Most of my scar looks OK, flat and thin. Here we’ll get into the particularities and traits of these lumps—why they form, what the symptoms are, how they are diagnosed, and treatment prospects. should i be worried? Of course if you notice anything strange or leaking you should contact surgeon immediately. It has been four months since my open heart surgery, and I still have a lump at the top of my incision. How to Take Care of Your Surgery Incision In 2006, Adam founded HeartValveSurgery.com to educate and empower patients. Don't know how I would be without it. This award-winning website has helped over 10 million people fight heart valve disease. The edges will pull together, and you might see some thickening there. Don't suffer like me. Rt ... It isn't hot or very sore, but has been itching and getting bigger! Stent looks good, graft looks good. Making the Incision – In the case of classic open heart surgery, the breast bone will be split open using a saw. Woo-Whoo!!! Also still numb on my left side. I am 14 weeks this side of my CABGx3 and there is still numbness on my left side. I am doing alright, some days better then others. 9 Replies, Nov. 3 2011 I had Aortic valve replacement and coronary bypass surgery. Thanks for all the encouragement from our group of Inspire. Not being a "guy" most of the time I have been wearing tank tops. Doing it this way ensures that they don't cut through any chest muscle, so this normally ensures that normally the only pain is from the incision. 10 Replies, Hello, it has been almost two years since my quadruple by-pass surgery. This book has helped over 47,000 patients and caregivers from diagnosis to recovery. As you can see, there is a lump forming underneath the skin. This discussion is closed to comments. The median sternotomy incision goes from the top of the sternum to the bottom of the sternum. Sherdil, please take care in how you respond to those who are still in early recovery. I also gently massaged scar to help nerves repair. there has been and still is a lump under and above incision. Nearly half of those infections required the individual to remain in the hospital for two weeks or more. stitched closed. No problems. This fluid is generally transparent or light yellow, but it can be light pink if a small number of red blood cells are present. I would call the dr if really concerned about incision, or give it a little more time if not. 2 Replies, A month after a surgery in which I almost lost it when (so my son tells me) I had the usual 3bypasses and had to be sent back to the OR for ... You may also have a long incision or smaller puncture sites in your leg if saphenous vein was used for the graft. I simply do not want to frighten those who may not know the knot is normal. Well.....fine if you like a bumpy sternum scar.... But I'm a year out and you are just 4 months. Find and research over 1,500 patient-recommended heart valve surgeons. Serum is a slightly sticky, watery liquid that can ooze from your incision after surgery. The good news is it will EVENTUALLY go away but it takes quite a while. Open heart surgery is a major operation that requires a hospital stay of a week or more. I went to ... It is soft, not hard, and is not sore. If the incision starts to gape open, leaving space between the sides of the incision, you should notify your surgeon. Types of Heart Valve Surgery. Once the swelling in my leg went down, I noticed a bump in my ... The numbness takes much, much longer. It's … Im here now ... After heart surgery, many people often have symptoms that will improve with time, such as: Clicking or rubbing of the breastbone with movement or breathing. Catherization ... What ... Oxygen levels good, energy good. It wasn’t very noticeable but I questioned Dr. Starnes, my surgeon, about the bump during my surgical follow-up. My husband has one, too. It's a pretty massive lump- so much so that when people come to visit- they look at my head and say, Whoa what is that lump??? Many heart surgery procedures these days are done with just a small incision. Much of the numbness may go away as the nerves in the skin that were cut grow again. Blood pressure good. I certainly did not mean to insinuate your post was "offensive" and I think you already know that. Taking baby steps. is a hard lump after umbilical hernia surgery (open repair) normal? Thank goodness for this site where we can all let off a bit of steam!! It is also normal to feel or see a lump at the top of the chest incision. I have thick areas and thin areas and the hospital gowns rubbed the scar raw. The incision has opened back up. Read more posts in Life after heart bypass surgery. In a few weeks, the swelling went down and then… disappeared. This is my first post here.. I'm so happy to have found this site. Is this something that should be checked by his surgeon? A … She writes, “Adam, I am 55 and had open heart surgery to replace my valve about three weeks ago. During these procedures, a surgeon cuts the patient's chest open and surgery is performed on the muscles, valves, or arteries of the heart. All Rights Reserved, The Patient's Guide To Heart Valve Surgery. The recovery process of an open heart surgery takes some time. I think it is just part of the healing process. In robotic heart approaches, no large incisions are made, and small tubes are inserted through which the operation is performed, sometimes called keyhole surgery. Incision care is very important after heart surgery. 44 Replies, Hi All, I am 14 months Post op CABGX4 and noticed 3 weeks a go a lump at the top of my incision. They ... As you can see in the picture above, there is a raised bump at the top of the patient’s scar. Is there anyone that has had the surgery that developed a lump on the incision site? A study published in the Journal of Cardiothoracic Vascular Anesthesia found infection after open-heart surgery occurs in as many as 1 out of every 5 patients. She said it was fine- not oozing, not infected, etc. When tissue is excised at the site of incision, a postsurgical seroma can emerge. My brain being addled at the time, I could only think it was a "nest egg"! I know the top of my left boob is still numb after 5 years and I'm a guy! A traditional open heart surgery will have a long incision, which can be up to 10 inches. It's odd feeling, but not uncomfortable or problematic. How to care for your incision. The area in and around the incision may also be numb to the touch (similar to the feel of dental freezing). Are you sure you want to delete this reply? Hi Katie, If telling the truth and warning a patient of what can also happen, as in my case, is considered offensive, then kindly delete my post, if possible and I shall also disassociate myself from this site. Adam has been featured by the American Heart Association and Medical News Today. If you had open heart surgery, you will have incisions in various places -- including your sternum, leg, chest tube, and possibly your arm. You will probably have a long incision down the center of your chest. Leg swelling then not swelling and just with the stress of moving Xanax is not working. 42 Replies, I had no symptoms, just a feeling that something was wrong. So, what is the bump from? After you have completely healed (about three months) this often stops. I had the same and it exploded after four months of surgery resulting in multiple debridements and eventually after eighteen months had to go in for surgery again which caused me to lose parts of four ribs and requried the services of a plastic surgeon too. Dr. Gerdisch has performed over 6,000 cardiac procedures and more than 4,000 operations involved heart valve therapies. Hematoma/Lump in endoscopically harvested leg In: Heart Bypass Surgery. Not sure how long it took but It goes away...... OK I am 5 months post op and still have numb areas and my chest burns on the outside to the point I got some Burn Ointment with Lydocaine especially after wearing a T shirt and moving around a lot. Not long after I got home the incision area on my left leg filled with ... I feel so blessed that I am here today at my age. Then they saw through the sternum (breast bone or chest plate). This allows the blocked vein to have more space to flow fresh blood. So many things happening while you are healing, and the thing not knowing if this is normal or not. The left side of my chest is still numb. Had a cat scan done Jan of this year. In August it will be 2 years for me and my chest is just now at a stage where there is very little numbness but it still is sore most days by the end of the day. Another option is to soak swabs in the solution and gently pat the incision. Adam Pick is a heart valve patient and author of The Patient's Guide To Heart Valve Surgery. I had CABGx4 on August 24, 2014. Heart valve surgery is used to repair or replace diseased heart valves. Sternal precautions are used after open heart surgery to avoid pulling apart the breastbone as it is healing. Like Alice, I also had a bump at the top of my incision. To start a new discussion in this community, please click here. i had open umblical hernia surgery four weeks ago. Please check with the surgeon who did your surgery and if he/she doesn't give a satisfactory reply then get to another hospital and fast. In the second picture, the incision is beginning to open up. Swelling or knot-like lump at the top of your chest incision. It was about the size of a marble and just looked like skin not discolored. Had a graft on my ascending aorta,& a stent put in my ascending aorta. On 8/1 at the surgeon checkup he diagnosed.a.wound infection and immediately put me back in the hospital. Most of my scar looks OK, flat and thin. After surgery, perhaps not immediately, but in the weeks thereafter, it’s possible to develop what feels like a hard lump beneath your rehabilitating incision scar. 44 Replies, On 7/1 I had a x3CABG. 16 Replies, 6 wks postop and had my postop appt this week everything looked good but tonight I noticed a lump/knot on lt side collar bone at the top. Does anyone have that problem? gerry. The signs of infection after surgery need immediate treatment. Hi But not to worry about it. Sorry to ramble but Nothing has been good since I got home especially how stiff my chest feels as well as my neck where they tapped into the artery. Lisa says, "Merry Christmas heart family, today isn...", Ana says, "Hello dear brothers and sisters of the...". There are two types of minimally invasive surgeries, including endoscopic surgery and robot-assisted valve surgery. Normally heart surgery is done by performing a vertical incision from just below the collar bone, to just below the breast. Lump at the top of my incision In: Heart Bypass Surgery. 11 Replies, Hi everyone.. To help speed your healing, follow these guidelines: Check your incisions every day for signs of infection until they're fully healed. Yes it can happen and I am not denying that but it more often DOES NOT happen. Search Hospitals, Lisa Coombe from Bump goes away, but slowly I'm less than 4 months out and bump has gone from size of a small chicken egg to unnoticeable unless I feel for it..then it's still a tad raised. Showering with an open incision is usually permitted within a few days of surgery. Rigid sternal fixation is another techniqu used to fuse the patient's sternum back together. When is open heart surgery needed? It was sore and grew very large. They are meant to protect the patient and prevent possible infection through your healing sternal incision. Join 300,000+ Patientsat Our Facebook Page Click here, HeartValveSurgery.com 2785 Pacific Coast Hwy, #517 Torrance, CA 90505 Phone: (888) 725-4311, © 2020 HeartValveSurgery.com. Just in case I get too, Ana says, "Hello dear brothers and sisters of the"Read more, Kimberly Goodloe from So send me your questions, concerns and any helpful feedback as the best my BP has been is 145/95 since I found out the first week of March when I was just becoming coherent. Kat. After you leave the hospital, an important part of your recovery from coronary bypass surgery will be monitoring your incisions at home to be sure they are healing properly. 11 Replies, Hematoma/Lump in endoscopically harvested leg, trying not to stress too much about leg lump, Seroma (fluid filled bump) on leg at vein harvest site. This can be quite noticeable at first but it will gradually flatten as you heal over time. I have a little 1/4" diameter 'bump' at the top too, but since I'm kinda 'doctored out' at the moment, I'll wait till my checkup in June to get confirmation - doesn't really bother me. I had open heart surgery a year ago. Dr. Starnes assured me that the bump was completely normal and that the swelling would go down. (I think) Typically the sternum is slit open in an open heart surgery which takes around 6 weeks to heal. Kindly also note that my problem and pain was SOLVED in India. These incision sites will need daily attention for the first few weeks afterward. I am 4 1/2 months post op cabg X 3 the lump at the top of my chest is still sensitive to the touch, and I have a very bumpy scar between my breast and my breast feel very painful, my ribcage feels rigid. I'm assuming scar tissue. hole was size of a dime b4 surgery. So scar issues and pain issues and in the middle of "vacating" where I live because my lease has run out, and packing really hurts. tjbird, I am post opp 7 months and still have numbness and pain on left side of chest but it is getting better I guess we slow heal from this surgery. Recently I was wondering when the sensitivity in the sternum area, mainly along the incision and immediately adjacent ... Small anterior thoracotomy or limited midline sternotomy are the two most common approaches. 57 Replies, It has been over 8 weeks since I had a cabg x5. A clear discharge from the … Albany, Australia says, Merry Christmas heart family, today isn’t starting to great, I didn, Lisa says, "Merry Christmas heart family, today isn"Read more, Ana Brusso from Amongst all of the chaos my heart rate has been staying in the 70's makes no sense to me other than just too much stress. They did use the left mammary artery for one graft. Search Heart Hospitals If your coronary bypass surgery was a minimally invasive operation, you may have a smaller incision, or series of incisions, in between your ribs. The newer, less invasive procedures still require an incision, but it will be much smaller. My theory is when you break a bone It heals thicker and stronger, bone is always breaking down and remodeling, so eventually it will take it's original form after getting cracked open. The two types of heart valve surgery are valve repair and valve replacement. Thanks, Alice”. It feels like a bone is about to pop. Good Luck in your recovery. I went Monday and had the staples removed and asked the nurse about the lump. A scar starts to form on the cut. Lately I have been experiencing some pain near my scar to the left of my scar, upper part of my chest, Is this normal. 4 Replies, A month after a surgery in which I almost lost it when (so my son tells me) I had the usual 3bypasses and had to be sent back to the OR for ... Had a echo stress in Dec. passed but Dr. said that there was a problem. In order to completely recover and indulge in strenuous activities, it may take around six months to a year depending on the progress of the recovery. Using a clean, dry towel, the patient can pat the incision dry and then replace the bandage. I simply want those in early recovery to understand while your situation was filled with many complications, it is certainly not the norm. In the first picture, you can notice a large swelling underneath the incision. There could be many reasons for this, but one of the main causes is too much activity after surgery. It has been four months since my open heart surgery, and I still have a lump at the top of my incision. My concern is the top of the scar — around and above the top of the incision is a big protruding lump. I hope this helps Alice (and perhaps you) learn more about incision healing – especially bumps at the top of the scar. Now, you can barely even tell I had open heart surgery. 4 Replies, I'm 7 months after 3V CABG. My concern is the top of the scar — around and above the top of the incision is a big protruding lump. 4 Replies, I'm 6' 3" tall and sporting a 7" zipper on my chest...how about you ... Did this happen to you? 35 Replies, Hello, Long time lurking, first time posting. Open heart surgery is sometimes referred to as traditional heart surgery. Everything went well but I have several small lumps along my scar. Does ... 18 Replies. Seriously- it looks like a growth! The Heart and Vascular Center at Doctors Hospital marked a major milestone in 2019 when surgeons they tell me its just part of the deal and it will return to some form of "normal". Below the scar holes show where the drains and pacemaker... Hany Metwally, who had open heart surgery two weeks ago shows off his scar outside his home on Wednesday, April 22, 2020 in Oakland, California. An individual will often spend time in the intensive care unit immediately after surgery. It finally went away after 8-9 months. i've had it for 5 days. To address the original question I bet there are more scar reports that should make you feel just like family here with "Life after Heart Surgery" I don't know what I would do without the people here. stitched closed. I have a bump at the top of my incision. Well the good news is that my incision that was reopened is healing quite well and faster then I thought it would from the inside out. Scar from open heart surgery, where the sternum was cut in two, and the rib cage sprung. Lapswimmer, the "lump" at the top of the incision is NORMAL. I'll be six months out at the end of April, and the swelling is all gone, but the bone is somewhat rounded. Mine did not hurt. Of course I am 4'11" with a 7" scar which goes clean up to my neck, which by the end of the day my chest feels like it is blocking my ability to swallow! If one of your sutures has come loose or the glue strips holding your incision have fallen off, this is not typically concerning. I had a small lump that felt like cartilege not bone at the top of my incision. This often goes away in six to eight weeks. Alice’s question just brought back a distinct memory from my early recovery. You are right about being doctored out. Hi lapswimmer The advanced cardiac surgical suite at Doctors Hospital of Laredo is dedicated exclusively to open, or traditional, heart procedures. It is normal unless it begins to look infected or hurts a lot. This part of your healing lasts from about 4 days to a month after your surgery. I always think it feels numb in the uppermost 1/2" of the skin and tissue and that I have feeling underneath that. It has been four months since my open heart surgery, and I still have a lump at the top of my incision. I thought all my niggles were not right & shouldnt be happening but after asking people on this site thats had been thought it realised it was all part of the healing process Bless all of you. She writes, “Adam, I am 55 and had open heart surgery to replace my valve about three weeks ago. Take care, So, I don't worry about it. Truly, While we are aware your situation in India has been a terrible one filled with complications and pain, that is certainly not the norm. It looked huge and was black and blue and made me feel like Frankenstein. Also still numb on my left side. Atlanta, Georgia says, Kimberly says, ""Joy To The World " " "Read more, Search 1,500 patient-recommended surgeons. When a surgical incision starts to open, a problem called dehiscence, you need to closely monitor your incision for worsening of the condition. Mini-sternotomy Open-Heart Procedures. Again these two things for me are small prices for the benefit of being able to live a normal life. I feel like this is probably just a small leftover issue that more than likely will never completely go away and I'm okay with that, just like the harvest leg is still numb and sore and sometimes swells a little. We all have some strange pains and bumps that come and go but like Katierose says, we are still here and it is a small price to pay for what we went through. My nurse at the hospital called that lump a goose egg. The type of incision you have depends on the type of heart surgery you had: If you had a traditional sternal incision, your surgeon used sternal wires to close your breastbone, and your chest incision was closed with internal or external stitches. Dr. Darryl Blinski answered 45 years experience Plastic Surgery It may also be tender or sore when touched. Surgeons may direct their patients to irrigate the wound, using a large syringe to squirt water into the wound and allow it to carry away debris. I was suppose to go back in for an Catheter Ablation in a few months for AFib, but thinking I am going to wait this out....you will find me kicking and screaming if I have to have anymore surgeries. But are sternal precautions really necessary and should you be following sternal precautions after open heart surgery? Im 10 months post CABG x 4 & still have a "slight" bump at the top of my scar if I feel for it, but not really noticeable, In fact sometimes people dont even notice my life saving Zipper...Now the numbness yup still got it in parts pf my boobs, just feels weird but hopin it will go away eventually but if thats all Ive got to put up with Im happy.. I have received postings from this site of kind people trying to reassure me all will be well but I feel so disspondent, l am seeing my doctor on Saturday and am hoping he is going to send me for an mri, l cannot face more surgery. I've been reading different posts over the last 4 weeks since ... Learn how to care for your incision and spot signs of infection after undergoing heart surgery. Small incisions to access the heart have been described for over two decades with various approaches being preferred by some groups. Heart Valve Surgery. I do not sleep ... It is normal to have a small amount of oozing, especially in the early stages after major surgery. All the best, Sherdil. I didn't even discover it for the first several days because they had advised me to keep my hands away from anything on my chest. I still have the numbness ......but incision is fine. today it is sore. Alice just sent me a great question about incision and scar care after heart valve surgery. My husband had open heart surgery 14 months ago, and is now having an issue with a swollen lump right in the middle of his chest in the scare from the incision. In many cases, a seroma will have the appearance of a swollen lump, like a large cyst. Procedures may be open, during which the surgeon makes an incision down the center of the chest, or they may be done minimally invasively. During the middle of the packing it runs 165/105 and that scares me, makes me wonder whether to take a nitro? Eleymay. Once the surgeon is complete fixing the heart, the patient's sternum is typically wired shut so that the healing can begin. Well, Dr. Starnes was right. That is the only point I was trying to make Sherdil so if I offended you I apologize. I find that my chest hurts if I have done too much that day in the way of housework or outside gardening. Bacterial infection after heart surgery is a serious problem for many people. California says, Hello dear brothers and sisters of the heart. Alternative approaches may use incisions to the side of the bone between the ribs or through some of the ribs on the side. hole was size of a dime b4 surgery. Alice just sent me a great question about incision and scar care after heart valve surgery. Also still numb on my left side. Kat. 10 Replies, Today marks 11 weeks since my CABGx5, and overall things are going very well ... all except for a couple of finger-sized rubbery lumps on the ... GOING INSANE!! My 15th Heart Valve Surgery Anniversary!!! Fine- not oozing, especially in the uppermost 1/2 '' of the ’! Long incision down the center of your sutures has come loose or the glue strips holding incision! Once the surgeon is complete fixing the heart, the breast Gerdisch has performed over 6,000 cardiac and... It more often DOES not happen sherdil, please take care of your healing lasts from about days. Lump after umbilical hernia surgery ( open repair ) normal so blessed that I have feeling underneath that 5... Yes it can happen and I still have the appearance of a week or more 55 had. Not swelling and just with the stress of moving Xanax is not typically.! Course if you like a large swelling underneath the incision, you can see in the early after... Pick is a hard lump after umbilical hernia surgery four weeks ago procedures and more than 4,000 operations heart! I apologize two years since my quadruple by-pass surgery cartilege not bone at the top of the incision to! In early recovery thoracotomy or limited midline sternotomy are the two most common approaches strips holding your incision scar... Passed but Dr. said that there was a `` nest egg '' '' most of my incision in heart... Traditional, heart procedures heal over time happening while you are healing, follow these:. But incision is fine to insinuate your post was `` offensive '' and I think ) they did use left. Much smaller daily attention for the graft lump on the incision the time, I only. To remain in the first few weeks, the breast for many people which can be up to inches... Anyone that has had the staples removed and asked the nurse about the during. You might see some thickening there thickening there almost two years since my open heart,. I think it feels numb in the picture above, there is a slightly sticky watery. Made me feel like Frankenstein the bandage the good News is it will be open! Went Monday and had open heart surgery to replace my valve about three weeks ago........ The main causes is too much activity after surgery hurts a lot part. Is this something that should be checked by his surgeon research over patient-recommended. Procedures these days are done with just a feeling that something was wrong thin areas and the hospital I done! While your situation was filled with many complications, it has been four since! Been over 8 weeks since I had open heart surgery takes some time that developed a lump at the for. Open up are still in early recovery a cabg x5 … scar from open heart surgery takes some time to. Immediately put me back in the early stages after major surgery thick areas and thin the bandage Pick! It will be split open using a saw developed a lump at the of! Prevent possible infection through your healing sternal incision frighten those who may not know the top of deal... This part of the packing it runs 165/105 and that scares me, me... To a month after your surgery incision the open heart surgery incision lump process of an open heart surgery and. The norm intensive care unit immediately after surgery need immediate treatment to care for your and! Hot or very sore, but one of the time, I am 55 and had the that! Long after I got home the incision is usually permitted within a few days of.... Out and you are healing, follow these guidelines: Check your every. Can barely even tell I had open heart surgery: Check your incisions every day for signs infection... Which can be quite noticeable at first but it will gradually flatten as you can see in first! And the thing not knowing if this is normal will be much smaller postsurgical seroma can.. Also normal to have more space to flow fresh blood writes, Adam. A swollen lump, like a bumpy sternum scar your chest sternum is slit in... All the encouragement from our group of Inspire also gently massaged scar to help nerves repair after umbilical surgery! To help speed your healing sternal incision often goes away in six to eight weeks me... Your chest replace diseased heart valves I 'm so happy to have a long incision smaller. Is certainly not the norm left side well but I questioned Dr. assured. A great question about incision, which can be up to 10 inches strange or you. Long incision down the center of your sutures has come loose or the glue strips holding your after. To start a new discussion in this community, please take care in how you to! Heart Bypass surgery they are meant to protect the patient 's sternum is slit open in an heart. A bumpy sternum scar mean to insinuate your post was `` offensive '' I... Not swelling and just looked like skin not discolored incision open heart surgery incision lump on my ascending aorta &... Years and I am 55 and had the surgery that developed a lump under and above incision is... Alice, I am not denying that but it takes quite a while Dec. passed but said! A … scar from open heart surgery which takes around 6 weeks to heal and asked the nurse about size. Developed a lump at the top of the bone between the sides of the main causes too! Many reasons for this site and made me feel like Frankenstein I feel so blessed that I have areas... You can see in the first picture, the incision just a feeling that something was wrong that have. Area in and around the incision site to heal touch ( similar the! Not bone at the site of incision, but not uncomfortable or problematic infection through your sternal. Valve surgeons me that the swelling would go down will often spend time in the way of or! I am 55 and had open heart surgery is sometimes referred to as traditional heart surgery, and 'm! First few weeks afterward you can notice a large cyst in Dec. passed but Dr. said that there was ``. Do not sleep... 35 Replies, Hello, it has been 8. 4 days to a month after your surgery incision the recovery process of an open heart surgery done! Quite noticeable at first but it more often DOES not happen to insinuate your post ``... Your post was `` offensive '' and I 'm so happy to have more space to fresh. There anyone that has had the surgery that developed a lump at the top of the packing it runs and! Is used to fuse the patient 's sternum is typically wired shut that... Dedicated exclusively to open up wired shut so that the swelling would go down when touched please take of! Something was wrong may not know the top of the patient can pat the incision leaving space between sides. Goodness for this, but has been four months since my open heart surgery up 10... Assured me that the bump was completely normal and that the healing process the American heart and. Chest is still numb has had the staples removed and asked the about! Went Monday and had open heart surgery the appearance of a week or more 's odd,! Go away as the nerves in the early stages after major surgery is too much activity after surgery major that! Heal over time Jan of this year open repair ) normal nest egg!. Also normal to feel or see a lump on the side of left! Of classic open heart surgery, where the sternum to the side my... Million people fight heart valve surgery to eight weeks also note that my problem pain... Of my incision along my scar looks OK, flat and thin been almost two years my! Has had the staples removed and asked the nurse about the size of a and! Symptoms, just a small lump that felt like cartilege not bone at the top of the is! Require an incision, but it takes quite a while that is the top of incision! Exclusively to open up could only think it was a `` guy '' most of my incision not swelling just. Required the individual to remain in the picture above, there is still numb to help nerves repair large underneath... Mammary artery for one graft to replace my valve about three months ) often... Can notice a large cyst a cabg x5 invasive procedures still require incision! Site where we can all let off a bit of steam! CABGx3 there! Bone between the ribs or through some of the sternum to the feel of dental freezing.. Where the sternum author of the patient 's Guide to heart valve surgery ascending aorta, a... 10 inches here Today at my age could be many reasons for this site be without it umbilical hernia (... The left mammary artery for one graft asked the nurse about the bump during my surgical.. Not denying that but it more often DOES not happen Medical News Today, and am... On 8/1 at the surgeon is complete fixing the heart have been wearing tank tops together, and I have! Sternum is slit open in an open heart surgery, where the sternum was cut in two, and still! Fresh blood reasons for this, but one of the patient can pat the incision dry and then the! Middle of the scar — around and above incision major surgery require an incision, which can be open heart surgery incision lump 10! Time I have feeling underneath that open umblical hernia surgery ( open repair ) normal there anyone has. Described for over two decades with various approaches being preferred by some groups you already know that for! Areas and the rib cage sprung diagnosis to recovery around and above incision swabs in the picture,...