Sternum ‘Clicking’ After Open Heart Surgery
After open heart valve surgery, it is very common for the patient to be incredibly aware of all the potential problems that occur during the recovery. For me, my awareness to anything and everything problematic was sennnnnn-sational.
To some extent the patient is entitled to a little bit of neurosis.
I mean, open heart surgery is pretty invasive and pretty serious.
For me, I had aortic and pulmonary valve replacements (via the Ross Procedure) due to a bicuspid aortic valve. Thus, my chestbone was split, my heart was cut open and my heart valves were replaced.
Accordingly, I was incredibly cautious to do anything that might infringe on my sternum healing. In my head, I replayed the same thought, over and over and over again… “Don’t break. Please don’t break.” As I would later learn… I would not break.
However, that did not stop my fascination with potential issues and roadblocks to healing.
In particular, I noticed a distinct ‘clicking’ sound when I got in and out of bed. I’ll never forget the first night I heard it. I was getting into bed when I heard… “CLICK!”
I immediately looked at Robyn (my fiancee).
“Did you hear that?” I said with concern.
“No,” she said, “What is it baby?”
“My chest… It just clicked,” I said with more concern.
She assured me that I was fine and we went to sleep.
A few days later the same thing happened when I got out of bed… “CLICK!”
“Could something be wrong with my chestbone? Did something go wrong during the median sternotomy? Are my wires not tight enough?”
It started to drive my crazy. I ‘clicked’ here. I ‘clicked’ there.
I really thought something was wrong going into my seventh week post-operation.
I was so concerned that I went to see my surgeon, Dr. Vaughn Starnes at USC. I explained my neurosis and Dr. Starnes assured me that it was normal.
With that, I was completely comforted knowing that I was not going to break.
Guess what?
Now, fifteen months after my valve replacement… I’m still ‘clicking’.
It doesn’t hurt.
It actually feels good.
Almost like a good knuckle crack!!!
Keep on tickin!
About The Author: Adam Pick is a double, heart valve surgery patient and author of The Patient’s Guide To Heart Valve Surgery. This unique book integrates the clinical facts of heart valve surgery with the personal experiences of 78 former valve surgery patients to help patients and caregivers better understand the problems, the opportunities and the realities of heart valve surgery. To learn more about Adam and his heart valve surgery book, click here.
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August 5th, 2008 at 1:29 pm
Good to know somebody has exactly the same clicking syptoms as me (aortic valve and root replacement), I could have written every word right down to the bit about getting my wife to validate my sensation in the morning. Feels like its coming from my collar bone. And yes, “DID my surgeon tighten me up enough?” I am at end of week two recovery so am re-assured to read your prognosis. William (44 years old)
November 19th, 2008 at 2:38 pm
I had open heart surgery (repaired tricuspid valve) and the nurses warned me of the dreaded “clicking sternum.” I was so cautious while healing because I didn’t want to click. I had a second surgery that same year to further correct my valve and after 7 months, I realized my sternum clicks. I find it humorous until I lift weights and click rep after rep. Liz (23)
August 24th, 2009 at 4:17 pm
I know that it takes about 1 year for the breastbone to fully heal but when I had open heart surgery last november, my breastbone does not appear to be healing, It constantly shifts and sometimes separates and overlaps upon itself causing tremendous pain. It appears to be tied together from the x-ray but I’m not sure why it shifts like this. Thoughts?
August 24th, 2009 at 7:54 pm
I was so glad to read about the “clicking”. I am 12 weeks post surgery and still experience it. My main concern is when I laugh, I actually need to hold my chest. My doctor has informed me that my sternum is healing but not bone to bone, but with scar tissue. Some of my wires have come loose, but have not pulled through. I am being watched for the next month, with limitations to upper body movements…almost to the degree of restrictions right after surgery. My doctor is suggesting that perhaps Iwill need to see a plastic surgeon and have a metal plate put in. Any one know of this procedure? My clicking is in two spots and I can also feel the bone move, as did my doctors on last examination. Now that I have read that others are living with the clicking with no problem, I wonder what is really the need for additional surgery.