Sternum clicking and popping?

[dangerousmotto]

I'm confused, you say you had wires removed at 14 weeks, but the you also say it's only been 3 weeks since your surgery...

its been 3 weeks since the wires were removed, 17 weeks since the aneurysm repair. The wire removal does disrupt some muscle junctions at the top and the bottom of the sternum. In fact they said when pulling the bottom wire they "lifted me off the table".

 

[almost_hectic]

its been 3 weeks since the wires were removed, 17 weeks since the aneurysm repair. The wire removal does disrupt some muscle junctions at the top and the bottom of the sternum. In fact they said when pulling the bottom wire they "lifted me off the table".

Was there a problem, why were the wires removed? Mine are intended to stay in. I actually just woke up, went to sleep and apparently rolled over onto my stomach at some point. Woke with a good sharp pain, felt like laying on those nice stainless steel wires! Pain subsided shortly after but I'm wondering with time does the wire get fused to the bone/cartilage? Like calcified over or remain somewhat exposed, under the skin of course?..

 

[dangerousmotto]

My closures were causing quite a bit of pain. I'm also very skinny after losing most of my muscle mass prior to and after surgery - at 6'2" I top the scales at about 170 lbs. My sternum was closed with 4 zip ties and two traditional wires. It was the zip ties that were causing the problem. Here's a link of what they took out : https://scontent.fsnc1-1.fna.fbcdn....9_10103561259584050_6981811328195660439_o.jpg (quarter for reference). The square heads on the zip ties had turned around the sternum and were popping out.

There's a few caveats here. I was up to 30 minutes of jogging by around week 7. That may have cause some shifting. After the surgery I felt instantly better, though I still haven't fully recovered and have some lingering muscle and nerve pain.

 

[almost_hectic]

My closures were causing quite a bit of pain. I'm also very skinny after losing most of my muscle mass prior to and after surgery - at 6'2" I top the scales at about 170 lbs. My sternum was closed with 4 zip ties and two traditional wires. It was the zip ties that were causing the problem. Here's a link of what they took out : https://scontent.fsnc1-1.fna.fbcdn....9_10103561259584050_6981811328195660439_o.jpg (quarter for reference). The square heads on the zip ties had turned around the sternum and were popping out.

There's a few caveats here. I was up to 30 minutes of jogging by around week 7. That may have cause some shifting. After the surgery I felt instantly better, though I still haven't fully recovered and have some lingering muscle and nerve pain.

Zip ties?!! Holy crap!

 

[Warrick]

"Zip ties?!! Holy crap! "
Yea and its real cow in that big mac.. mine are definitely wire, saw it in the x-ray.. if it was my x-ray
I'm only 9 weeks so excuse my ignorance but the wires stay in there unless there a problem...?? or do they take them out in some places but not others???

 

[almost_hectic]

"Zip ties?!! Holy crap! "
Yea and its real cow in that big mac.. mine are definitely wire, saw it in the x-ray.. if it was my x-ray
I'm only 9 weeks so excuse my ignorance but the wires stay in there unless there a problem...?? or do they take them out in some places but not others???

Yup, seen my X-ray too. 3 wires visible, a metal clip on my atrial appendage, and of course my mechanical valve which you could barely see. My surgery was a mini sternotomy so my incision, at least the skin portion was only 3 and a half inches long, not the entire sternum. So 3 wires seems extremely secure in that small of an area! Unless there's a problem they're intended to stay there forever. Fine by me, cool X-rays for the rest of my life!

 

[dangerousmotto]

Zip ties?!! Holy crap!

More info on the zip ties can be found here: http://www.cardiothoracicsurgery.org/content/7/1/59

 

[epstns]

Wow! Zip-ties? What will they think of next?

I guess they see the zip-ties as being inert material and maybe less likely to cause any sort of vegetation? I did see that they see the ties as allowing more surface area for pressure, too.

I just have wires. Lots of wire. On my X-ray, it looks like a grade-schooler just wound it all through between my ribs and around my sternum. I've never had any issues with the wires. The bone just healed, and I haven't had any thoughts of it since. I can still feel where the wires lay across the surface of my sternum, but no other discomfort.

 

[Zeke]

Yeah , I had that also , when I moved a certian way. Only lasted to the third week post surgery.