Bullet Holes!: No, I have not been shot... - British Heart Fou...

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Bullet Holes!

MichaelJH profile image
MichaelJHHeart Star
13 Replies

No, I have not been shot!

However, whilst my breastbone scar is now juat a thin red line about 9" long three of the drains remain virtually unchanged. They are like a row of bullet wounds each the size of 20p pieces. The scabs are multi-coloured (yellow/brown/red) unlike the main incision that looked like little more than dried blood. GP says it is healing nicely but is this normal?

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MichaelJH profile image
MichaelJH
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13 Replies
skid112 profile image
skid112Heart Star

Hi Michael,

Yes perfectly normal. These will fade faster than your zip once the scabs have gone

LenC profile image
LenC

Hi, if you want the scarring to fade to some extend, don't forget to start using tissue oil as soon as possible. Good luck.

Twobells profile image
Twobells

Completetly, but my scar is awful it is like a ridge looks and feels like its not been knitted together properly and its not straight I hate looking at it and I hate anyone seeing it, but the drainholes mine took a while to heal, but its because all the nerve endings have beencut it takes longer for thebody to heal

skid112 profile image
skid112Heart Star in reply toTwobells

Hi Twobells, mine is very similar and have been having treatment for a keloid scar as the tissue keeps growing. Think of it as two sides coming together but in a continuous healing pattern. Collagen is over produced thus the scar gets raised and looks red, ugly and jagged. I am afraid the treatment isn't pain free, quite the opposite, involves cortisone injections directly into the tissue mass over time I am into my third session they are every six weeks but there is noticeable improvement

Twobells profile image
Twobells in reply toskid112

Thank you for that Skid, I'm due to see çardiologists ìn a couple of weeks so I will get him to have a look see if there is anything. Its strange where the ridges are almost like a ravine, but if I push the two ridges together it just looks like a thin pink red line.

As it doen't look right I hide it with highneckclothing?

skid112 profile image
skid112Heart Star in reply toTwobells

Sounds as if it is keloid, hopefully you'll get sorted.

KazSumm profile image
KazSumm

Join the club I look like I’ve been in a shoot out 😆

A year on from my AVR my main scar is practically invisible, my drainage holes, one big,two smaller and two pace wire lines.

They took months to heal, and the big one feels like it’s hollow under the new skin tissue . My bikini days are over 😂 But we are alive. My Warrior Scar.

Kaz 💓

Roamie profile image
Roamie

Hi, how long ago was your surgery? I have been advised to use Bio oil.

I have at last been given my date for AVR + 2 and triple bypass in 2 weeks' time. Fingers crossed...

Roamie profile image
Roamie

Incidentally, no one that I've noticed has mentioned the leg/arm scars..Do any of you have them, how long and noticeable are they, were they sore, and if so, for how long?

skid112 profile image
skid112Heart Star in reply toRoamie

Leg scars, I had keyhole, so have three marks. The lower left leg has permanent numbness at the side and front. I am told this is likely to persist, a few aches round the knee but nothing really

Roamie profile image
Roamie in reply toskid112

I think that numbness will be considerably easier to live with than sharp pain! My pre-Op is at Papworth on Thursday, I am drawing up a long list of questions!

ozchrissy profile image
ozchrissy

I have drain holes and feeding tube scars that are still with me 6 years later. These procedures are for me the most painful and also the worst for scaring. Mine was not for a heart disease, but a big abdominal procedure for cancer, but the results would be the same.

MichaelJH profile image
MichaelJHHeart Star

The second last scab came off in the shower last week. At the weekend I was meeting my niece's family when I looked down to see a spreading blood stain to the lower left of my shirt. Yes, that's right the last scan had come off and was bleeding (used as verb!) well. Twenty minutes later I was on my way with a large dressing under a clean shirt. I am glad to report the wound looks quite good now, just slightly sunken like a real bullet had gone in, and the shirt washed out OK. My niece's husband was very understanding as his family have "heart history"!

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