I'm wondering about the scarring???(for all you lucky post-op folks!!)

[Enudely]

Hi all. Elena here. As a lot of you know, I'm going in for aortic valve replacement next month or so. (STILL don't know exactly when!!!)
Here is my question, and I can't seem to find much info about it on the forum, What is the scarring like?
I'm not too concerned, just curious. Is the scar usually very big? I read a thread about someones scar getting itchy and having to be fixed........ I guess I just want to initiate a discussion about scars so I can learn more about them. thanks!!
-Elena
Ps, this is for all you lucky post-op people!!!!

 

[Nancy]

Take a look at some of your scars (if you have any) say, from old injuries, cuts. Maybe you can get an idea of how your body reacts to scars.

My husband has had many, many thoracic surgeries. His scars have almost disappeared in most cases, over time. He's a good and fast healer.

It is very individual. I have one daughter who is a keloid healer. My dad was a keloid healer. I'm a normal healer.

 

[Ross]

Bill got it right, it just depends. I was filleted from the top of the sternum to just above my belly button. You can tell where, but it's really not that bad. Where the staples were is the most prominent of all.

 

[medtronic of borg]

scar

scar

your young that is in your favor. your not African American they tent to keloid badly. my avr scar is now four years out and almost gone. others i can see quite well. I for one wear them like mettles, from each of my battles. did you say they were going in over the sternium or thoracotomy? As for size my avr one is exactly 8.25 inches long. My thoracotomy is 19''. My wife donsn't mind all 5'-6'' of them!
med

 

[Birky]

scarring

scarring

Mine is about 9 inches long and looks like a bumpy road. I healed with these bumps on the incision. I guess I have a long sternum according to the Dr. I had some wires removed and he went in next to the other incision. It's not really cute but it seems that men heal differently than women. Is this true?

 

[Johnny Stephens]

My VR scar is about 9" long (I'm tall) and so narrow and pale you can barely see it. The weird part is it meets a previous scar at the bottom the runs way down my tummy - this is from an abdominal surgery 23 years ago. The older scar is about as wide as my little finger and still looks angry- a classic keloid scar and has been diagnosed as such.

Not sure what the difference was; my age, doctor's closure technique or what. If you saw me without a shirt, you'd notice the scar on my tummy, but might miss the one on my chest.

 

[jackc]

I'm wondering about the scarring???(for all you lucky post-op folks!!)

Hi Elena,

My scar looks like fine white thread from top of sternum to bottom.
Doctor says that will probably fade as well over time.
If I run a finger down the scar I feel small bumps ( wires I suppose) but they don't bother me at all.

Really after 16 months post-op the only thing that bothers me is around the ankle bone....sometimes I get a sharp needle-like pain there. Doc says thats nerves still regenerating.

The scar down my leg ( groin to ankle for bypass ) is slowly disappearing and although itchy at times really doesn't bother me.

jackc ( Welland)

 

[MelissaM]

Hi Elena,

My scars tend to keloid at first and then fade down with time. My chest tube scar has become keloid, but they used sub-cutaneous stitches on the chest incision and it is doing just fine. It is about 2 1/2" long, starting at my third rib from the top - hope to see it fade before bikini season next year!

Melissa

 

[Karlynn]

12 years post op my scar is almost invisible on the top half (6") and the bottom 6" did keyloid a bit. No more 2 piece bathing suits for me - but then after 2 children....

I also have 1" long "blow holes" as my husband calls them - where they had drainage tubes. You really can't see those.

I do remember the itching when it was healing. I tried not to scratch in public.

All that being said - I'm rather proud of my scar. It's like a Purple Heart, or a badge of honor. It symbolizes all the crap I went through and came out on the other side to enjoy life. I never hesitated to wear a v-neck shirt or dress. It's great conversation for a cocktail party.

Karlynn

 

[Heather Fisher]

My scar is about 4 months old and 11 inches long. They used subcutaneous stitches. I'm hoping it fades more. Most is healing nicely with the exception of between the breasts where it is a little more keloid. It did itch a lot as it was healing but not anymore. I'm not into the v necks now but maybe later. My husband says I should wear my scar proudly. I just don't want to scare the little kids I work with! Most have seen it though...and don't think it's too bad.

Heather

 

[weekycat]

Hi Enudely

Hi Enudely

I'm the one who had my scar excised today. My scar is about 9" long total, but I only had the top 1 1/2 inches fixed, mostly because it was always red and irritated.

I would have to say, mine is probably a lot like Bill's, and I have also described it as an earthworm, or a night crawler. It is thicker in some spots, thinner in others, flat in some and sticks out in others, it's very strange, the place where my bra puts pressure on it is almost gone, which tells me the pressure thing really does work for some reason. I also have 3 "stab wounds" from chest tubes, the resemble JellyBelly jellybeans in shape and size. For some reason one of them is almost gone, I can't figure out why my scars all heal so differently.

My surgeon sewed me up very nicely, all the original stitches were on the inside, and it looked like nothing more than a very long cat scratch. The nurses all said it would look great, just a thin white line. I guess it probably would have on some people.

 

[Ross]

I also have 1" long "blow holes" as my husband calls them - where they had drainage tubes.

Karlynn tell your hubby those aren't blow holes. I have the real blow holes where the trach tubes were inserted. THOSE are REAL BLOW HOLES!

 

[Granbonny]

Elena

Elena

I cannot even see my scar above my ****s and only about 2 inches below them I have not worn a 2 piece bathing suit in years...but if I lost 40 lbs..Bet I would..and be proud of that little scar. Bonnie

 

[Karlynn]

Jean,
Sounds like you form keyloid (sp?) scar tissue. I do too. The strange thing is that you never know what wound will get the ugly puffy scar and what won't. The lower half of my scar isn't very attractive - maybe an earthworm that's been run over by a bike on a sidewalk. Fortunately, the places that might be irritated from clothing, aren't the earth-worm kind.

Karlynn

 

[Enudely]

keloid???

keloid???

Come on, you guys are speaking a different language or something!!! What the heck is keloid???
Anyway, it sounds like scars are as different as the people they are attached to!!! I'm not sure but I think I tend to scar lightly, but a little purplish....
We'll just have to see what happens I guess!!!
Thanks for all the great descriptions!!!
-elena

 

[catwoman]

My incision is only 7" long. The top part is all smooth, bottom 2.5" thick. Of course, this is where undergarments (bras, camisole tops) hit.
I had thickened incision scars when I had my lower jaw restructured as a teen-ager, then again with bilateral bunionectomy and later with a hysterectomy. Each time, the skin tissue finally "broke down," as I call it. I expect the same will happen with my OHS scar.

If not, oh, well, I haven't worn a bikini in many years!

The "blow holes" are something else. And still occasionally a little sore, almost 5MO after surgery.

 

[Ross]

Maybe it's just me but I'd think that all of you fine women would look wonderful in those 2 piece bikinis. Be proud of your bodies even if they have met with the blade.

 

[Jean]

My fellow forum members above are right...it probably really depends on how you have healed before. All my old scars are barely noticible and not keloidal tissue. Three years after (gees, it is almost 4 years now) surgery my 4 inch incision is a fine line...one good thing is that for some of us gals...it helped with the cleavage definition! After my incision dried up my doctor recommended rubbing vitamin E on it for the itching and also healing.

 

[MarciaB]

Hey, I really need advice. My surgeon gave me a choice of a vertical or horizontal scar. I told him vertical because it's faster and easier for him. Now I'm wondering if I'll regret it. My old scars are not that bad, but not a fine white line either. Surgery is two weeks away!


Marcia

 

[Granbonny]

Elena

Elena

By the Way..I have not worn a bra since my surgery.. That is why I think I have NO scar between ****s..I have only worn camisole's..Have every color..summer's are great with light shirt unbuttoned..Winter's are fine..Lucky to have that part of body that did not fall with age. QUIT laughing guys. Bonnie