Questions after a recent myectomy

[carlmatteo]

I have a few questions: I had a myectomy at the Cleveland Clinic on June 15, 2009. For those of you who have had a myectomy: 1) how long does the soreness and tenderness in your chest last, 2) there is a little fluid around my heart - did any of you experience this and if so how long did that last?, 3) how long after your surgery were you allowed to drink one glass of red wine?

[LindaSo]

Re: Questions after a recent myectomy

Hey Carl,
You are not too far out from your myectomy, so don't be surprised that you still have some soreness around your incision. For me, I had incisional tenderness for about 3-4 months, and it took almost 8-9 months for no sternal/rib pain at all. I was most aware of it when I turned during sleep. Nothing horrible, just a pleasant reminder that my obstruction was now gone. I also was discharded with a pericardial effusion. It was gone in about 3 weeks. Wine? Can't speak to that one.

Give you body some time to heal, I think it takes more time than we are willing to give it. Patience is definitely not my strong suit. I'm glad you did well and are looking forward to that nice glass of Merlot

Linda

[Pam Alexson]

Re: Questions after a recent myectomy

I can't answer to the wine either I do not drink and have not in years because of all the meds I take.

The soreness does take time and several months before you are not reminded of it it too much on a regular basis.

The fluid is around your heart OR is it around your lung? Does take a while for your body to absorb it . Mine got worse over time and at 7 weeks post surgery, the fluid around my left lung had to be drained by a CT guided needle aspiration. If this were needed your symptoms will increase, your SOB worsening and general malaise could occur.

[Dolly W]

Re: Questions after a recent myectomy

You know, for me, the incision itself healed pretty quickly. The soreness, if I recall correctly, lasted about 3-4 weeks, unless I did something a little more strenuous than I should have. I remember trying to drive 2 weeks post-surgery - big mistake! But I was up and about and back to work after 5 weeks. Sneezing was the worst! It took about 2 months for me to not scream every time I sneezed. I also slept hugging a pillow for a few months - don't know if it really helped or if it was just a security comfort. Fortunately, I did not experience fluid. I don't care for red wine, so can't help you with that one either - sorry.

Dolly

[carlmatteo]

Re: Questions after a recent myectomy

thanks for all the feed back, it really helps to know what others went through.carl

[slaterbab]

Re: Questions after a recent myectomy

I kind of asked the same questions under the Myectomy heading...so your answers are helpful. This site is great for all those little things you need to know without having to call the doctor each time. I had my first glass of Merlot last night...no strange effects! Enjoy! Christa in NY

[gfox42]

Re: Questions after a recent myectomy

Hi Carl,
I had some soreness for several months, and even after it seemed to be completely gone I'd sometimes be surprised by some mild pain around my sternum -- as much as 7 or 8 months after my surgery. Very much like what Linda reports above.

Wine: I had no desire for alcohol for several months after my surgery. I remember the first night I had a glass of wine, maybe 3 or 4 months post-myectomy: I regarded it as a sign that I was truly healing.

As for the fluid buildup, have you been checked by the docs lately? Small buildups tend to get absorbed by the body, but larger ones need treatment.

Gordon

[Howardr322]

Re: Questions after a recent myectomy

I had my myectomy on April 29th. Between week 6 and 7 was a big improvement. Most of the soreness went away except for sneezing. Now the sneezing is not a problem.

[THW]

Re: Questions after a recent myectomy

Carl,
I'm with some of the others on the soreness....took a few months and then closer to a year to not feel it at all. As for the fluid, each person really varies. Keep an eye on it; if you are experiencing problems from it, please don't hesitate to get it checked out.

Sorry I can't help you with the wine. Once in a while I would love to have a drink but my heart does not like it at all, so I don't.

Keep us updated on how you're doing.
Theresa

[Eileen2345]

Re: Questions after a recent myectomy

I had a lot of soreness 3 weeks after surgery, if fact I was still sore 6 weeks after surgery.

I slept on propped up pillows for weeks after. Although one of the reasons I had so much pain is that I could not take any pain medication, I had a bad reaction to oxycotin (sp?) so I only took 2 Advil every 12 hours.

I have a small rib cage and my ribs hurt as well as my sternum. I was in terrible pain for a full month after my surgery, but then again, no pain pills.

I did not have any fluid around my heart or my lungs, thank the Lord.

I do not drink, I take 1 mg of Xanax to sleep, so no alcohol for me otherwise it could easily shut down my respitory system. Even before the Xanax I did not drink for years, my heart does not do well if I do. I have not had a drink since I was 29 years old, I'm now 45.


I hope you feel better very soon. It sounds like you are doing well.

Hugs,
Eve

[Bruce42]

Re: Questions after a recent myectomy

Hi Carl,

I have no idea about the fluid, but good luck with that--I hope it's manageable and not serious.

My soreness went down to low level/tolerable after about 3, maybe 4 weeks, and I stopped feeling it regularly around 6 or 7 weeks. But even after that, I would still feel sporadically sore, at kind of a minor annoyance level, for the first year. This was true of both the incision and the rib pain in various places. (Caveat: on my first day driving, 6 weeks out, I got rear-ended at a stoplight. I don't know if that was part of the reason for the continuing sporadic rib pain.)

I love wine and coffee, no doctor has ever told me to restrict either one, and I've been careful not to ask. I think I had my first glass after I'd been out a week, maybe. (And coffee while I was on the step-down floor.) No problems.

Good luck!

[gemini]

Re: Questions after a recent myectomy

hi... i also had myectomy at cleveland clinic early may this year. i cant say i have any soreness on my sternum any more. regarding fluid concentration around the heart, i can say i was dispatch from hospital with "little" fluid aroud it. then, after five days of resting in cleveland i went home to croatia, on a trip that had last for almost 16 hours (incluiding changing of planes)!!

after that "adventure" i got a large splash around my heart and lungs (some 4 cm). i took a therapy of several medicines and regularely been checked at hospital and after a week it had started to withdraw... all in all, this week (after more then two months) i have been checked at my home cardiologist, and there were no liquid anywhere at all - so this was a good opportunity to have a glass of wine!!!

[LindaSo]

Re: Questions after a recent myectomy

Gemini,

Good to hear from you. I am so glad that you did well after your myectomy and with your extensive traveling back home.

Wishing you a continued good recovery from your "adventure". Yes, a myectomy is definitely an adventure!!

Linda

[gfox42]

Re: Questions after a recent myectomy

Hi Gemini,
Glad to hear that you're doing well! 16 hrs of travel is never fun, but after a myectomy it must be much worse . . .

Gordon

[THW]

Re: Questions after a recent myectomy

Gemini,
Thanks for coming back to update us. Sorry for the troubles, but glad it and all the traveling is behind you and that you are doing ok.
Take care,
Theresa