Mild chest pain 6 months after aorta valve replacement

[Squash-player]

I'm new here

My aorta valve was replaced by a bovine valve beginning December last year. Great team of doctors and nurses at Vergelegen Medi-Clinic, South Africa.

I'm 64, male, weigh 77 kg, 1,85 m tall.

Days before the operation a papillary fibroelastoma on one of the leaflets of the aorta valve was discovered by chance while a cardiologist did a transthoracic echocardiogram.

Further tests revealed that another leaflet had a tiny hole in it and there were also signs of vascular restriction - hence the valve replacement.

The operation that followed is referred to as "a median sternotomy and a standard cardiopulmonary bypass".

Everything went fine. Recovery too. Three months later I started playing squash again, obviously very slowly, day by day. After three weeks I could more or less play a lightish game. No side-effects at all; I felt I was getting "normal" again.

However, my condition deteriorated badly 2-3 days into an overland trip towards Mabuasehube game reserve in Botswana early April. Another week later, in the reserve, I continually felt like collapsing any moment. Vague pains all over the body. I only wanted to sleep.

We decided to get home. After seeing numerous doctors and after several tests I was diagnosed with FUO (Fever of Unknown Origin). Two courses of antibiotics solved the problem.

It must be said that in this time a rotten tooth was completely extracted under general anaesthesia, while two implants were also done.

Today, I can again say that I feel "normal".

BUT - every so often I get a slight pain over my chest, maybe at night when I turn around in bed, maybe when I pick up something. It feels as if the pain is outside the chest cavity, not inside, if something like this is possible. There is no pattern, also not of how severe the pain is, which on a scale of 1-10 is seldom more than 2. Sometimes it disappears fast, other times it keeps on for days and disappears regularly.

I assume it must have something to do with the healing of the sternum wound.

I used to do yoga once a week, but since the operation I have only had one gentle class last week, realising that my body as a whole is not yet strong enough. The day afterwards I felt stiff.

Yet playing squash is no problem - maybe because I have done this at least twice a week for the last 40 years. Obviously I don't play as hard as before, but I never feel I overdue it. And when the mild chest pain persists I decide not to play.

I don't regard my present condition as serious enough to yet again land up in a doctor's room. What more tests are there to do?

I am curious to know from other patients with similar open-heart surgery how long does it take to heal completely (assuming of course that the heart remains healthy).

[Suzy1954]

Hi and welcome. I found after my valve surgery I had very little pain at first. Months later I saw a consultant privately and he said it was muscular skeletal. Probably related to surgery but it came and went so I began ignoring it. I haven’t noticed it for a long time. Hopefully your problem will subside with time but I would mention it when you have your check up. If that’s a while off, a trip to the GP might be in order. Good luck 👍

[Squash-player in reply to Suzy1954]

Thanks!

[Nic25]

Intriguing Squash-player! I also had a tissue AVR in December and while I still get the occasional ache if I lift someone relatively heavy I have to say those symptoms baffle me! But I agree it sounds like it could be muscular or sternum related. But I guess maybe try and monitor it or log when it happens to see if there is any pattern and if it continues or gets worse mention it to a doctor if you're concerned? Not sure how helpful this is to be honest but hope it does help a bit. Look after yourself. Nic x

[Squash-player in reply to Nic25]

Will do.