Cabg harvest sites

[KH501]

Hi community

I'm new here and am after some general advice. I am 16 weeks post op from a quintrupel heart bypass. The vein harvest sites are my forearm and lower leg, I was advised by the surgical team that after 12 weeks these sites should be back to normal, but I am still experiencing lack of power, numbness, discomfort and a feeling of tightness, particularly around the forearm, has anybody else experienced similar problems ?

Thanks

[MichaelJH Heart Star]

Hello and welcome to the forum! I think you probably just need more time. Although I did not have a vein harvest from my arms I had weakness, numbness and tingling in the fingers of my right hand that was worse in the little finger and least in the index finger. This took many months to improve helped by exercising the hand. At the end of the day whilst routine open heart surgery is massive and there is often a degree of collateral damage not much mentioned. I trust that otherwise you are recovering well!

[KH501 in reply to MichaelJH]

Thanks for the reply, everything else is fine, back to work full time, so I guess I am getting frustrated about the time taking to get my arm and leg back to normal.

[Hidden]

Had my cabg x 5 April 2018 my left arm has the scar and it still gets tight at times.it also itches like mad.When I overdo it my chest scar also goes tight and I have shooting pains in my chest.I have a physical job and exercise a lot,so it's to be expected I suppose.Good luck and good health to you.

[invictaAlec]

Hi KH501,

I "only " had a triple Cabg so it was just my left leg that was used as a harvest site. I had a huge livid scar running almost the entire length of my leg. Despite the colour and general awfulnessof how it looked it never itched or gave me any discomfort. In fact I've always puzzled over this, no loss of power or any mobility problems at all.

Ten months later and it's just a feint pink line. Another example I think of how we all mend differently. I have always been grateful that the wound was "glued" back together rather than stitched. I assume that's the modern way?

Good luck with your recovery.

Alec

[Paddyboyo]

Hi KH501, just over 2yrs now since my quadruple bypass, harvest sites in both legs, i still get numbness and the occasional shooting pain but nothing really to worry about, i was told after the op that it would be at least 2yrs before things got back to being reasonably normal, the name of the game really is patience and exercise.

[stevejb1810]

I am 18 plus months post triple CABG. My left leg was the harvest site. I still have numbness in my lower leg to the left side of the scar and I get occasional 'itchiness' at the upper most part of the scar. During surgery muscle and nerves will have been damaged and these will take time to repair themselves - nerves especially so. Everyone is different and if these issues are causing you significant problems a chat with your GP might help. I know 16 weeks seems like a long time, but repair post CABG is a slow process and you are still in the early days of that recovery

[shopman]

It's more than 20 years ago I had my bypass and still suffer with little feeling in 3 fingers of my left hand. Chest scar is very faint now but harvest scar that runs from groin to ankle still gives cause for concern every so often I was told at the time of the operation you are just treated like a lump of meat on a butchers block.

Does it bother me - not really as it is great to still be able to wake up each morning.

[SteveP772]

I had a quad CABG almost four months ago and they only used my left leg for the harvest, but my right arm was used for a catheterization prior to the surgery. My forearm has had a lack of sensation on the skin since leaving the hospital. Left chest and left leg have had the same lack of skin sensation. I too am anxious to get past this but the three sites where I'm numb are slowly shrinking in size. I think eventually all the nerves will restore themselves. I too feel impatient. But I'm constantly reminding myself that as difficult as this all is, it's a whole lot better than the consequence of not having surgery that makes one feel like they've been hit by a truck.

[MichaelJH Heart Star]

I am probably unusual but the sites I had most problem with were the three drain tube ones. The last of the largish scabs stayed for three months and when it came off bled through a white shirt making it look as if I had been shot. Now there are just three redish marks, that will hopefully fade over time, that have a feeling of tightness when lifting something heavy. Sub-surface scar tissue I imagine!