Hi my name is Kerri and I am new to this site. I, too, have had broken wires and a sternum split a finger width wide. The body of the sternum split from the xiphoid process as well. It was a mess. Anytime I would bend over I would get "poked", here it was another wire breaking. After countless attempts of telling the ER department something was wrong with me and getting no where, I took it upon myself to have the Surgeon call me at home from an after-hours messaging service. This is the surgeon's office that had preformed my triple-bypass open heart surgery two and half years prior. The Xray and CT scan were done to show my sternum had not fused and was falling apart. Six weeks later, from calling the surgeon's office, I went and saw a surgeon. He asked me how much is this bothering me and told me that we are going to wait 6 weeks before I would schedule surgery to see if the sternum "would heal on its own"!! How? I hadn't seen the films but I could feel the mess inside me. I called another hospital as soon as I got home. I went with the second choice. I had my surgery in October of 2017. The surgeon put in a plating system. I was having problems with my collarbone. He actually listened to me reviewed the films he had ordered and explained the top plate needed to be replaced. My second surgery with this new to me hospital was two weeks ago and I couldn't be happier. No more wires breaking and no more collarbone pain. I do have to wear this vest for it will be 6 months all together, hopefully my sternum will fuse this time. Fingers crossed.
Hi,
I had a quadruple bypass operation in March 2019 in the UK. A week after the operation I developed an infection in my chest and had to be opened up again. After a couple of weeks of having Vacuum Assisted Closure treatment to clear the infection, I was seen by the plastics department and they advised that they would need to remove infected tissue and bone and the supporting wires. Once this was done they advised that they would need to use my left hand pectoral muscle as a flap to cover the gap in my sternum as rewiring or plates were not practical. This was done and it seemed to heal quite well. Unfortunately I developed an epigastric hernia as a result of the surgery. This was repaired but it has reoccured. My surgeon advised that repairing it again may cause more problems and it may reoccur again.
Touch wood, I do not have pain in my chest, but mainly discomfort. This is both from the hernia and my chest moving about a bit when I cough, yawn, sneeze and do anything strenuous. I am desperately trying to lose weight, as I am sure this will help with reducing the size of the hernia and help with my breathing and take off some of the strain on my chest. Sleeping is the worst thing, as I can only get comfortable if sitting up. Lying on my side or front is definitely uncomfortable.
I had a quadruple bypass operation in March 2019 in the UK. A week after the operation I developed an infection in my chest and had to be opened up again. After a couple of weeks of having Vacuum Assisted Closure treatment to clear the infection, I was seen by the plastics department and they advised that they would need to remove infected tissue and bone and the supporting wires. Once this was done they advised that they would need to use my left hand pectoral muscle as a flap to cover the gap in my sternum as rewiring or plates were not practical. This was done and it seemed to heal quite well. Unfortunately I developed an epigastric hernia as a result of the surgery. This was repaired but it has reoccured. My surgeon advised that repairing it again may cause more problems and it may reoccur again.
Touch wood, I do not have pain in my chest, but mainly discomfort. This is both from the hernia and my chest moving about a bit when I cough, yawn, sneeze and do anything strenuous. I am desperately trying to lose weight, as I am sure this will help with reducing the size of the hernia and help with my breathing and take off some of the strain on my chest. Sleeping is the worst thing, as I can only get comfortable if sitting up. Lying on my side or front is definitely uncomfortable.
HI DIBBLE, SOUNDS LIKE THINGS ARE GETTING SORTED, YEAH, BUGGER
about THE INFECTION, AND WHAT TRANSPIRED, YEAH SOME DISCOMFORT FOR SURE WHEN
THERE IS SOME EXTRA WEIGHT AND THE HERNIA AND BREATHING. I GET THIS AS I AM A BIG TURTLE WITH SLEEP APNEA AND ASTHMA/COPD. I SLEEP MAINLY IN THE RECLINER.
ON YOUR BACK IS BEST FOR HEALING QAND TAKING OFF PRESSURE.
SEEMS LIKE PLASTICS DID REAL GOOD.
MY SUGGESTION IS TO KEEP MOVING. WALKING THE BEST.
CHEERS, HT
Sometimes i am me,
Sometimes i am still me.
about THE INFECTION, AND WHAT TRANSPIRED, YEAH SOME DISCOMFORT FOR SURE WHEN
THERE IS SOME EXTRA WEIGHT AND THE HERNIA AND BREATHING. I GET THIS AS I AM A BIG TURTLE WITH SLEEP APNEA AND ASTHMA/COPD. I SLEEP MAINLY IN THE RECLINER.
ON YOUR BACK IS BEST FOR HEALING QAND TAKING OFF PRESSURE.
SEEMS LIKE PLASTICS DID REAL GOOD.
MY SUGGESTION IS TO KEEP MOVING. WALKING THE BEST.
CHEERS, HT
Sometimes i am me,
Sometimes i am still me.