My scar

[Daniel X]

Hey I have a question...

I had a myectomy about 8 months ago at St. Mary's when I was 17. Im 18 now. Well anyhoo, my scar is still very tender, especially towards the top of it. It just feels so hard and stiff and im still very hesitant to even lightly push on it. I have had 3 metal sutures removed from my sternum because they were coming loose and creating little bumps on the scar. My doctor said this was normal in patients who don't have lots of extra fat. This tenderness is not painful by any means, but it is very nerve-wrecking for some reason. Does the swelling of a scar like this usually go down and back to normal by now? How long does it take for a sturnum to heal after it has been split open?

[Stuart Schwartz]

I am 13 months out. I still have little bumps where the wires are/were.
The redness is just starting to go away. I am 50 years old, I don't expect my sternum to heal as fast as a 30 year old. A couple of years ago I broke a finger & I know it took about 4 months to heal. That same finger would have healed in 6 or 7 weeks if I was 25 years younger.

As for the tenderness, THAT IS A QUESTION FOR YOUR DOCTORS TO ANSWER. Everyone is different. I don't know that I would say my scare was tender. Though you may be referring to the same thing I felt.

You may want to PM Pam Alexson and get her opinion on this. Pam (or Lisa) may be the best qualified to answer this for you.

[Pam Alexson]

Daniel,

Yes in time the scar does flatten out and is wider . For each it takes a different time . The tenderness can persist for a long time. For me it has not been apparent for the last 8 months . It is 2 years on 10-15 since my myectomy . Now a thin bony chest has never been one of my issues although I will say that along the actual incision it feels rather bony. Another thing you probably notice is a numbness along the incision. As they cut through the skin, nerve pathways across ones chest are disturbed. Although the sensation in this area will most likely always be lessened, in time their is a rejuvenation of the nerve pathways through and across the incision. Our bodies are amazing indeed. I hope this has helped a bit. There should not be lasting intolerable pain in this area.

Pam