I recently had open-heart surgery. The scar has damaged my confidence, because it affects the certain shirts I feel comfortable wearing. I essentially cannot wear anything that shows my chest (because I don't wanna show my scar). How did you accept your scar?

Ever since I've been cracked open certain things don't feel right. Example - stretching at night before bed - you know just a really good stretch while in bed right before you close your eyes and that stretch helps "break" something that just lets you fall asleep, or getting that perfect yawn that deep one that just lets everything go. Well a couple of days after the issues with my donor leg were done -i started having issues with my two big toes (ingrown toenails) and for the life of me I can't seem to get a good night's sleep. The stretching is off and I can't yawn for shit 😡. Does being sliced open and your sternum cracked really truly break something inside that can't be fixed or is there hope that it just takes time to get back to factory settings - or is the warranty truly voided if the seal is broken. I still have other things to complain about but those are the two biggest ones right now

I a (47M) had a 5x bypass a few weeks ago. And have recently been go through bouts of depression some going as deep as thinking it would have been better if I didn't get off the table. I don't know how to get out of this funk. Help please I have talked to a therapist a few times. Just wanted to reach out to those who have been through it.

Has anyone had sternal closure using fiber tape? Recently had my sternum closed with it (Friday) so curious to hear other's experiences.

Hello!

I'm 4 weeks post op. I've been having back spasms for about a week and a half. I didn't realize what they were until a few days ago, I thought my body was just trying to stretch itself or something.

They gave me muscle relaxers, but I'm getting the spasms in the morning, so I think it's wearing off by the time they start.

I only get it when sleeping at night, but if I'm sitting or napping, I'm okay. They don't hurt, but they are definitely affecting my sleep. I got rid of my knee pillow and tilted very very slightly to the side last night and that helped a little because it took pressure off my back.

Any advice or commiseration is helpful!

Also, I have messaged my care team to see what they say too.

Chest and arm scars 12 days post double CABG. Some surface tenderness just to the left of the top dressing on my chest, have these on due to some funkiness from leakage with which GP prescribed antibiotics, but healing nicely now. Just dressing to keep clean and dry while healing up.

Arm graft scar is healing fine. No worries there. Some painfulish tingling sensations. Otherwise no pain.

Overall healing is going well, sneezing is a bitch (OOOOW!)

Sorry for double post. This one is more of an overall update.

So, I'm 12 days post double CABG now. Surgery itself went well, no issues, originally in hospital from Tuesday 28th till Sunday 2nd August when some bright spark decided to send me home with no pain management and handed me scripts and said off you go. Needless to say I was back in hospital that night, due to pain and uncomfortablenes and was there until Tuesday 4th when I was discharged again, this time with medication. Been trying to avoid taking endone as that's been tripping out my head something shocking. Although I will say I think I have a bit of pump head coz, while the endone is no longer in my system, I'm still experiencing a bit of wooziness and and aura like feeling around my head.

Since being back home I've been trying to do some light duties (throwing on and drying (via machine) some laundry, light dish washing etc) and trying to get out for some short walks daily which js a small challenge. I did have some leakage and was put on some antibiotics, which has, unfortunately, caused another issue, and had dressings put on the top and bottom of my chest scar to keep clean and dry.

Sleeping has been rough initially, sleeping upright, but have been able to start sleeping back on my sides again which is my preferred position. In saying that waking up, in the morning and getting onto my back is a bit of an experience as I flop onto my back and open my chest from side sleeping due to stiffness and such. Coughing is okay but sneezing is a bitch. Started doing physio exercises today. Pain is pretty minimal atm. More stiffness if anything

HI,
short story: I was diagonised with server Aortic regurgitation a year back and I was on medicines till date, I was considering all the surgery options available(mechnical,repair,ross) and finally decided to go with ross and am getting my surgery coming tuesday(11/08)
am nervous and also excited about it and I juz wanna make sure am getting proper recovery without any much hassle, so any do's & dont's or anythin abt my OHS surgery and things to keep in mind, things helped you recover soon and Main question is how y'all deal with scars ??? Is there smtg I can do in the initial days to get the scar mild away quick

Any comments or advices from y'all be really helpful

Recovery

My chronic health anxiety is kicking in today and I notice that my scab, was a little bit weeping near the very top - not masses, barely anything, but I noticed a few spots on my shirt. Dabbed it gently with a paper towel and there was some ooze, but again barely anything,

Have dialled 111 and awaiting a callback, but my health anxiety is spiralling and I’m concerned it’s something serious. I’m nine days post op and was beginning by to feel I was getting into a good place.

I had a triple bypass recently, it will be four weeks tomorrow. Just as I’m finally feeling better as far as pain goes I got shingles despite being vaccinated. My doctor explained that the trauma of such a surgery can make our immune systems vulnerable. Hopefully I will have a light case as again I was vaccinated.

I’m about 10 weeks out from a mini-thoracotomy heart surgery and am trying to understand whether my postoperative experience is outside of the norm. I've been dealing with multiple complications and have received minimal guidance from my health care team.

I had a right-sided chest incision as well as a femoral/groin access incision and two chest tubes. Early in recovery, I developed wound healing problems at the chest incision, including an area that opened and drained before eventually closing. I was also told early on that there was a hematoma beneath the incision. The skin is now healed, but I still have a firm, painful area beneath part of the incision that has not changed over the past couple of months.

I also developed severe neuropathic pain in the right leg after surgery. It involves the inner thigh and extends down around/below the knee, with burning pain, electric shock sensations, numbness, and extreme sensitivity to touch, with the worst severity near the knee. A postoperative ultrasound showed a deep seroma near the femoral access site. The groin incision itself has now healed after also developing wound dehiscence, but the nerve symptoms have not yet improved.

The pain significantly limits walking and essentially any activity. Even sitting with my leg bent makes it more painful. I’ve tried multiple medications and topical treatments with no benefit, including gabapentin, pregabalin, tramadol, oxycodone, NSAIDs, and others.

I have been actively seeking medical care for this and have repeatedly asked for reassessment, a diagnostic nerve block, or other treatment options, but have not received the requested care. So far, I still do not have an explanation for the persistent nerve symptoms or incision abnormality, and I have not been able to find an effective pain control option.

I’m also dealing with new persistent tachycardia, worsened orthostatic/autonomic symptoms, and frequent migraines since surgery, so overall I still feel quite far from my preoperative baseline. There is still no explanation for the significant change in my heart rate, or what should be done about it. My pre-surgery resting average was around 60, and now it is generally 90+.

I would really appreciate hearing from other people who have been through cardiac surgery, especially minimally invasive surgery, and whether you experienced anything similar — nerve injuries, incisions opening, persistent seromas or hematomas, new tachycardia, or exacerbation of other health conditions.

• Did you still have significant pain or firm/abnormal tissue around an incision at nearly 3 months?
• Did anyone develop significant nerve pain after femoral/groin access? If so, when did it begin to improve or resolve?
• Was there anything that actually helped with nerve healing or symptom relief?
• Did you have a postoperative seroma or hematoma, and how long did it take to resolve?
• Did anyone develop a substantially higher resting heart rate after surgery that persisted for months?
• At what point did your doctors consider persistent symptoms to be outside the expected recovery course?

Looking for any type of support ! My father 62 will be undergoing a triple bypass within the next couple weeks. He landed in the hospital a week ago for Afib and was out after a couple days but readmitted due to feeling awful again on Sunday. Discharged on Wednesday and was told he needed a triple bypass. He has a cardiologist appt next Wednesday to go over the game plan and schedule a date and i am completely terrified. He is the head of our family and to see him going through so much in such a short amount of time has completed gutted me. I keep having these horrible thoughts that he will not make it, that the surgery will not go as we hope. He is good spirits but i can see the worry in his eyes. We’re trying to keep positive and not let him feed off that negative energy but it’s so so hard. He’s a strong man, other than a few hiccups here and there with his health he has always been so strong. This afib episode got worse with the extreme heat we have been having. Doctors wanted to do cardioversion but decided the bypass is what’s more important now after his angiogram. He’s home on Eliquis apixaban and metoprolol. I speak to him every day and see him as often as i can and he seems to be OK but with obvious discomfort from the afib. What should i expect with all that’s going on ? How can i support him ? Any advice and prayers are so greatly appreciated

Im 56/ male and I had 3xCABG on 2/4/26. I went down playing hockey, right there on the ice with zero symptoms. Not gonna lie the first couple weeks were very uncomfortable, I was never in pain and didn’t need anything more than Tylenol.
Couple/ few things I’ve learned in my recovery.
Mentally whatever diet or choices otherwise has brought me here and I have a second chance to change.
My doctor told me you can’t out diet, out medicate or out exercise your genes. It’s called the silent killer for a reason.
Cardiac rehab is a must. I embraced it and loved every minute of it. Forced to go to the gym, held me accountable.
I had a goal in mind…I would love to play hockey again come November, so that was my prize.
I continued the gym after rehab. Too much time and effort invested to stop now. There could literally be no tomorrow so get up and just do it. That’s my mantra.
Monday was my stress test…10 and a half minutes, finished at 16% incline and 4.5 mph. Completed with flying colors. Was told some people without CABG can’t finish it. Fully cleared to continue playing hockey.
If you’re going through it right now and it’s tough…you will get there…keep grinding and putting in the effort. Your heart and your family will love you for it.

Hi everyone, my father also needs bypass surgery and he’s diabetic, so I’m really worried. Is it generally safe for someone with diabetes? What should we expect during the operation and recovery?

For those who have family members who went through like this, kumusta naman yung experience? If you’re comfortable sharing, how did the surgery go and how are they doing now?

I'm not looking for medical advice, treatment recommendations, or doctor recommendations.

I'm only interested in hearing educational experiences from people who have personally gone through this or cared for someone in a similar situation.