Incision pain anyone?

[dot4toto]

Hi Everyone,
I'm healing and I'm almost 5 weeks post op, I feel great.
But about a week ago I started getting very senaitive along the incision line.

It goes all the way down. I didn't have this at first, so I can't understand why I do now. It just doesn't feel natural.
There is no sigh of infection, I am healed closed. Completely.
It just hurts to the touch (even my shirts) and kind of burns. I don't want to take pain meds any more.

I read the other post about pain in the rib cage, I don't have that.
I went to see the surgeon and of coarse I saw the nurse instead. He said it's all normal healing.

Did you heal in this way?

 

[Susan BAV]

Do you think it could be that your incisional numbness is just reduced Tina? Mine was kind of uncomfortable for awhile. The placket (sp?) of button-up shirts kind of irritated it.

 

[Bina]

Tina, I think you are healing normally. Your sense of feeling is coming back and nerves will start to heal. You may become increasingly sensitive along the incision line. Avoid strong or perfumed soaps and shampoos. I found that wearing cotton undershirts or tank tops under clothing helped protect this newly sensitive area.

 

[dot4toto]

Hi Bina and Susan,

Thanks, I think you're right about the feeling coming back. It's just going to be sore I guess.
I doesn't feel good. No way around it.

Hope you girls are doing well....

 

[Philip B]

Buttons

Buttons

Shirts with buttons irritated my incision for a few weeks. Doing light massage to make sure the skin didn't attach to the sternum as it healed seemed to help.

-Philip

 

[WayneGM]

In the first few months I found my incision got more sore and sensitive the more it healed. It took a long time before the soreness of my incision subsided, pretty much a year. That said, it still gets irritated at times with some clothes and when I wear a seatbelt too long. It's also still quite itchy, especially if I'm hot and sweaty. My GP checked it out and says it has healed properly, it's just that some people's skin/nerves are more sensitive than others.

 

[Cooker]

Tina,

It sounds like what is going on is normal. The soreness in mine would come and go....then the itching set in with the hair trying to find it's way through scar tissue (not an issue for you, I hope ).

It really was about a year before I felt 100% in all respects.

Tom

 

[hensylee]

mine was done 3/2000 and I am still numb right in the scar between the ****s! Wearing my front hook bras cause pain where the hook lies on the scar.

Always, if you think it's something you ought to check into, be sure to call your dr's office. Don't be uncomfortable when something could be done for you.

 

[Bina]

Ann, maybe a cotton ball under the front hook would help.
On second thought, just lose the bra.

 

[67walkon]

Tina, I'm 10 weeks out from surgery tomorrow.

I went back to work after 4 weeks. This week is the first week my dress shirts didn't irritate the incision scar. Wearing ties was awful because I had to button the shirt all the way up.

When I wake up in the morning, the very top part of my scar is tight. It is weird to describe, but it feels like the skin is bunched together there and needs to stretch out. It is in fact bunched up there more than anywhere else.

The rest of the incision doesn't bother me. I put vitamin E on it once a day.

I'd say you're doing well at 5 weeks. It takes us a while to get over this, and I know I'm not there yet. Most of the time, it is just a memory, but there is still some sensation in the upper part of the incision and sometimes in my rib cage. It gets better with each passing day.

John

 

[Shutterbug]

Tina
We had our surgeries at near the same time and it sounds normal to me. My incision is still more sensitive than the rest of my chest. I tried to find the silkiest pullover shirt's pre-op I could, and am finding it paying off now. If you can give it a try, hope it works for you Good Luck.
Rich

 

[scott x94x]

My scar is still quite sensitive and its been just over 4 months since my AVR. i still take pain medication once a night because i like to sleep shirtless and the incision is still very very tender on my blanket. When i do strenuous activities, my scar will start to hurt and become very tender and noticable. I'm told that it will take about a year for all tenderness to go away but for no i dont have a problem taking pain medication once a day to assuage my discomforts.

I'd suggest you do the same but its apparent you dont want to be taking pain medication forever (nor do i) but it really is a gift a lot of the times when im feeling very sensitive and in pain it just vanishes.

Feel better.
-Scott

 

[dot4toto]

Everything you all said is soooo true. The tight feeling when I wake up to the bra hurting it.... Not the guys

I have been taking a little pain med for sleeping at night, hate that.
But I'll do it for now.
But it does bug me all day long. I'm not comfortable yet wearing v-neck shirts,so I've been wearing the high cut tee-shirts. They rub from the very top down to the bottom of my scar.
All I know is the chest is so sensative! My other surgeries were on my left side up over my back. No big deal, felt fine from the start.

I know it's early and time will help, I guess Rich has the right idea, buy shirts that are super silky and soft. Sounds like I HAVE to go shopping. DARN


Hope you all are happy and healthy....Enjoy your loved ones today.

I have a friend that just lost her 15 month old boy, found him dead in his crib. So far they can't find a reason. It has made me take pause.

 

[Lynlw]

That is just heartbreaking about your friends son. I'll keep them in my prayers.
also Emu oil is supposed to be really good for scars and is supposed to help help scars heal and also cut down on the inflamation. I would ask the doctor if/when you can use something on the scar. Justin was given the ok at his 6 week postop appt. I know a few people that get their emu oil from this company http://lbemuoil.com/ actually I believe it was a member here that recomended them to me.

 

[Ambience]

Many years later my chest tends to itch eight or so hours before it starts to rain. Not sure exactly why, because you tend to hear people's bones act up, not skin. Sometimes I'll play with my scar from time to time, it definitely feels different.

 

[pamela]

I have horrible scarring issues that encompass everything from keloid tissue, adhesions, lurid colouring and hypersensitivity with itching. Internally, I had pannus outgrowth on my first replacement valve, I have faith that this one will last longer, it's only been a bit over a year.

A couple of things to watch for:

Thrown stitches, (there's not enough muscle or fatty tissue over the sternum, so absorbable stitches don't always dissolve).

Pannus tissue in the drain wounds (white and gummy with no obvious blood supply, usually float on top of the lymph fluid from the wound)

Keloid ridges and swelling (nerves get out of arrangement inside your scar and they really don't know any better than to be stinging or hypersensitive, it's not their fault).

Slipping and crackling sternum. I had been sorely tempted by my sternum having protruding wires and gaps between the cut edges, to have the surgery to remove the wires and repair the bone scar... But, my doc said it would be as bad as the OHS as far as wound healing and recovery from the repair surgery. I opted to wait, my second surgery came sooner than expected from pannus building on the valve anyway.​

NOTE: If you are prone to bad scarring outside, keep a close watch on those internal scars as well, they may be doing just as poorly.

 

[kbheart]

It's been 14 months since my surgery and my scar has just started itching this past week. I guess everyone's recovery is different. But I'll take the itching over any other complications!