's interesting to see the wide variety on everyone's scars. As small as 3 inches and i think someone posted 12 inches long. Mine at 9 inches is about normal. Wanted to add that I also have my scar from my 1962 surgery that runs across my chest and that one is 16 inches long. So now I have a cross for a total of 25 inches of scars! Debbie

 

[South Sound Sailor]

My turn!

My turn!

Hey, I've got one of those now. Mine is about 10 inches long.

 

[Faye]

My scar from the co-arctation repair when I was 2 years old is about 14 inches long. It starts at the base of my neck (in the back) and curves around my shoulder blade and under my arm.

The scar from my AVR and Ascening Aorta Replacement is just over 4 inches long...pretty much hidden! It is flat but wide, kinda purplish pink.

Life is pretty darn good at 5 months post-op!

 

[aussigal]

8 inches ...my scar starts high and ends about 2 inches under the ****ies....some of it is white some areas are red and lumpy and there are little weird lumpy bits from the wires near the top.... I had a big long piece of expensive thick sticky-tape like stuff stuck on my main scar for around 4 weeks...