Rick,
I'm a quintuple bypass survivor from nearly 4 1/2 years ago. while I was mostly pain free 4 weeks post-surgery except when I coughed or sneezed, I know that it is quite possible to experience the pain you describe for reasons related to the surgery itself. You just had your sternum sawed in half lengthwise and it is now being held in place by glorified baling wire while it knits back together around the wire, which typically not removed. Sometimes, people have problems with that wire which their surgeons need to fix and oftentimes the pain just goes away by itself in time. About 4 months post surgery, I complained to my cardiologist about pain from a protuberance near my solar plexus that I thought was baling wire related. He told me it would go away by itself and it did.
It's also possible that you have scar tissue forming in a pectoral muscle if, for example, you had a mammary artery removed for use as an arterial bypass around the left descending coronary artery (as I did). As a lifelong weightlifter, it felt as if I had a strained pec muscle for a good 6 months before it went away entirely. Stretching helped AFTER I was cleared by the doc to resume normal activities and no longer needed to follow sternal precautions (no stretching, no lifting over 5-10 pounds, etc).
You definitely should speak to your cardiologist about your complaints in order to rule out anything serious requiring further medical attention, but remember that recovery from open heart surgery is really a one year process, not a 4 week process.
Good luck,
Ira
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Ira Reid
Hoboken NJ
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Original Message:
Sent: 05-23-2022 16:04
From: FRANK CARUSO
Subject: Quad bypass surgery
Rick,
I had a quad bypass done 17 years ago, so older techniques. I actually went back to my office job 4 weeks after surgery. I was a bit weak and tired but minimal chest pain. I would recommend that you check in with your cardiologist. There might be some blockages in smaller coronary arteries. Had mine done at Cleveland Clinic here in Ohio, best in the country. If your specialist can't help, get a second opinion. You shouldn't be in that much pain now.
Do you have a pacemaker-defibrillator combo? I have had 3 of them implanted in the past 12 years, has helped my ejection fraction increase and less shortness of breath. But still am limited in hard exercising and heavy lifting. HOPE all gets better.
Frank
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FRANK CARUSO
AVON OH
Original Message:
Sent: 04-29-2022 17:29
From: Rick Chandler
Subject: Quad bypass surgery
Hi, my name is Rick. I had quadruple bypass surgery and pacemaker on April 1st (yes April Fools day) After 4 weeks I am still having much pain in the chest, and constant stinging pain. Is this normal? If so, how long before this pain will lessen? I can't take Percocet or Hydrocodone, currently taking (2) 50mg Tramadol every 6 hours or so - sometimes it takes the edge off and sometimes not.
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Rick Chandler
retired
Deland FL
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