“Did Your Sternum and Shoulder Click After Heart Valve Surgery?” Asks Dale

Hello Adam,

Read your book and found it very informative. Had surgery on Dec. 14th for
a bicuspid aortic valve. It was replaced with a bovine valve. I’m now in the 3rd
week of cardiac rehab and have experienced shoulder pain now. Before I started rehab I had occasional pain in one shoulder.

Marilyn W. Says:
February 3rd, 2010 at 5:52 pm

Hello Adam,

Read your book and found it very informative. Had surgery on Dec. 14th for
a bicuspid aortic valve. It was replaced with a bovine valve. I’m now in the 3rd
week of cardiac rehab and have experienced shoulder pain now. Before I started rehab I had occasional pain in one shoulder.

Hi all…

I had shoulder spasms that affected both sides, but not in any predictable manner. The spasms started while I was still in the hospital and bringing to the attention to the nurses, they explained that the reason was that during the surgery, the position of the arms are down and back at an almost unnatural angle causing great strain on the muscles during the 4 hour surgery. So as they heal, they tend to revolt and go into spasms. I found that sleeping on an ice pack under each shoulder blade would alleviate the occurances and give me a good nights sleep.

I had the same (almost identical) surgery as Dale on November 23, 2009. I did not have the sternum clicking, but about the sixth week of recovery I did experience an excruciating pain in my left shoulder and back for about three days.

The odd thing was that during those days my sternum had absolutely no pain at all, but the pain in my shoulder was so intense I could not sleep lying down and sometimes even breathing hurt. I was about to make an appointment to see the doctor when something shifted and the pain in the shoulder and back left and I was left with a return of slight pain (more like discomfort) in the sternum again. By the beginning of the seventh week the pain in the sternum was considerably less and now after the nineth week is barely noticeable. Though I do still need to take some OTC pain relievers to keep the feeling of being runover at bay.

My sternum was cracked open but it never clicked after the operation. I don’t know what Mass General used but there were no staples or stitches to take out. My upper back hurt for quite some time. I attribute it to the possibility that my shoulders were arched back during the operation. At 64, I’m still able to run faster than a few 20 somethings. No pain, no gain.

I developed right shoulder pain about 6 months after my surgery. I went to my chiropractor and she said it is not unusual to get shoulder and neck pain after surgery and it can be related to the anesthesia. More recently, I have had a variety of other minor symptoms (intense deep pain down my right arm, flickering vision if I get hungry, and a tension just below my sternum that can affect my breathing). Again I went to the chiropractor and she said my cranium is out of alignment which can also be related to a major surgery. One appointment with her has already given some relief to these symptoms. I need several more appointments to get things back in shape but it gave me huge reassurance to learn that all these seemingly unrelated symptoms are likely related to the side effects of anesthesia.

I had surgery for an aortic valve repair on October 28, 2009. I experienced clicking or “popping” in my sternum for several weeks after surgery. Dr. Hockmuth recommended a Heart Hugger Sternum Restraint Harness which I wore for several weeks. I no longer experience the sternum popping, but I continue to have some residual pain in my left shoulder. Dr. H explained that it was due to the strain on the shoulder muscles during surgery, and that it could sometimes take several months to recover completely. It’s really only a slight annoyance now and I control it with Tylenol.

I have clicking which I believe is my clavicle shifting because they just kind of hang there. I also have a regular ache that occurs in my right front deltoid when I work out. I believe that is due to the beating my right pectoral muscle took in surgery when they spread the muscle to hook you into the heart lung bypass machine.

I am at about three months post surgery. I had my ascending aorta replaced as well as my aortic valve.

I still have an ache on and off in front,if I move a certain way……I think it is how they sew you up…About the ticking …When I got my MITRO VALVE,(7 years + counting)…..MY BROTHER(also a DR.) asked the surgeon if he was putting a NOISY valve in……The DR. said,your sister can handle it……well,sometimes it helps put me to sleep…zzzz

Dale:

This question brought back painful memories –

I certainly did have the clicking – and also the shoulder pain – but they are two distinctly different things -

the shoulder pain was worse than the incision – had it immediately following surgery – my shoulder dislocated – and had to be put back in place –
Not a favorite memory.

Dale – Have someone check your shoulder. The pain disappeared as soon as things were back in there proper place.

Paul

I had the exact same surgeries as Dale. Except I have a mechanical valve. My surgery was on Jan 26 2009. I still experience sternum pain and “clicking”. I also pain under my left shoulder blade. I have no health insurance so I am unable to see a Dr. to receive any treatment for my pain. My cardiologist told me not to take Tylenol on a daily basis so I live with chronic pain. I also have pains throughout my body that can only be described as a muscle cramping sensation. It is very painful and comes out of nowhere. The pain usually last for 2 minutes and then is gone. It’s the same type of pain I had when I collapsed from my dissecting aortic aneurysm.

AVR 12/01/10, developed pain in right shoulder about 3 to 4 weeks latter. Not bad during day when active but almost imposible to sleep when I’m laying down. Hope to get some answers in the next 10 days when I go to the Cleveland Clinic for my first post surgery check-up. Will keep posted.

Hi All, You bet I had clicking and my Dr said it was because I was over doing. As to the shoulder pain I didn’t have it but I have had numb fingers index and middle due to them hitting the medial nerve. I had PT but the nails are still numb. Did anyone else have this and how long did it last. ,for me it has been 6 months and counting. Don’t worry about clicking just be aware of what you are doing that might cause it. Marlan

Just had to comment. I had my aortic valve replaced, and aortic root repair done on January 5th 2009. I had more pain in my shoulder blades than I did from the incision itself. At times, it was almost unbearable, and I didn’t think it would go away. Thankfully, it did, and I now feel wonderful, and happy to have had my first year surgiversary with a good report. Hang in there, it gets much better.

Hi Adam: Long time no write. My valve replacement was June 2008. I recently had a very unpleasant surprise, intense abdominal pain turned out to be a gangrenous gall bladder and failing appendix, and general pollution in the abdominal cavity. I was acutely aware thru all the diagnosis and recovery of my ‘nearby’ bovine valve and was very concerned about a possibly spreading infection. I told everyone who came near about my concerns and the surgeon and recovery team were excellent, so in the end, no worries – except for the massive cut in my belly – I now have a scar from my neck to my groin, when the two are viewed from a bit away. Incidentally the recovery ward staff were very interested in the bio-valve – I had many nursing visitors who just wanted a listen! Another observation, the lifting and body movement techniques I learned during my heart surgery helped a lot with mobility after the ‘gut check’.

As to this week’s query, I can’t say I have observed sternum clicking, though when I turn at night I sometimes ‘creak’. I had arthritus already in my shoulders so I cannot tell if pain and clicking there is new or not.
Keep on tickin’
Adrian B.

I had worse than shoulder pain. When I awoke from the surgery my arm was completely numb and unresponsive. Apparently the positioning of my left arm caused a pinching of the ulnar? nerve which paralized it. It was two very scary days before any feeling returned. After a year of hard work it is getting better but still not back to normal. There is a numb area on the back of the upper arm still. And typing is still a bumble sometimes with the left hand.
The aortic valve and ascending aorta were replaced successfully.
I was told the anestheist should have been on top of the situation.
As to clicking, there was a little up until about 4 months. My cardio followup people said it shouldn’t go past 6 months a’clicking.

Adam,
I too had shoulder clicking and not necessarily pain….even now after a year post-op I will occasionally have a shoulder issue, like something is moving back into place. I assumed it was connected to the sternum. It is just nice to know that it is happening to other patients as well. Jean Karloski

I can’t remember exactly when I sent that question to Adam, but my sternum no longer clicks, and my shoulder is fine, too. Paul, I’m sure I didn’t have a dislocation (although the thought did occur to me), because the shoulder got better on its own. And Randy, I think you’re right about the clavicle — I had a fracture there as a kid, too, so I suppose that could have contributed.

I’m now three months post-op and feeling really good. My chest is still sore, however, and I’m still pretty limited in how much I can pick up without getting sorer.

Hi Adam,

My surgery was on July 7, 2009. I don’t know about “clicking” because I am deafened, but after reading about should pain, I remember that my shoulder wasn’t really painful, but my shoulder and arm got achy and heavy. I always held my arm at a right angle to my body. That does not seem to happen any more, though.

I had the Ross procedure 2 years ago and my sternum still clicks. It doesn’t hurt, but when I stretch or turn the right way, it will click/pop.

After AVR on Dec. 29, 2008 I didn’t experience any clicking but did start having shoulder pain. Think about it – the bones and muscles takes a huge amount of abuse when getting cracked open like an egg and then held there for several hours with a steel crank mechanism! Not to mention I found I was carrying myself differently due to some post-op aches and paines.

I went to see my chiropractor as Amy (above) said she did. He very carelfully examined me and did some gentle but firm manipulation for my shoulders and ribs. He then gave me some very easy and basic exercises to do to rebuild my upper body muscle tone. Soon the shoulder pain went away. I know some people don’t believe in chiropractic, but as long as you know and trust the person, your experience can be very positive and productive.
Joe

Although, I didn’t have sternum pain, my right shoulder and arm was very sore for about 6 weeks post surgery. I talked with my cardiologist a couple times and she reassured me since it was improving and I wasn’t having any other symptoms that it was from positioning from the surgery. She was right and said it was very common. I’m now 10 weeks from surgery & feeling much better but if I over do it my right arm & shoulder is the first to start aching. Hope this helps.

I had my tricuspid valve replaced Oct. 23, 2009 (bovine tissue valve) and also experienced clicking in my sternum after surgery. This was my 3rd open heart surgery since childhood –I’m now 62 — so healing was a little more difficult. My surgeon was moderately concerned about the clicking and said to be very careful not to raise my elbows above my shoulders or lift anything heavier than 10 pounds for the first 8 weeks. It’s essentially a broken bone that has to heal and since you can’t put your chest in a cast, you have to be careful w/movement and strain on it. I took my doctor’s advice and the clicking in the sternum eventually went away. I also had pain in the sternum which eased about 7 or 8 weeks post-surgery and is now essentially gone. I had some shoulder clicking, too and still hear that now and then, but never had any shoulder pain. I also had, as a couple of other people mentioned, numbness in my left hand after surgery. My finger tips are still a little numb. Iwas also told that was from the strange position your arm is in during surgery.

BTW, your wonderful book was a big help to me before and after the surgery!

Very interesting post today…I had a bovine valve replacement and aortic graft performed in October, 2008. I haven’t had the shoulder pain, but have experienced the sternum clicking during exercise class; I was doing a kind of “reverse crunch” while laying on a stability ball. It was kind of un-nerving and I stopped doing it…didn’t really hurt, but it was weird! It’s the only time that I’ve experienced it, but the responses here tell me that I wasn’t imagining things.

Hi,
I had an aortic valve replacement, mechanical valve, on July 24, 2009 and was actually doing okay until I started getting more and more active….the discomfort in my chest got worse and worse and my cardiologist felt I had managed to have the sternum open a smidge and had some sort of inflammation in the chest….I seem to alternate between a painful sternum to shoulder or shoulder blades….
I have two extra ribs as some people have and I just chalk it up, the shoulder pain, to the surgery and this.
The surgeon also explained the sternum was now like a broken bone and ordered me to wear the binder I had worn from surgery on…it acts as a cast as best as it can, and because of my problem it would be best to continue wearing it.
I can’t drive comfortably without it most times, and if I don’t wear it I pay for it later that day….seems one foot forward one back for me.
Right now we are also trying to find out why as I’ve become more active I’ve also become breathless, going up five steps leaves me stopping to catch my breath and coughing…sometimes it’s just talking for more than a few minutes that does it to me…
For some reason I thought I’d be walking and even running by now…back to life as it was a few years back….
Soon I hope….but thank you for this information as some tidbits here have been very helpful….

Hello. I had my BAV and ascending root repaired on Sept 10, 09. I’ve had a few sternum clicks, which I thought was normal. But now that it’s been mentioned, I’ve had discomfort in my shoulder area for a little while…I thought it was due to my cardiac rehab and shoulder presses. It’s not unbearable and happens randomly, but I thought I would pass it along.

This is interesting. I had mitral valve repair and atrial/septal aneurysm repair in July 2008 by minimally invasive surgery. The worst pain I had with the entire process was my left shoulder and that was after I got home. It was very painful and I was told that it was probably “frozen shoulder” which happens often after heart surgery. I continued to exercise and it gradually got better but it still clicks when I exert myself. I don’t have the same range of motion as the other shoulder but it is a lot better that it was. It will get better!

I had my bi-cuspid valve and ascending aorta replaced on Jan 19 2009..I was 58 yrs old……I too had the clicking for months, but..all gone now…
However, my right pectoral has hurt since the surgery…was numb for a while too…and if I lean my elbow on a table, and rest my chin in my hand, my chin hurts…and a small pain–nothing overwhelming–runs down my neck and into my sternum…i am assuming it may be temp. nerve damage or irritation…
I was open for 8 hrs, and that’s a lot of tugging on your chest muscles…and I know that some things take years to get back to normal….
But now…….I can hike the hills of SANTORINI Greece and NOT LOOSE MY BREATH!

I also experience a tightness under my left shoulder blade that will snap and be relieved by a deep breath and release. It’s as if something pops into place. It happens everyday. I am now doing sit ups and push ups, yoga and pilates, cardio and some weights. Exercise is crucial to recovery and regaining strength. Do something everyday.

First, I must say my heart is wonderful!! My surgeon & his team were awesome. Usually I read everyone’s reply before I type but not this time. My shoulder pain had me really concerned in the hospital and was worse than anything to do with my incision. Weeks after I got home my shoulder pain worsened (I was told the nerves were healing and my brain was suddenly being told that I had damaged shoulders . . ouche!) until finally it was making me breathe wrong (short, not full breathes). There was a point at which I stopped going to cardiac rehab because the shoulder pain was making me cry. It was very upsetting. Could not lay on either side for much. My cardiologist was on vacation and the one who filled-in for him seemed to have no idea what I was talking about. I went to an orthopedist and she sent me right over to physical therapy several times a week for several weeks and it was WONDERFUL. They put “warm/moist/sand” bags over my shoulders while I sat in a chair and then they manipulated/massaged my shoulders and upper back. Then I had to do three different kinds of stretching and strengthening exercises but it was all very worth it. Also, the pain meds helped too but wanted to get off them and be healed. The physical therapsit and orthopedist said I had damage to my Upper Trapezius. It is a big triangular muscle that holds your head and shoulders onto your back. A doctor/acquaintence told me that shoulders can get damaged in any surgery when twisted by accident by the anaesthesia team. Sometimes they hold an arm or two in the wrong position during heart surgery for too long and that can cause shoulder damage too. It is not related to your heart but the pain is nonethe less dangerous because it is so unrelenting and you cannot really sleep thru it without pain meds. Then you have to walk around like a partial zombie just to be able to breathe . . . not good. Now only the left side clicks but I am much better and it has been 15 months. My heart is wonderful and I am at the gym for an hour 4x/week.

I’m on day 8 of the recovery process, I had a benign tumor removed from my Aorta Vavle and required it’s replacement.

The other day I noticed a couple “clicks” or knuckle pops in my chest when I was shifting around in my chair. My shoulders are sore and it is sometimes difficult to get comfortable but I was told this was to be expected. I mean really, when you think about how the surgeon had you opened up like a clam, there’s bound to be soreness at the connection points. I feel better everyday, if my sterum continues to pop, I’ll try to coordinate my left knee and play a tune.
Peace
Kevin K.

My surgery was June 1, 2009. I am still experiencing clicking and movement of my sternum. Recent CT scan indicates that it is not healing properly despite all the limitations for upper body movement I have followed. The doctors have kept a close watch on this, and now are suggesting surgery. They are not sure what they will actually do until they open me up and see what is happening. My first CT scan indicated some loosening of the wires, but since then the sternum is not even healing scar tissue to scar tissue. I was advised that surgery is necessary as my sternum is “soft” and weakened. Surgery is scheduled for the 18th of this month.

ADAM I HAD AORTIC VALVE REPLACEMENT SURGERY ON fEB 3, 2010 AND CAME HOME ON 7 FEB. I AM ALREADY EXPERIENCING SOME CLICKING NOISE IN THE
STERNUM. NONE IN THE SHOULDER AS YET.

BOB H.

Is the pain and clicking any way conected with the healing process? Would the procedure developed by Dr Paul Fedak in Calgary Alberta Canada possibly alleviate this? He is gluing the sternum together with Kryptonite Glue then stapling with titanium clips. Pain recovery is claimed to be in hours; not weeks.
Ron

I too had surgery nov 16th, 2009 and i experienced slight clicking in my chest, it was strange, i wasn’t doing anything at the time. But i just relaxed and then it would go away, it was strange. but no pain.

now all i have is what i call incision pain, it is tender and i have tried maderma and polysporin but it is still tender,….hmmm

shoulder pain…surgery for triple by-pass and aortic valve replacement..met with surgeon yesterday..Dr.Chen @ Emory..a class act..tells me soreness can continue for 6 to 12 months…my main problem has been atrial fibulation in and out…had the problem prior…he too feels as healing progreeses this too will pass…he states inflamation peaks after 8 to 12 weeks and then things begin to “quiet down”

Hi Adam,
Oh man yes I had a lot of clicking. One year after my surgery, I had my wires cut and removed from my chest ( They were about ready to pop through my skin).. For some odd reason that really seemed to help.
Jamie Patopoff

Hi Adam,

Many thanks for your observations.

I had an emergency Aortic Valve replacement in India about 18 months ago.
Actually am from England.
Here is a link to the letter I wrote to my surgeon about 10 days after the operation.

I hope you find it as helpful as your own words.

http://robinmarchesi.com/writings/letters/

I’ve never had my wires removed, I thought they were for life!

Best wishes

Robin Marchesi

So far, no clicking in my sternum, but I am experiencing pain in the shoulders, along with the incision site and the sternum itself.

I had 7 bypasses in April 2009 – about 10 months ago – and I have a lot of clicking in my chest. I’m 65 year old grandma, very active and that clicking is driving me just a bit nuts. There’s no pain, but? Does anyone know if I have to do something about it? Go back to cardiologist? Will it go away on its own?

It was nice to read the other comments as I have a lot of questions and concerns. I had Aortic Valve and Aorta replacement about 3 weeks ago. The only place I have experienced any real discomfort has been in my shoulders and my right shoulder has been worse than the left. I am a 59 year old male and in good physical shape and have not experienced any of the clicking as of yet. I just wish I could get past the shoulder pain.

I was told by my cardiologist that my shouoder pain was from the position during surgery. They push your shoulders back as far as possible on the operating table. My shoulders and especially around my shoulder blades hurt, but the pain was gone after about a month.

A brief follow-up to my earlier post, having read the others. My sternum was clinched with stainless steel clips which I was concerned would show up on TSA screens. No worries, however. I get the occasional creak when turning at night. Incision pain has been reduced by gently massaging the incision site, in the direction of the sewed tissues. This was suggested by my chiropractor. I have recently resumed ‘minimal force’ chiropractic – energy and sense of well-being are hugely improved. As for our ‘open heart procedures’, an accupuncturist friend suggests that our bodies don’t know about surgery. As far as they are concerned we have been attacked by a saber-tooth tiger! And we take time to recover! Her accupuncture treatments after surgery did help.
Good luck today, Micki!
Adrian B.

I, too, had and still have, pain in my right shoulder and my sternum. I had my aortic valve replaced July 8, 2009 with a bovine valve. I had far less pain and trauma than I expected. I also have an ileostomy (1-2006) because of long-term ulcerative colitis, and because I was given plavix following my heart surgery, I experienced bleeding from my stoma and was readmitted to the hospital Aug. 11; on August 14 I had kidney failure and congestive heart failure. I have been off the plavix since 8-11; I am doing remarkably well. Side note: I had the 3rd, 4th, and 5th fingers of my left hand numb immediately after surgery and some numbness in my arm. I have mostly recovered but still have a small amount of tingling in my left hand. All in all, the surgery was not nearly as bad as I had anticipated. My surgeon, Dr. Prevosti, was fantastic; extremely competent and compassionate. I am 79 years old.

My daughter age 54 is having her mitral valve repaired (we hope). She has decided to have the thoracotomy. She is an active kindergarten teacher but is getting tired.

Dr. Morris (Mercy Hospital in Sacramento, CA) will do the procedure. He says he can repair it better without the robotic method. He is rated the best in this area. He did a sternotomy approach 5 1/2 yrs. ago on my husband who is now 82 but looks and acts 62! He had both the mitral valve and tricuspid repaired. He just bought a sail boat and is taking sailing lessons.

My daughter is really apprehensive about the procedure. She needs a good blog to follow for before and after. Her surgery is scheduled for April 14.

When I last posted I had lots of questions, but no answers to me “clicking” issue. I have since visited the doctor who did the bypass surgery. He took x-rays to compare with those taken right after the surgery 10 months ago. It was a huge relief when he pulled up both x-rays and we saw zero change in sternum alignment. Although the clicking (which I feel as much as hear) is unnerving, it is not painful and is certainly tolerable. Apparently there is a lot of cartilage in the sternal area and that’s what’s doing the clicking. It seems a bit like what I notice when someone is popping their knuckles. Best wishes to all recovering clickers!

Thanks for your post Adrian. It is now over 18 months since my surgery occasionally I get the ‘twitch/spasm in my left shoulder. Interesting observation re the ‘body’ not knowing the difference between OHS and being attacked, very true. I hear the clicking but I don’t feel it physically. Sometimes at night I blame it for keeping me awake, other times I find it comforting. I once thought myself like the crocodile in Peter Pan, who swallowed a clock! You have to learn how to live with replacement surgery, get to know another part of you!

Hi Adam

I just had a quadruple bypass surgery 3 weeks ago. I am also having the weird sensation of popping and clicking in my sternum and collar bone. I also have slight pain in my right shoulder blade. I have not started PT yet as the first appointment isnt until April. You say this is normal? Should I still inform my doctor immediately or wait until I go in to see him for my appointment set in a week?

Hi Adam,

I had bypass surgery 4 weeks ago, and I am experiencing both sternum clicking (mild) and shoulder pain (severe). My Doc states that this is totally normal. I start cardiac rehab this afternoon, and will report back if I learn anything new.

Ralph

My son 4 days out of aortic valve replacement (st jude mech)
has very little pain in his chest but severe left shoulder pain, other than that so far everything has gone good, but he tires very easily, maybe discharged tomorrow

Rt shoulder pain post sternotomy in 2009. I was diaganosed with tendonitis and given steroid injection. It did help, but I do still get the grating sensation and noise when I exercise

Hi! I came across this site/thread after searching for clicking after heart surgery! I’m at 5 weeks post-op…had a quadruple bypass…and am experiencing clicking around the sternum. I had an X-ray of my chest last week, and was told (and saw) that the sternum incision is knotted, but not fully healed. The wires are all in place and not stretched or broken, which is good!

My worry is that my sternum is unusually large. The surgeon told me it’s one of the thickest he’s ever seen, and they had issue trying to cut through it.

The cliking is driving me crazy, though! It’s difficult to work at my desk, turn and reach, without it happening. A little (click!) unnerving, but (click!) happy to see (click!) I am not alone, and (click!) that it appears (click!) to be fairly (click!) normal.

As soon as I was cleared by the surgeon last week, I went straight to my chiropractor. I had severe spasms in my back, between my shoulders, especially on the right side. After one visit and some ultrasound and electro-stimulation, I felt so much better! I will continue to see the chiro for around a month, and really get things back to where they should be. He was very surprised I could stand as erect as I could at only 5 weeks post-op.

Stretching and relaxing help tremendously with both issues, as does paying attention to proper posture, which after 50 years of not doing so, is difficult!

Be well!

I had pulmonary stenosis when born, open heart surgery at 5yrs old to widen pulmonary valve & then 2 years ago at age 34 I had my pulmonary valve replaced with a 27mm bovine valve… I too have recently noticed clicking in the centre of my chest, on the scar area…also a blueish tone like bruising, but it isnt bruises as been there a long while near it…I also have shoulder discomfort & about 2 months ago had very sharp chest pains opposite side of chest to my heart, went to drs had an episode of this in drs waiting room. Got sent to A&E in ambulance, had 2 more episoides in hospital, then got discharged with paracetamol after 2 hrs of tests & ecgs etc… ;( Think this must be normal then? Got my next full check up Nov 2010…Thanks Bev x Cumbria, UK

Hi Adam,
I had my coronary artery bypass grafting in January this year . I recovered fully without any problem including clicking n sternum or clicking in right shoulder, but now after about 5 months of my surgery I am experiencing pain in my both shoulders and upper arm areas. I feel pain in lifting my both hands diagonal to my body and also while in position to scratch my back.When I told my doctor about the pain which occurred occasionally after about three months of surgery my doctor assured me that its normal after surgery and will recede in due course of time, but it is entirely opposite of what she said then.Have you come across any similar experiences?or solution to thereof.
Regards,
Pardeep Joshi

I am 3 weeks from having mitral and aortic valve replacement. When I take a rather deep breath, I can feel that flip flop or pop sound in the heart region. I wondered if it was my heart beat, I was told to walk,walk,walk and I do but I think I do too much of it, Thats when I started feeling the flip/flop. Its annoying but I get anxious that somethings not right. Any body else have the same thing?

while still in the hospital i started having shoulder pain. I asked my doctor about it he was not concerned. I am now 1 year post op and still having svere shoulder pain. after the first 6 months i had asked my cardiologist about it and he said it was too soon after surgery. any thoughts?

I am 5 weeks into recovery after aortic valve replacement. I have minimal chest pain. My chest is more sensitive than usual, almost as if it feel asleep and is now tender to the touch. I have no clicking, it could be the titanium chest plate which was fastened to hold my sternum in place(this may be a new procedure. I have to work at walking upright without slouching because of my upper back and shoulder pain. It is encouraging to know I am not alone.

Hi Adam,
When I went for my rehab assessment, the doctor asked me if I was having any shoulder pain, which I replied no, he said it is normal to have shoulder pain. Just my 2cents.

Thanks
Sam

I had cabg surgery on 2/23/2008,I did have the clicking in my sternum,and still have some pain at the site where they started my surgery.I have some muscle pain yet.But my shoulder pain is still like it was in the beginning.They used a mammary artery to do my surgery and my heart did the pumping I didn’t have to have the heart pump just life support.

I have clicking sound in my shoulder joints of both side and in complete vertebrae even also in wrist joints since four yrs but no pain in joints i m also suffering from FIBROMYALGIYA i feel discomfort by this clicking is this is a disease

My mother had Bypass 9 months back. She has started having pain in right shoulder and arm. Can anyone help me in knowing the cause and the remedy.

I have recently (nov of 2010) had Open Heart surgey to replace a bicuspid aortic valve. I feel great. Although i did go through a rough couple of weeks initially ! The surgery itself was nothing; but the back and shoulder pain drove me nuts. I had a muscular type pain in my neck and travelled down under my shoulder blade that was insane. Its the only reason i took pain meds. The incision was basicaly painless. Now 4 months later i am having some shoulder pain but it is most likely arthritis not surgery related. But ; i have a strange clack in my collarbone that clacks/clunks everytime i reach accross my body with my left arm and then straighten that same arm back out. I can put my right hand on the collarbone and sternum connection point and feel an erie clunk everytime. t freaks people out because they can here it. Its not extremely painful but is sometimes more than others. It radiates up into my neck some as well. What do think is going on ??
thanks jeff

I had CABG late August 2010.I’ve had no clicking but I still don’t have normal range of motion in raising my right arm and shoulder above my head.I also have a boney protuberance at bottom of incision. Its very prominent when I lay down. Like most report above – when mentioned to doctors – “that’s normal” is the chorus.
You’ve got me thinking though – I do have significant shoulder pain on both sides during sleep.I change sides and in an hour or so the pain does too!
Related?

Mike this is weird. But as i stated above the clunking i have is happenning on a regular bases as if my collarbone and sternum are not connected or something ? I go to the DR monday and i will post again uppon hearing his response. From what i am beginning to believe is that it is normal. yuck. Anyway i am blessed to be here ! A clunk here and there might be just fine if ya know what i mean :}
jeff

Dear All,
My mother ( 60 Years old) had Heart Bypass Surgery 9 months back. After 6 months from surgery her Right Shoulder, Arm and Neck started paining. She visited doctor and Dr said it is because of Arthritis. But she never had Arthritis problem ever.

Pl let me know is it common having pain in right shoulder after Heart Bypass surgery,and what your doctor is saying, it is because of what reason.
Can anyone help me in knowing the cause and the remedy. She has continues pain in Right arm.

Dear Adam,
Its just 4 weeks since my quadruple CABG done on 27 Apr 2011. Yes, I too get the popiing at the sternum and am quite worried. I also have slight pain in the right side of the sternum area. There is some pain on both collar bones when i lift my hands. But I guess these are part of the recovery.
I continue my exercises religiously and hope things will settle down.
Have a doctor appointment next week and will take up on these and post you if any specific concerns.
But on the whole, its good to have a nice ticking heart inspite of all the cliks and pops. The only worry is snapping the steel bindings that keep the sternum in one piece. Does anyone have any idea if the sternum heals and becomes a single bone? I sure hope so.

Dear Ashok,
Try to relax – a bunch! You are barely out of the hospital.I was still afraid to turn on to my side in bed at your stage of recovery!! My wife was doing about everything for and with me at the same stage at home.EVERYTHING!
Yes, the sternum will knit together just fine.
Mike

I mentioned i would post after my Dr appt today 04/18/11. Well heres the deal ; my Dr said that the clunking i have at the collar bone and sternum area is nothing of concern per the Dr. He told me not to worry or do anything about it. so i will just continue to wince myself , and gross out others with my popping collar bone. He did remove me off of Multaq 800mgs for my afib early on after surgery,
and to hopefully pickup my heart rate from 47bpm. He also added 2mg Wrifrin to get me from 1.7 to 2.0+ on my INR. I feel great and i am on the upward path i do believe. Anyway thats it for now.
jeff

Hi Mike,
Good to hear from you. It’s comforting to note that all I am going through is normal.
I feel good and am walking 20 mins four times day and also climb a flight of stairs coupled with a few arm lifting and breathing exercises. I do sleep on my sides although sometimes it is a little difficult.
But on the whole am upbeat and positive so altogether feel good!
Ashok

Hi There
I had a triple bypass op seven weeks ago and get the clicking from my right shoulder and the top of my sternum. The clicking in the shoulder fells like a reoccurance of a Rotacuff injury i had about 12 months ago from playing golf. I had physio and it went away but seems to have returned post op.Im hoping it will fix itself over time. I have to see the cardio in the next few weeks and i will let you know his view.

I had open heart surgery in December 2010 to repair my Mitral Valve. I haven’t had the “clicking” that I read about here, but have experienced the shoulder pain. It just started about a month ago on the left side. I just saw my cardiologist and he said the same thing I’ve heard from a lot of people, it’s normal, but it’s also pretty uncomfortable, more so at night.

I’m a freelance writer and spend a lot of time online. Does anyone have suggestions for exercises or homeopathic remedies that may help with the pain? Thanks in advance.

My mother ( 60 Years old) had Heart Bypass Surgery 10 months back. After 6 months from surgery her Right Shoulder, Arm and Neck started paining. She visited doctor and Dr said it is because of Arthritis. But she never had Arthritis problem ever.

Does anyone have suggestions for exercises that may help with the pain? Thanks.

waiting for your reply.

Regards,
Renuka.

Just had quad bypass. I’m only 41! I’m in great shape (was, anyway), an active construction worker, but my mom’s side has tendencies to have cholesterol problems and that’s what happened to me.

I have experienced clicking/clunking in the sternum. Less now that I’m keeping my arms in as much as I can and lifting things closer to my body. When lying in bed and need to shift around for comfort my sternum often clunks.

My left shoulder especially and to an extent my right have been giving me some pain, but I attributed that to not using them very much.

I’m in my fourth week after surgery and have been off the oxycodone for about two weeks now, which is good. I realized the seriousness of my condition once I started feeling the pain!

Thanks for this site.

I am a 38 year old female and had open heart surgery in 1990 in Birmingham. Septal defect. I have had continuous pain in my left shoulder, almost feels like arthritis. One of the biggest problems that I have also had is from sternum pain. I couldnt figure out what exactly was the issue, but I have had problems purchasing bras ever since the surgery. It has been over 20 years and I can not find a bra that doesnt either put pressure in areas that hurt like my sternum or that will provide sufficient support to my chest. Since the surgery, the muscles that once supported my chest are no longer there, I just always assumed that since all of the muscles were cut through during the surgery that I would always have issues with the chest..in this way. Have you heard of any highly supportive/comfortable bras for after sternotomy? Thank you.

I can tell you this based upon my stumbling on to it out of desperation ! I discovered that if i massaged or had my neck and traps massaged frequent and consistent , that after a few days the pain in my shoulder blade and shoulders areas subsided tremendously. I have continued to do the best to do it my self either with my hands or a heavy duty electric messager like at the chiropractor , and it helps lots !! Like i had mentioned a few mails back, the worst part of my heart surgery was my shoulder pain. I feel great now !! Although i still click at the sternum/collarbone connection pretty loudly and frequently, it doesnt bother me any longer. Good luck to all , and just stretch, message and excercise at it will all be a thing of the past.

Good deal. NEXT QUESTION: The clicking, does it continue indefinitely? I’m a construction worker and am accustomed to throwing 120lb sheets of drywall around, carrying them two at a time (to show off, of course). When will I be back to that point? Or are my showing off days over?

Pat,
I’m 27 years older than you. I’m 10 months past my CABG.
My physical ability – strength,coordination,etc – took a lot of rebuilding time. I’m now beyond rehab and back in my regular gym 3-4 days a week.That said – I’m operating at about 60-70% of what I was doing before the surgery.Yes,I’m being cautious and building back up gradually but I don’t think I’ll ever try to match what I was doing a year ago.Your “showing off” days may be a possibility for you (considering your youth) but I’d approach such stuff cautiously.

I had aortic valve replacement on July 12, 2011. A week after I got home I experienced pain in my right arm, shoulder and hand. It is a numb tingling pain and sometimes throbs mostly in y hand. Two fingers and my thumb are always “asleep”. Any sudden movements cause excrutiating pain like all the blood rushes to the tips of my fingers. And I am now on week 5 and still no relief even with Advil and a heating pad.

I’ve got a funny feeling I’m going to become a regular on here!

I’ve just had my second AVR (4 weeks ago). First AVR was December 2000.
I’m 30. I just wanted to put a few minds at rest.

First clicking: Yup is normal! It’s not pleasant, yet neither is it painful. I used to click from the first time I had it, random clicks every so often, once a month ish, nothing too big. Then I had a spell of a year about 7 years later where my sternum clicked all the time. It passed and stopped doing it again (it couldn’t make its mind up).

This time I’m clicking a lot, but them it’s only been 4 weeks. Obviously careful use of arms and not turning too quick etc, will prevent them from happening. But if they do, know that you’re not alone and you’re not going to fall apart (hopefully JOKE)! They will subside, they might return a little, then they’ll go again! You might never get them again! We all click in our legs and feet, hands etc, so treat it like that!

Pat – I was soon back to where I was before my surgery last time, yet I would walk on the side of caution. It’s not just a case of weather you can get back to where you were, as I’m sure after the first three months, you’ll be able to rebuild slowly. It’s more a case of not straining inside! Don’t put your heart under unnecessary stress. Cardio vascular exercise is necessity, but lifting heavy weights, I’d give it a miss. Go for one sheet not two! I always liked to prove I was a strong gal, I could out do guys, but this time…I don’t feel the need, I’d rather look after my heart. Hey at the end of the day you’re hardcore, you’ll be lifting 120lbs and you can say you had your sternum opened, that’s far more impressive than two from one of your co-workers!
Listen to your body, do over do it, and build up slow and no, the clicking is not there forever!

Shoulder pain: totally normal! Think about it, your body has been through a lot. You’re not using your arms as freely for a while, and your muscles start to seize. It’s true the pain is usually worse at night, try sitting up more, support your sides with pillows. In the day, move your arms a little, try and rotate your shoulders. It’s all about making sure you don’t go stiff!

Wow, think I should shut up, sorry Adam xx

Oh sorry, one last think I forgot.

Numb sensations: totally normal. They can last a few days, in my case a few weeks, or a month or so. They do go. It’s all part of your nerves and muscles settling down. Again it’s normal. If it’s causing you pain however, do get it checked out. A simple trip to the docs could reveal a little trapped nerve, or they may send you for physiotherapy, don’t suffer with lots of pain. Gentle muscle use, flex and make a little trip if the pain doesn’t subside. Nothing to worry about, but there’s just no point you being in pain!

R xx

Rae – thank you for that excellent response. My clicking has gone way down, now I’m more concerned about my muscles healing right so I’m being more careful.

Thanks again.
Pat

Mike, thanks very much for your response, also!

I’m going for 110% but I don’t seem to be healing as fast as I’m accustomed to. I’ve always considered myself most similar to Wolverine in my mutant gift of healing rapidly. I expected to leave the hospital the day after surgery (it turned out to be the 2nd day but I blame it on my wife’s nervousness).

One super outcome is I’ve been forced to change my habits, especially my diet (my wife is tiny but very very tough!). I’ve lost about 15 pounds since the attack, the last of the 40 I’ve lost in the two years we’ve been married. And she is a great cook, so no jokes!

So I’m hoping to get back to “X-Men” level of physicality in a short time… But I was hoping it would be shorter than it is turning out to be. I’m 41; I know I’m not 23 anymore, but I feeeeeel so young! It has been 15 weeks, which doesn’t sound like that much, but my chest muscles (not the sternum) click and snap and burn.

Ah well. I’m so happy to be alive and on the right track. In fact, my wife and I have started classes here at Central Carolina Comm College. We’re going to be certified Nurse Assistant I’s!

And as to this site, I’m very encouraged – and it’s not “misery loves company” type – I’m strengthened by you who have experienced what I am going through. This is an excellent site!

And that’s all I have to say about that.

Pat
Pat

My husband had triple bypass surgery last Monday and was discharged Thursday, remarkable, but he is a hard man to keep down. I know he is not totally compliant but yesterday he complained of a clicking in his sternum. Iam a nurse and I listened to his chest during breathing and moving and could not hear any clicks. I hope this new symptom reminds him that he must do as instructed re lifting and certain movements. I have been looking at alot of information on sternum clicks and it seems that it does occur, none the less he is seeing his doctor tomorrow. Thanks for all the input

Hi Debra,

Yes they are very normal, and do subside after a few weeks. After my first surgery I didn’t have many at first, but had then years later. This time (8weeks ago) I have had them from about week one. I had more of them when I was stiff. The more flexible I became, the less I had. Now I only have a few a day, if that.

Tell your husband to take it easy with lifting, I’m sure as a nurse you’re keeping him in check. He shouldn’t lift much at all for the first 4 weeks, and even now at 8 weeks, I’m very careful and distribute weight well.

After 8 weeks is a good time to do a “little” more. The bones rejoining need to be worked a little, but not mush. Certainly no strain.

The clicking should get better. Still wise to visit the doctor, as they also need to be sure the sternum is healing well.

Let us know how he’s going on! Best of health to him and yourself.

Rae x

9/1/2011 was my one year anniversary of leaving the hospital after CABG.Pretty much everything is back to normal but that zipper down my chest is sensitive to the touch – a reminder to be careful in all ways health wise I think.As to shoulder – I do not have full range of motion in my right should since the operation.I’m beginning to think that will not change.I lost 30 lbs. just after leaving hospital and have kept it off without trying very hard honestly.Proud of that.

I am a 57 year old male in good health, I had a mechanical aortic valve and part of my ascending aorta replaced to correct a congenital defect. I had my surgery on 4.6.11, and it went quite well with no problems post op. However, I July I did experience an acute soreness in my shoulder, back and chest, I can best describe it as the kind of pain you feel when you pinch a muscle. I got a massage and took tylenol but nothing helped, although heat did decrease the discomfort. After about 4 days it just went away. I experienced another bout of the same kind of pain this past week. This time the pain was accompanied by a fever. I have had this for about 4 days and am treating it with heat and tylenol. I would love to hear if anyone else has found an effective treatment for this kind of pain.

Few months back I had the open heart bypass surgery. I have recovered quite well and joined back to my work within 3 months. But recently I have been experiencing pain and aching in both the shoulders, especially while sleeping sideways. As a result I had to take pain killer at times.

Please tell me the reasons of this pain and advise what are the remedial actions should I take.

Is this pain is normal after few months of bypass surgery?
If yes, how long will it take to disappear?

At 52yrs old and 11months since double open heart has concluded to me that i will live with this distinct klunk at the collarbone/sternum joint. Every time i lift my left arm over head or cross it over my body it klunks load. Like everyone in the room can hear it in a quiet room. Its eary. ThankGod its not painful. My dr says to leave it alone unless it brings pain with it. He says its the clavicular/sternatic joint that neverhealed properly after being busted open. He also said mot alot of surgeons like to do surgery in that area because of the proximaty to the heart. My dr said he was comfortable doing it but said to wait until it caused pain or discomfort. SO…. For now its a convertsation piece, and kinda freaks people out. Hey…. Myheart works great though!

I had a mechanical aortic valve and part of the ascending aorta replaced in April. Recovery has been good and typical of other I have read about. I have experienced two bouts of pretty severe shoulder pain that manifested in the trapezius muscles in my upper back but could also be felt across my upper chest. Both times the pain lasted 4-5 days and then went away. I self-treated it with heat and tylenol. I also went and had my doctor take a look to see if I had some kind of infection and I did not. Would like to hear if anyone has had a similar experience. thanks

I had my aortic valve replaced (st jude mech) and my ascending aorta repared (anuesym). The surgery was 4/28/2010. This was also my 70th birthday. I also have pain in both shoulders. The right shoulder pain is more intense than the left. I play golf several times a week but the pain doesn’t effect my game. I did some work using a chain saw, which greatly increase the left shoulder pain. The pain is worse at night and in the morning. I too have been wondering about the pain and how long it will last. I really appreciate these blogs and the insight they have given me into some of problems after surgery. I have some relief using a heating pad and spending time in a hot tub. Because of warfarin, tylenol is the only med I take for pain. It helps some. I will continue following these blogs for more insight. Thank you all.

I am 5 1/2 weeks post-op for a mitral valve repair, with a median sternotomy. Only complication so far is catching a nasty chest cold while at the MD’s office for INR. 3 weeks of severe productive cough, and Bless my Husband, he actually sewed a ribbon “loop” on my sternum pillow, so that I could wear it around my neck, and have it accessible at any time.

I, too, am experiencing a “popping” sensation near my sternal/clavicular notch. Painless, but disconcerting, nonetheless. It usually only happens when I am rolling onto my right side for sleep. I have found that if I hug my sternal pillow tight, as I roll, it eliminates the sensation.

I am glad to read to this sensation is most likely benign and will probably resolve with a few more weeks of healing. My cardiologist was fairly liberal with my activities and allowed driving, returning to work, etc. two weeks post-op. With my increased activity, and frequent, severe coughing, I was a little worried that maybe I had “over-done.” But it sounds like this is just another “mile in long highway of valve repair.”

My Best Wishes to everyone else traveling this road!

I had my bicuspid aortic valve replaced on 9/13/2011 with a tissue valve (pig). I’m experiencing shoulder pain and discomfort in the sternum area. I have the same problem as Sherry mentioned above, I cannot find a bra that is comfortable and am wondering if anyone has any suggestions. I know it takes time to heal but I am wondering how long I will experience the discomfort in the sternum area. Any input will be appreciated. Surgeon released me to return to work Nov. 7th and other than the discomfort mentioned above, I’m doing well. Thank you.

After mitral valve surgery last June, I had some shoulder pain, which became a frozen shoulder. It took 8 months of physiotherapy to get about 75% of my left arm’s mobility back, and I have some pain in my shoulder or back (around the shoulder blade) nearly every day.
I occasionally have clicking (more like a loud “clunk!”) from my sternum if I inhale deeply or stretch. I also get pain in there and in my left collarbone, often arthritic in feel, and especially if the weather changes.

I am in very severe pain (8) with shoulder pain radiating through to the back wing. It is as though someone has speared me with a lance.
I had a bicuspid aortic valve replacement 15 days ago. At the moment I feel like I am back to square one and then some. Last night I tied some scarves together and tied then to the wardrobe clothes rail so I could lever myself in and out of bed. I am off to the physio this afternoon in the hope of some relief.

Rosemary
Hang in there. The worst part of my open heart surgery for valve replacement was the pain that you are describing to a “T”. It was excruciatingand had it not been for this pain my entire surgery would have been a breeze . In my case I was actually broken open twice in the same day because of bleeding. So I remained spread eagle with my , shoulders apart for several hours . This is what the doctor tells me contributed to my pain at least . I believe that the only speedy way to recovering from this is rest . I also benefited im making sure that I have a good pillow and my try to relax your back is best you can and ice in heat neck was not in an awkward position when I sleep . Also I would place 1 pillow under each 1 of my arms/shoulders at night when I sleep so that it lets my chest and back muscles completly relax. Another help that I did faithfully for quite a while was to utilize a heating pad and an ice pack alternating them back and forth 10 or 15 minutes at a time . Also stretch frequently but slowly by acting as though your hugging yourself and hold it for a minute and release and do it again. The bottom line is just hang in there try to relax use ice in heat and after time you will notice it let up .

Ian
The klunk i have one year later is extremely loud and hard in my collarbone/sternum joint. It klunks doing almost everything. Its crazy feeling. My cardio dr has told me this was common and that i did not need to worry. My ortho dr told me basically the same, , he said most doctors don’t like to do surgery on that joint because it is close to the heart. He said let us see how it goes for a while and if it get to wear it really bothers me and hurts that we would pursue fixing it .

Apart from the shoulder pain thing, I’ve had a pretty good recovery. I may need plastic surgery sometime though, as the lower 4-5cm of the scar formed hypertrophic tissue, which sometimes gets itchy and/or painful around the edges.

It is so great to hear from you all. It has made me feel this pain is “OK”. I went to the physiotherapist and came home in even more pain even though she was very gentle. What she did determine was the pain was to the immediate right of my fourth vertibrae causing the transfered pain. When she pressed I could hear the popping noise you are referring to. Knowing this, I have worked out ways to get in and out of bed with my lower body and arms using the scarves I knotted and attached to the the bedroom wardrobe clothes rail. It even helps to shimmy around to find a comfortable spot in the bed.
Thanks Adam. Thanks everybody – don’t know what I do without you.(-:

In reply to the ladies with the bra issue. I am australian so I am not sure this will help with brand names. However the playtex cross your heart bra has been just wonderful. Its a proper fully supportive bra with no under wire. Its not pretty but its just like a safety bandage at the moment and I love it.

Hi All

I had a triple bypass on March 22nd 2011 (my birthday) and had all the clicks and pops in the shoulder and ribs. I have been going to action heart (a gym for heart disease sponsored by the national health in the uk) for 4 months.The training is supervised and monitored and im now fitter than ever. All the pops and clicks have gone and i have regained my upper body srength. If you live in the UK and have a Action Heart Care near you get on the program its fantasic.

The cardiologist and the hospital insisted I return to casualty (ER) yesterday. Apparently this pain can be a pulomary embolism or a collapsed lung. 9 hours later I got the all clear and I did have quite a few pain free hours thanks to hospital pain killers. In retrospect I shouldn’t have let the ambulance drivers convince me 3 days earlier it was just muscular skeletal issues. – even though they were right and I didn’t want to go back to hospital! It could have been quite serious.

I was out of (private) hospital only a matter of hours before I had to call the ambulance and was readmitted to the local public hospital. Nothing super serious – just on-going atrial fibrillation, which took nearly a week to get under control using drugs.
Like Paul Wright, my frozen shoulder resulted in me being fitter than ever, thanks to 8 months of physio. I could do without the on-going pain though, but after 16 months or so I’m so used to it that most of the time I can ignore it. I very rarely bother to take any analgesics for it – just stretch, grin (or grimace) and bear it. It’s by far the worst after-effect of the operation, and probably worse because no-one warned me of the possibility of it occurring.

Ian
your making me re-live my open heart surgery from 1 year ago yesterday . That’s not a bad thing I am blessed .I went through the same ordeal 1day after I got home from my initial surgery .The a-fib that I had was extremely intense and really scared me . It took him 32 hours just to get me back into sinus rhythm from a high pace tyrhem that made me feel i was running on the inside, but my outside was not moving. .Thank God for saint lukes hospital and personnel . Once I got home from that ordeal I had 2 more very minor issues with a-fib befoyre it was under control completly. I have managed to get to the point where I am now off of all medications except warfarin blood thinner for my mechanical valve . and of course my high blood pressure medicine losartan. Yesterday on my 1 year anniversaty I was able to drop to the floor and do 92 push ups ! (of course that’s after weeks building up ) I say that only to say that God is good and he’s not through with me yet . And that he has placed very gifted people in each 1 of our lives and we are all very very fortunate .
Jeff black

I had mitral valve surgery in June. Right away I noticed popping in my sternum/shoulder area when I moved my arms, but couldn’t tell where it was coming from. My surgeon siad the force of retracting the sternum puts a lot of strain on all the surrounding joints, and some movement is not unusual. He advised me to limit arm movement for awhile, and I didn’t notice too much popping until about 6 weeks when I became more active. At that point I had severe pain in my shoulder area; it felt like a rotator cuff injury (I had a torn rotator cuff repaired just last year so I knew what it felt like). My cardiac rehab program suggested that I consult a physical therapist, who determined that I had a sprained clavicle (collarbone)- you can actually see it protruding out of line. If you look at Adam’s diagram above, you can see where the sterum and clavicle meet. The joint needs to rotate about 20 degrees to lift your arm. If the clavicle is displaced, the other end (near the shoulder) is likely out of alignment too, and can mimic the pain of a rotator cuff injury. The therapy is very similar to rotator cuff therapy. After just two or three visits I saw a big improvement, and should get complete relief with about 2 months of therapy. Hope this helps.

I’m one month from surgery and I’ve had sometimes severe pain shoulder pain since the first day. My neck and head also have pain. Hopefully it will ease up as time passes.

I also have fibromyalgia, so that may be a contributing factor. I am a 69-year-old female.

My right side collar bone area has started to ache 5 weeks after aortic valve replacement surgery. When I take a deep breath, I get a sharp pain. What is this caused from and what can I do to alleviate the pain? Thanks.

I had cancer in 2009 which required the exact same surgery. The sternal clicking was relentless at first, then subsided. It was painful in the beginning, but it died down. I work a very physical job that has made the shoulder pain kick in where I never had pain before. The doctors found a small fracture in the acromion and I have lost some range of motion. I have been doing physical therapy which reduced the pain somewhat, but has not really increased the motion. Hope you are feeling better.

I received several e-mails after my comments on shoulder pain after aortic valve repacement (St. Jude’s mech valve) and ascending aortic artery repaired. From the beginning of the recovery I had right shoulder pain. It has been almost 2 years since the surgery. I am now having pain in the left shoulder. The right shoulder pain is a dull ache. The left shoulder is more of a sharp pain. The pain is worse in the morning. Sometimes at night, the pain will awaken me. Stretching will sometimes produce relief. The morning pain is so irriating that sometimes just walking and arm movement will cause much discomfort. As the day progress the pain lessens and can be ignored. I will be 72 soon and I have no other pains or problems. I never did have any sternum pain. I am very active and spent much time outdoors. These blogs have given me much insite and comfort. I want to thank you for sharing your successes and problems.

Having intense neck, shoulder, collar bone etc. pain week 3 and 4 after surgery was an indication to the GP, cardiologist and surgeon that I was straight back to hospital via the emergency ward. Don’t second guess pain. Those in the know don’t! When you have the all clear then having physio therapy really helps. I feel (lay person guessing) the neck and shoulder pain is often a sign of “middle earth” not being too happy. I need to have a nap lying down. Jogging,stressing,shopping, eating a full meal, even mild constipation or the need to urinate seem to add to the whole scenario. I figure everything is a little sensitive inside and there is no room inside for anything else in the rib cage so it pushes out transfering pain. But I am just a patient in recovery trying to guess the why?? too. I decided to do diaphragm exercises to improve my vocal chords and that hurt my neck and shoulders just when I thought I was improving.

Hello – I am almost 6 months post op 2nd OHS, The shoulder pain I am experiencing right now is unbearable. I have been trying the chiropractor and she says it is muscle related. Pain killers take the edge off but that’s it. I am afraid of what I will do when it gets worse which it did after my 1st OHS. Landed me in the ER with high heart rate, shaking uncontrollable from the pain as it did intensify. I get massages and it helps but it comes right back. It is aweful.

Hi Julie,
If your physiotherapist doesn’t help then try another one. I can really relate to the pain you are talking about – but not six months later. My physio taped my shoulders across the back. She instructed me to push “the wings” back and then imagine you are dropping them in your back pockets to “switch” off the shoulder muscles. She also instructed me to lie flat on my back arms stretched out to the side and push the shoulders to the floor. Then bend the arms back in at the elbows remembering to keep the shoulders down. Hot packs help too. The hardest thing I find is getting comfortable enough to sleep. It really is a matter of going back to square one. Don’t use your elbows to turn over at night. Cross your arms across your chest sit up and let your hips do rolling work. PS Food shopping with heavy bags seems to hurt too! I hope this is 2nd and last time for you!!

thank you Rosemary – I am willing to try anything. I am down to 3 pain pills today with a long holiday week coming, very scared but have an appt on the 30th. Sometimes I don’t quite think people understand just how aweful it is. I hate to sound like a complainer too. I will take you advice & appreciate it so much. best wishes!

I understand exactly how painful it is! I am all for the painkillers. Especially as I undermedicated initially. However, what I found was the painkillers enabled me to position my posture incorrectly throughout the day without realizing. Watch your neck. (I know you can’t actually do that!)Make sure it is back in alignment with your spine and draw it up as though you have a coat hanger pulling you up. I found the wheat heat pack wonderful. Even when it cooled down it held my “100lb bowling ball” head in position to sleep better. I do hope you get some relief soon. (-:

On November 18th I had a valve replaced, my Bicuspid aortic and an anuerisym repaired. Now a few weeks later I have the Rt shoulder pain and also goes numb as well. I feel it in my back on the rt side as well. Will last for about 5 minutes or so strong and then ease up some. Afraid to take any pain medicine that I was given in case it is something more. I have to take blood thinners “War-fin” as well so I hope its not a blood clot forming either. I don’t have any clicking other then the valve itself. It is so weird to hear that. I also help that the pounding that my heart makes now will in time simmer down. Hard to sleep sometimes.

Don’t second guess this pain. Go to the emergency ward and let them check. Also let your cardiologist know. Take the painkillers if prescribed. This pain can be lots of things so don’t second guess the pain. I was told to call an ambulance when it happened to me. It may be just(still mega pain) muscular/ skeletal pain however the hospital will be able to help to settle that pain too. Best wishes. – It gets better.

4 weeks tomorrow i had triple bypass. all is good except for this clicking , bone clacking gnawing thing going on. what i have read so far is some get it , some do not. some have it more severe than others. but most everyone says it goes away. as all of youi know this was a tough experience. i hope you all find yourselves back to par or better very soon. its like humpty dumpty, once you are opened up like this, you cannot stitch back like the good lord made it.

Hang in there Bill. Its early days. They can actually stitch you back better than before. Trust me. Thanks to some wonderful surgeons I have a heart that pumps strong and regularly. At three months I feel as though I have had a face lift on the inside. Do see a physiotherapist though. They are so helpful in realigning the the ribcage and the supporting muscles.Sure I have a scar and the shoulder aches a smidgeon if I carry the grandchildren for too long but otherwise I just say: Thank you God for making the medicos so clever! (-:

I had quadruple bypass heart surgery in April of 2011 at Scripps in San Diego. My pain is intense with certain movements of my left shoulder. I know they used a mammory vien during surgery, is or has this caused the pain and will it heal in time? The pain when I move a certain way radiates down my arm is very intense.

3 months after mitral replacement I still have a clicking problem in my sternum. Doctor told me it may take another operation to put my sternum back together. Hurts when I cough, sneeze or lay on my side. I think my sternum has separated and hope it will repair itself, but don’t look good.

rosemary thanks for the encouragement. at 6 weeks now the soreness is fading, the clicking sternum is less. today was a good day and the day before was not. i walk 3 miles in 1 hour per day and eat properly. my bypass was done by Barry Chan at Presbyterian hospital in Charlotte, NC and part of the cleveland clinic. he is one of the best in the country. there is one better at the university of Maryland, but i did not make the trip as it was just too far. i hope at 3 months i have your attitude. i was lucky in some aspect. my heart was not damaged as i caught it before an attack. 3 arteries 95 and 100 % clogged. i am 55 years old and i find myself also battling some depression as i lived life way too good for 55 years. did you have any bouts with depression? Thanks