Chest Xray Of Mechanical Valve & Sternum Wires
Blog Topics: X-Rays After Heart Surgery; Mechanical Valve; Sternum Wires; Pictures
So I’m surfing the Internet last night when I come across Michael C’s blog, “The Wonderful World Of Nothing Worthwhile”. Great name for a blog, right? 
Anyways, it turns out there is something very worthwhile at this blog. Michael is a former heart valve replacement patient. He had mechanical valve replacement surgery just recently.
Like many patients, Michael was curious to see what his chest (heart valves and sternum wires) looked like under xray after surgery. Unlike many patients, however, Michael actually did something about it.
Here is Michael C’s show and tell (including an actual xray picture of his embedded, artificial heart valve and sternum wires)…
“I bring you my chest. Yes, I know, it’s a bit adult to be showing a bare chest, but when I saw this x-ray of my chest (taken from the side to help you orient yourself to what you are looking at) at the doctor’s office the other day, I had to have a copy. So, 13 phone calls, 2 forms and $20 bucks later, I have my own copy of my own x-ray of my own chest. Granted, I still had to photograph it while holding it up because they don’t have copies digitally (hence the horrible bright light in the middle that makes it look like I have been infected with a glow stick), but I finally have a copy.”
“Why did I want a copy so badly? Well, the red arrow shows my artificial heart valve and the big red circle on the right shows all of the sternal wires that pulled my chest shut (you can click on it for a larger view, that’s what she said). And I wonder why I get a stabbing pain down the middle of my chest at times…that’s a joke. Honestly, I didn’t even know I had wires in me. That’s not a joke.”
Thanks Michael… For the picture and the comedic writing!
If you would like to learn more about mechanical heart valve manufacturers, broken sternum recovery, and see a frontal picture of sternum wires, please click the appropriate link.
Keep on tickin!
Adam
Adam Pick is the author of The Patient’s Guide To Heart Valve Surgery, a unique book which integrates the clinical facts of heart valve surgery with the personal experiences of an actual heart valve surgery patient. This special book was designed to help patients and caregivers better understand the realities of heart valve surgery (heart valve replacement and heart valve repair), to minimize patient stress and to enhance the patient’s recovery. To learn more about Adam’s heart valve surgery book, click here.
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February 17th, 2009 at 8:52 pm
I enjoyed reading about this valve replacement. My 8 week old just had her valve replaced and I have been obsessed with the xray ever since. Her’s looks HUGE in her little chest so I was searching to see what one looks like in an adult chest.