I am 15 months post CABG. I still feel discomfort and movement in my sternum. Is this normal and will it stop eventually? Thank you.

[Edgeley]

Question

[stevejb1810]

Discomfort possibly, movement probably not. I had a triple 29 months ago and stopped having what I would call ‘bone pain’ after about 4 months. Have you spoken to anyone (GP or cardiologist) since being discharged by the surgical team.

[Edgeley in reply to stevejb1810]

Hi Steve, mine was a triple too. I did tell the surgeon at 12 month check, he looked and said as there weren’t any wires sticking out everything was fine. I feel it moving all the time it’s very uncomfortable. I think I may have started normal activities too soon afterwards and so it hasn’t healed properly, do you think that could be the case and I should give it longer to heal?

[stevejb1810 in reply to Edgeley]

If it hasn’t healed I would have thought you’d see it on x-ray and I’m thinking it would be painful. The wires sound like a more plausible explanation- as has already been said. I am not medically trained and your experience is so different to my own that I’m not sure we’re to suggest you should go and at the moment you are unlikely to be seen by anyone, anyway. I can only suggest sit tight for now and when C-19 is out of the way, start again with your GP.

[Edgeley in reply to stevejb1810]

Thank you I’ll see my GP when we all get back to normal.

[Becksagogo]

I had ohs in June 2018 and my sternum has not healed as I would have expected. I mention it all the time to GPs and Consultants and anyone who will listen. You can see and feel the wires!

I was told in February when I had another TAVI that they can do something about it and will progress that once this Coronavirus is all over.

They can remove the wires under anaesthetic but I need to make sure I am strong enough for another op!

[Chappychap in reply to Becksagogo]

The wires that are used to join the sternum are more like thick staples than fine wires (at least that's how they were described to me, and certainly how they look on the X-Ray). Furthermore the sternum is unlikely to re-seal exactly as it was before. Consequently there's every chance that you'll be able to feel some degree of irregularity in the sternum's surface.

In addition the muscles of the chest, which are actually pretty large (they do all the heavy work of breathing, there are no muscles in our lungs) were seriously hacked about during the operation and will also require a lot of time to settle back down.

I'm about the same length of time as you post CABG, and when I do weight exercises at the gym I'll occasionally experience similar "clicking" sensations. It's not actually movement, our sternum bones are now totally fused back together, it's just the sinews and muscles still adapting to the effects of the gigantic surgical operation that we experienced. By all means talk to your doctor, but please don't worry unnecessarily.

Good luck!

[Edgeley in reply to Chappychap]

Thank you that is really helpful. I’ll be more patient.

[Edgeley in reply to Becksagogo]

Thank you and good luck I hope you get it sorted out.