OHS in a week’s time, anyone use a chest brace / sternum support recommendation?

[Wildmeadow]

Wondered if anyone had been helped by a sternum brace after surgery?

[Diblet]

Hi Wildmeadow, this is my first time replying on here so hope it works!! I had OHS a few years ago and being female my advice would be get a really soft bra that's easy to fasten at the front. I wish I'd known before surgery how uncomfortable other bras would be!! And that kind of feels like a chest support.

Hope it goes well

😀

[Calliope153]

Hope you find my answer to OHS query a couple of days ago useful. I've just copied it for you here:

I am on week 9 after aortic valve replacement and graft. I woke up in a cardiothoracic bra courtesy of the hospital charity. As I was an emergency I told the anesthetist my bra size before I went in and when I woke up I was dressed in it.

aboveandbeyond.org.uk/speci...

the above link tells you all about it.

My husband ordered 3 more on line for when I got home - they arrived within 3 days:

cuiwear.com/product/bhis-ca...

really recommend the bra. Great for comfort - in all honesty not so great for uplift!

also I found hospital really hot so was glad of lip salve and moisturiser in my wash bag.

The whole experience was not as bad as I thought it would be and my other bit of advice is don;t be stoic. ask for painkillers if you need them.

[Wildmeadow in reply to Calliope153]

Thanks so much - I have purchased two bras in anticipation- trying to get ‘things right’! My AVR is next Saturday, had to have two teeth out yesterday to avert endocarditis risk, which was a bit traumatic.

Thank you for replying. I hope you are making good progress back to full health.

[Calliope153 in reply to Wildmeadow]

Thank you. Now doing really well. Do watch them putting that guy in scrubs into the bra. Made me laugh. I really couldn't work out how they had got it on me when I had enough brains to think as for the first two days I had a lot of drains...... OHS isn;t as bad as I thought it would be. It's really copable with - and that despite being in the middle of the Covid no elective surgery situation. Only time it helps to be an emergency! Good luck - take plenty of reading material of the trashy sort. The Kindle for me was a good escape....

[Wildmeadow in reply to Calliope153]

Found the full link! Thank you.

[Wildmeadow]

What is the end bit of the link please?!!

[Wildmeadow in reply to Wildmeadow]

Found it!

[Calliope153]

look for the post headed

Hospital bag/items for home recovery (Open Heart surgery)

which is where I copied my reply from. Sorry it didn;t give you the full link. You might find the other responses to the post useful too if you haven;t already read them.