Heart surgery stitches / staples?

Question

My boyfriend had open heart surgery four years ago. To this day the cut is pink in color (does not match his normal skin color) and very raised and obvious. I figured by now it would be still there, but at least the color would return to normal or be less raised. He told me he got staples in his chest and they were dissolving staples or "something" and he never had to have anything removed. I found this strange. I know there are dissolving stitches (I had two put in for my finger a week ago) but not big staples to close an open heart surgery incision. So maybe someone could educate me on what is put in after open heart surgery and if anything needs to be removed. Also, will his cut always be pinkish and raised? He scratched at it for years after surgery.

Answer 1

The staples used to hold a sternotomy together are permanent and are only removed if he has to have another surgery or if they got infected. This is common and there are several other surgical clips and staples that stay in the body without causing any harm. Also, if his scar is still pink and raised it could be just the way he heals or he could have formed a keloid, which is overgrown scar tissue. This is also a common condition that is usually only a cosmetic issue.

Answer 2

Hubby had bypass surgery a few years back. I don't know how typical his experience was, or if there IS a 'typical' experience, but here's his story. They used surgical glue to close the skin incision, stitches in the underlying tissue, and what look on xrays like twist-ties to hold the sternum together. The only thing besides dressings he had to have removed was a drain, and that came out before he came home.

A big drawback of the staples is the raised ropy scar they leave. I haven't heard of dissolving ones, but there's new stuff in medicine all the time. DH's glue left only an extremely thin flat whitish line, but he's fair-skinned so people never notice even when he's shirtless. His incision also itched off-and-on for years, and he occasionally used an OTC anti-itch cream on it. DH didn't need it but many people use Mederma or ? (can't think of the other big brand) scar treatment (also OTC). Most think it helps, and it also works on old scars. Your bf may want to look into it. I assume he's still under a doctor's care, so it might be a good idea to double-check any concerns with the doc.

Good luck.

Answer 3

Closing the chest after open heart surgery first requires the sternum to be wired back together.  Those wires are permanent - here's an xray showing some:

http://www.hawaii.edu/medicine/pediatric...

The skin is brought together with sutures that are underneath the skin.  I think they usually use absorbable sutures for that, but I'm not sure.  The skin itself may be closed with staples, suture or glue.  I've heard there are dissolvable staples, but haven't seen them. What you see on the skin surface is not what is holding things together other than the very outermost layer of skin.

There are many ways to close incisions, and each surgeon does things a little differently.

If he scratched at his skin, he could have interfered with its healing. A plastic surgeon may be able to do a scar revision.

Answer 4

My girlfriend has had 4 heard surgeries and she has to have one every 10 years. The scar looks old but it is still visible and everyone I know that has scarrs on their chest have the same look

It's natural, and I am glad that it doesn't bother you. My girlfriend has had 4 heart surgeries and cancer twice.

She is Dextrocardio  

Answer 5

My father had open heart surgery and he had it done 20 years ago and its still there. they never go away. He got staples and your boyfriend is right. It would hurt the other way and put stress on there heart.

Answer 6

It itches as it heals. I had a surgery that required staples (that needed to be removed). It's been 5 years since the surgery and the scar looks pink and raised.