Hi Lee. I had minimally invasive surgery for severe mitral valve regurgitation September 16. I have a 5 in game scar along the outer side of the right breast ...Read more
Hi Lee. I had minimally invasive surgery for severe mitral valve regurgitation September 16. I have a 5 in game scar along the outer side of the right breast and three drain holes in the breast. It is debatable if this method is less painful. No robotics we’re involved in my surgery. They collapsed the lungs to get at the heart and had to pull open somewhat some ribs. I have some numbness still from nerve damage and experience sharp pains around the back of my armpit, also numb. Weird to experience numbness and pain in the same area. I am still having pain in my sternum area. Apparently this way of surgery is painful because of where they cut is where many nerves are. I had a nerve block but it failed and didn’t have proper pain management for the first 24 hours. They redid it when they realized. My friend had sternotomy 3 weeks after me and was pain free a lot sooner. He was glued back together. They told him MI was more painful due to the nerves involved and. Sternotomy is till painful but a different kind of pain, bone pain. Either way it is going to hurt. You will be drugged for pain and you’ll get through it. Either way it is heart surgery, not for sissies! LOL I apologize if I have caused you more anxiety by too much info. I wish I had known better what to expect post op. Weak, tired, headache for several weeks. Wishing you all the best on your decision for the kind of surgery and on your surgery. It will be ok.🙏🏻💞
Richard Munson Very well said diana. I agree it is heart surgery period. I had it of course but may be the ultimate ... Read more
Richard Munson Very well said diana. I agree it is heart surgery period. I had it of course but may be the ultimate sissy. I got woozy typing this. Lol.
Klara Čičić Haha Richard me, too. My tolerance for pain is really low. I agree with Diane, and all of it passes s ... Read more
Klara Čičić Haha Richard me, too. My tolerance for pain is really low. I agree with Diane, and all of it passes so soon. And lovely people here on this site are here to help every step of the way.
Rita Savelis I have heard many times that minimally invasive can be more painful. Recovery may be faster, but ribs ... Read more
Rita Savelis I have heard many times that minimally invasive can be more painful. Recovery may be faster, but ribs are more painful than the sternum. Cutting through the sternum does not cause pain (told to me by anasthesiologist and seconded by me after having my sternum cut). There can be pain for other reasons - usually because of a bad position one was in during surgery. And of course there is much discomfort afterwards. It's not pain, it's intense discomfort. Medical professionals deal well with giving you pain relief for pain, but have a harder time understanding discomfort, alas. Talking to people before surgery you will find that they have had different experiences after surgery. You may have some of these experiences and then you won't be surprised as you are aware of them. It's the unknown that is scary. Your own experience will be singular and may end up much more positive than you expected. Take care.
Marie Myers I agree with Rita, in that my full sternotomy experience was that of generalized discomfort, not exac ... Read more
Marie Myers I agree with Rita, in that my full sternotomy experience was that of generalized discomfort, not exactly pain. My shoulders and upper back were very achy, and I would have paid dearly for a chair massage…I used mostly Tylenol for relief, and used a few pain pills to help with sleep at night. Everyone has a slightly different experience.
Neal Syverson My surgeon warned me that through the ribs will be more painful but I would heel much quicker. I did ... Read more
Neal Syverson My surgeon warned me that through the ribs will be more painful but I would heel much quicker. I did not have much pain, however. 11 months out I still have some numbness in the right breast. And once in awhile I have a sudden stabbing pain in the numb area but it is very short lived.
I am from: Wellington
