“Sensitive Keloid Scars? Sternal Wire Bumps?” Asks Josh
Josh has an interesting set of questions regarding keloid scars and sternal wires.
As you can read below, Josh is specifically looking for help from our blog readers. If you can help him, please leave a comment. Here is what Josh writes:
Hey Adam-
Things are going great 5 months after my aortic valve replacement and ascending aortic graft. Most of the unpleasant sensations have subsided to a very manageable level. However, I do have an issue that I wanted to ask you and the blog members about…
I have two problem areas on my incision site that I saw my surgeon about today. First, the bottom of my scar has a fairly large raised keloid (shown below) which is very sensitive to the touch.
Second, the top of my scar has a prominent bump that turns out to be part of the sternal wires that were used to fuse the bone that are sticking out. Most of the time these wires are left in place, but my surgeon said they could do a removal. He further added that if we were going to remove the wires, he’d have a plastic surgeon consult and help with the re-closure of the incision so as to try to avoid the keloid problem again.
Has anyone had any experiences with one or both of these issues? My symptoms are not intolerable, but they are fairly uncomfortable. I’m not looking forward to another surgery, but my understanding is that it’s a fairly simple outpatient procedure.
Thanks and hope all’s well,
Josh
P.S. To leave Josh a comment, please click here.
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September 5th, 2009 at 1:25 pm
Hi Josh,
my mum has the keloid scarring. Her doctor is injecting cortisone into it once a month for 6 months to take it down, with advice from a dermatologist. You could run this past your doctor as mum says it has helped a lot with the discomfort.
September 5th, 2009 at 3:01 pm
Give it time. I had the exact same thing a few months back (I had my surgery last Sept. 24), and it’s gone down steadily with no intervention at all. Be patient and it should heal just fine with time.
Good luck and keep us posted.
Laura
September 5th, 2009 at 7:39 pm
Josh, I had the problem with the wires after surgery. My one year old daughter liked to sit on my chest while I lay on the floor, and jump up and down on my chest. This was three years after my surgery. I visited with my heart surgeon, and he said because the wires were twisted together on the inside of my chest, that it would be a very painful operation to remove them. Because of what he said, I gave up on getting the wires out. I have had them for almost 35 years now, and they still bother me if i get hit lightly on them. But, for the most part, I just learned to live with them.
September 5th, 2009 at 11:57 pm
Hypertropic scars are due to an over production of collagen.
I have had 2 surgeries now.I had a minimallly invasive aortic valve replacement in 2006 and an annular enlargement and ascending aortic graft done in April. I have a wide hypertrophic scar from the first surgery and once again my body rejected the sutures and the sternotomy scar is rising as well.
Both the surgeon and cardiologist knew that my body responds that way but they said that was something to be dealt with later. The 3 scars from the drainage tubes are awful.(Both doctors have wives that are plastic surgeons!)
I was told to leave things alone for a year and then a plastic surgeon can remove the scar and inject cortisone into the next to see if it helps. Both doctors told me to wait as the cortisone injections can lead to a sternal infection.
The hypertrophic scar will continue to grow for 9 months and then it will begin to flaten out and eventually it will turn the same color as your skin. You might want to wait until then to see how it looks.The height and redness and pain will eventually subside. I basically look like a victim of a violent crime right now but I am still not sure that I wont just go ahead and live with it. The odds are that my body will respond the same way again even with intervention. I keep thinking that they will find new procedures to use in the future.
I found that the more I protect the scar from irritation the less it grows. I was also told to keep it away from sunlight because sun exposure
will bring on the inflammitory process and will lead to more collagen production.
A dermitologist did give me a cortisone cream that helps to keep the inflamation down if I need it.
I did try the silicone sheeting and it did not make a difference.
I hope this helps. None of what we go through is easy but at least we are back on our feet and moving without being out of breath!
September 6th, 2009 at 3:15 pm
Hi Josh
I have had two small operations to remove the sternal wires. The first one was to remove the top three where the I could also feel the wire through the skin and the second was to remove the bottom three where one of the wires was causing a pain to shoot down my left arm. I should have had all one the first time but I think my surgeon was trying not to open up too much of the scar again.
The operations were small and when I had the second one I didn’t even stay in over night. I was uncomfortable for a short time after that but pain killers helped. I was only off work for a week.
I am pleased that I have had them removed as now I am back exercising and living life the way I would want to. Its hard to go back into hospital but it’s worth it!
Good luck
Katie
September 6th, 2009 at 8:11 pm
Hi Josh,
I saw your posting and wanted to let you know that I did have an issue with my wires when I had surgery as well. They protruded out for a long period of time and actually hurt when the weather was cold! I had them removed 3 years after surgery………it was a simple procedure, although surgery is never fun! The good news is that the tough surgery is over, this one is pretty simple.
Gool luck!
September 7th, 2009 at 6:33 pm
Hi Josh,
My surgery was 7 months ago and while I don’t have problems with the wires I do have pain from several areas of the scar that have raised a good bit. My dermatologist said to give it a year before considering any type of treatment. She did however suggest I use ‘Mepiform Scar Dressing’ bandages. They are expensive, around $35.00 for the sheet I bought from her. But that one sheet, which I could cut in strips, lasted me 4 weeks. You can wear the bandage for 1 week at a time. It did seem to help a good bit and the scar wasn’t nearly as bothersome when the dressing was on. I’ve been out of it for a few weeks and can tell the difference. I plan on getting some more and wearing it again. Good luck, I hope you find a solution that gives you comfort.
September 9th, 2009 at 9:18 am
I have the same scar tisuue issue in the same place at the bottom if the scar it was an open wound on my 1 month visit to my surgen he looked at it probed for wire and did not find anything I also had him look at it on my 3 and 6 month visit he did not seam to think there was a problem. I would like to read any answers you come up with.
September 10th, 2009 at 10:34 am
Hi Josh,
I had a sternotomy with a mechanical aortic valve replacement 13 months ago. I have had no problem with the wires other than the fact that my scar bothers me a little with weather changes. But, that is something I can live with. However, the bottom of my scar began to Keloid. I was sent to a plastic surgeon. I wore Cordan tape for three months–10 hours a day. Part of the Keloid flattened,but part did not. About 10 days ago, my doctor injected the keloid with cortesione. It is looking betther and beginning to flatten out. I am very pleased with the results. I waited almost 10 months before I sought treatment.
September 10th, 2009 at 1:45 pm
I am 9 months post op. I have a small area of keloid at the very top of my scar, which has faded some, the entire scar is sensitive still though. I am very thin and can feel every wire in my sternum and they cause me a lot of discomfort. I spoke with my PCP about having the wires removed and she suggested we try the medication Neurontin first, which is to help with nerve pain. I know of people who have had wires removed and have had great relief, but I do think you have to be a year out from the initial surgery to ensure everything has healed properly.
January 10th, 2010 at 5:15 pm
(this comment is the completed one)
Josh,
I had my third sternotomy for a pulmonary artery replacement June of 2008. I have had no problems with keloid scarring, but I did have six bumps that stuck out (my sternal wires) and the bottom sternal wire caused my bone to lump and stick up as well. I had an uncomfortable pain/feeling whenever the weather changed, I picked up heavy things or pushed a mower or vacuum. I also couldn’t comfortably sleep on my side or put any pressure on the bumps. My pain from the sternal wires varied from an achy chest to a burning sensation when I turned wrong or lifted. I have just had my sternal wires taken out Jan 05 and am recovering fairly well. I didn’t even have to stay overnight. I went in at 8am, had surgery at 10am and was out of the hospital by 3pm. I have six little 1/4 to 1/2 inch incisions. They gave me vicodine for the pain that I had to stop using on the night of the 6th due to it making me sick. I’ve been on advil and tylenol and managing well. The pain from sternal wires is annoying enough to do something about, the pain after surgery is more superficial, like the pang of a papercut that hurts immidiately, but not very deeply. Nothing like open heart and the pain of healing from a sternotomy in the first place. I’m very excited to see my new sternum, I know that sounds funny, but being a girl, my scar does affect the way I feel about myself, and having the bumps from the wires didn’t help. My sternum is already smoother, and I’m excited to see it healed.
Jessica
January 13th, 2010 at 1:03 pm
I also have this scar..but the entire scar has formed a keloid..I also experience the pain from the wires and thought it was something to have to live with..So if you are able to get it fixed it would be great if you can share the out come..Because like yourself..it is very uncomfortable to live with and I can’t imagine having to live with this forever..
January 19th, 2010 at 5:48 pm
Josh, I had double bypass in October and have developed an Keloid scar at the bottom of my incision. This is very painful and itches. I brought to the attention of my cardioglogist, who ask me to bring to the attention of my medical Dr who ask me to consult with my surgeon. It seemed like I was fighting congress just to get someone to look at it. The Keloid is painful, especially when rising from a sitting position. My job requires sitting at least 10 hrs per day. These Dr’s basically just say live with it. This is causing stress with me not to mention the frustration I feel with the Dr’s. Any suggestions? Does cortizone shots painful and do they really help? Before I had the bypass surgery, I had to have a pacemaker inserted which is really bothersome. I read where some people say I feel like a new person after having heart surgery, but so far I don’t feel any better. I felt better before surgery. What’s wrong with this picture?
January 28th, 2010 at 2:51 pm
I am two yrs. post op. I still have a lump about an inch long. I haven’t had it checked yet, but it is bothersome.
March 12th, 2010 at 11:51 pm
Hello i had open heart surgery in Dec. of 09. I have been having lots of problems with my wires where they are bout to pop out threw my skin. I went and seen a doctor today and he said I have to go into the hospital on the 18th of March. He said i will have to be in there for a couple of days so they can get my coumiden level back to where its suppose to be. I am a little nervous because im not sure how they will take the wires out. If anyone could tell me how it is done before i go in that would maybe make me feel more comfortable. thank you.
March 14th, 2010 at 1:02 am
Curtis, I had my wires removed in December ‘09, my OHS was 12/08. I am not on coumadin, so I did not have that worry. The wire removal is a fairly simple surgery. I was put under general anaesthesia, and a few small inscisions were made over the original scar. They just snip the wires pull and pull them out and suture the skin back up. The skin and tissue in the area were sore, but the bone and nerve pain I’d had were gone. I was uncomfortable for a couple of weeks, but I had so much pain from my wires that I felt immediate relief. I was only in the hospital for a few hours for the procedure. I had all of my wires removed and so glad I did. Good luck, I hope this gives you as much relief as I have had.
March 18th, 2010 at 6:13 pm
Lisa, what kind of surgeon did your wire removal? i can not find one that will remove mine. i had heart bypass 5 yrs ago and my wires are still bothering me.
how long were your wires in?
March 18th, 2010 at 10:24 pm
My heart surgeon removed the wires almost one year after my OHS. I have heard of people having them out ten years post op. Best to get in touch with your heart surgeon, if not, it would have to be a cardiothoracic surgeon.
March 19th, 2010 at 8:13 pm
Hi- I had an ascending aortic aneurysm and valve replacement 14 years ago- And I am just recently noticing pain from my sternum wires- I actually think that one of them has started to protrude from my skin a bit. Not to be gross or anything but I had thought it was a zit on my chest so I tried to pop it-but when all i got was a bloody mess in the shower I knew that something was not right. Which is why I am writing on this website now. I am definitely going to bring this issue up with my doctor next time I see him (in about a week). I had no idea that the wires could cause all of the issues that some of the people on this website are referring to(Ie pain from sitting hunched over a computer for 10 hours a day (Check), numbness (Check) , and trouble sleeping on my chest side (Check). I had thought it was just me - I am sure glad that i found this website tonight