Bone protruding???

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J

JodyC

I had an appointment with my cardio this morning and had all my questions written down so I wouldn't forget anything. One little issue I have had since the swelling at the top of my scar went down is a sharp little point under my skin about an inch to the left of my scar. (left if you were facing me) It is quite sharp and a bit sore. If I pressed really hard there it would come through my skin. I was thinking it felt like wire and my cardio thought so too at first but after feeling around and pushing a bit (ouch) he found that it was a bit of bone from when my ribs were cut through. If it doesn't improve over the next few weeks I will have to go back to Michigan and have an incision made and get it taken care of somehow. Has anyone else ever had an issue like this? He thought it was because of the way the Kono procedure was done. Now that it has been pushed on it is really sore.
I got my perscription to start cardio rehab so I am excited about that. I didn't ask if I could drive but I did show up to the appointment alone so I assume I have his blessing;). He said I was doing really well all things considered and told me to slow up a little bit. I get to go back to work with limitations on Sept. 1st so I am happy about that. My workmates are scared for me to come back and worry that something will happen to me. I keep trying to reassure them but I think they will adjust better when I am back working like before. Anyway, just wanted to share my appointment. Not happy about the protruding bone but what can I do? I feel better having seen my cardio and have a sense that everything will work out alright and I feel peaceful and confident. He has some kind of magic over his patients. My INR issue seems to be resolved and I have to get it checked again tomorrow along with my Digoxin levels. Thanks in advance for any opinons on my bone issue.
 
Good to hear you are doing well. You may wish to check with your cardios office about the driving. If, heaven forbid, you were to have an accident, insurance might not pay if you were driving before your doctor gave the ok.

Keep up the good healing. Sounds like things are really going mostly well for you. Wait and see about the 'bone' situation.
 
Bone Fragment

Bone Fragment

Jody,

My husband had the EXACT problem you are having!!! He is a dentist, and he kept telling me and every physician who looked at him that it was just like an extraction where a small bone fragment is left and works its way out! His internist and cardiologist were ready to send him to a surgeon. My husband disagreed and asked everyone to be patient. Our daughter is in dental school and I overheard him asking her to assist him by bringing home an instrument that he uses in dental cases. I told our daughter NOT to help him........what if he was wrong???? Well, needless to say, he was right and with time and some help from him it did come to the surface and he extracted the bone fragment. I am certainly not qualified to diagnose your problem but it does sound very familiar!!!

His was at the base of his incision and it was also painful. I will be interested to hear the rest of your story as it progresses!

His internist and cardiologist had never seen this before but they learned from his situation. Best wishes.......this too shall pass!!!!
 
ARGH!
I know that's not helpful, but that's how I feel when I read protruding bone!:eek:
Ouch!
 
I've never heard of the bone situation before but I hope it resolves itself. Otherwise it sounds like you're having a great recovery. Thanks for the update. Best wishes continue.
 
Pushing, prodding, bone fragments. My "ick/ouch" factor is elevated now!:eek:

I'm glad you are doing well tho!
 
My skin is getting red over the sharp spot. I am beginning to think this is wire and not bone. If it is bone it is still attached as this doesn't move around at all. If you push on it a little you can feel it go to my sternum. I am going to call my cardio Monday and have him check my xray from two weeks ago. It should show up on there. If I weren't shy I would take a pic of it. Anyway I will post his response next week.
 
bone or wire

bone or wire

I am waiting for my cardio to call me after he looks at my xray so I can find out if this is bone or wire. Either way something will have to be done as it is painful and uncomfortable. My skin is red and irritated where the sharp bit is pushing from under my skin. Let's say it is wire, what will they do to fix it? How hard will it be now that I am on Coumadin? I hope that my whole incision doesn't have to be reopened for this. I will be really angry if it is wire because to me a piece shouldn't just come loose like that. Any thoughts??
 
I admit to being a little ticked at my cardio. I asked for him to check my x-ray and call me. Well, his nurse called me this morning and he doesn't want to comment on the x-ray he says it is a surgical consult at this point. What? A week ago he said it was bone and to give it time to heal. What did I miss?

I called the surgeons office and explained what was going on. She is going to consult the "team" today and call me back. I told her I was very upset that this happened and I was ticked off. She said she understood and that they would have do something to fix it. I told her I was 3 hours away and I was only driving up once so the consult and procedure would have to be the same day. I am waiting for a call back.

Any opinions?
 
Jody:
I have a spot at the time of my incision where a wire is obviously popping up a little. It's only noticeable when I turn a certain way, and I can depress it, so I know it's not bone. Besides, my MVR was 5+ years ago.
At one time, it was uncomfortable and I entertained thoughts of having it removed. From this website, I knew it could be done as outpatient surgery and that warfarin wouldn't be much of an issue.
But it stopped being a big problem and I decided I could live with it.
I also had some quirky pains internally to the right of my incision area for about 2 years post-op.
 
wire trim

wire trim

Dr. Bove's office has called me back after going over x-rays and want me to have the wire fixed. I will get another call from them today to schedule the procedure. It is an outpatient procedure and shouldn't take long. They will make a small incision and trim the end of the wire and then stitch me back up. If I don't get it fixed at some point soon it will poke through my skin and in moving will tear the skin. I would of course like to avoid that if possible. I am not thrilled to have to go back to Michigan for this but it is too painful to sleep on my right side with the way it is now and that is my favorite side to sleep on so that is annoying. I will post again with a date. Thanks for everyones comments. It helps to have people to share things with that understand.
 
Hang in there Jody. I'm so glad it wasn't a piece of bone :eek: ! Hoping you're feeling much better very soon :) .
 
wire removal or trim?

wire removal or trim?

I finally heard back from the surgeons office and I am going to Michigan September 19th for outpatient surgery to trim the piece of wire trying to poke through my skin. They called yesterday and wanted me to come up the day before for x-rays and I refused. I am not driving 3 hours two days in a row for something so basic as an x-ray. Then they tell me that once I am sedated it should only take an hour. What? Sedated? I said "What happened to just giving me a local and trimming the end?" Well she thought I was getting my wires removed. I told her she needed to discuss it further with Dr. Bove, decide a plan of action and THEN call me back. I really wasn't planning on having my wires removed but if it comes to that I guess its ok. The way it was explained to me a month ago was they were just going to numb the skin and make a small incision and trim the piece sticking out. Now I am worried.
 
I am only speculating and do not know the answer but isn't it a bit soon to be removing your wires entirely? Is your surgery long enough ago for your sternum to safely have all wires removed?

Good luck and please let us know what is decided and done.
 
From what I've read, you should wait 6 months before having wires removed.
 
thanks

thanks

Yeah, I thought it would be a little early for removal myself and I said so but was told three months is ok to remove. I don't care much for the girl I talked with anyway, she kept interrupting me. I was supposed to have had a call back friday but never did. My surgery is supposed to be this coming friday the 19th so if I don't get a call monday I will be calling them.
 
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