Fine strand of wire protruding from sternum incision

[bdryer]

Lying in bed finishing a novel last night, I found a very fine strand of wire protruding from my incision over the sternum. The strand can't be more then a few thou or MM in thickness. I'm not thinking it is a broken sternum closing wire as from what I found, the wire for closing the sternum is .025 in dia or 22 gage. This should be a single strand wire so I do not believe this protruding fine wire to be a strand from a sternum closing wire.

I looked at my temp pacer wires, [ok, I know it's weird but I saved them after they were removed]. This is also a single strand wire so this fine wire is not from a pacer wire.

Any ideas as to what the fine protruding wire from my sternum incision may be a result of?

 

[Duff Man]

i would be tempted to tug on it and see if it comes out... sounds kinda like a stitch to me

 

[Johan]

Bruce

A wire that thin is definitely not a sternum wire. I immediately thought it could be a wire for the temporary pacer. My temp pacer wires were neatly coiled and taped to my chest. Thin single strand wires. They were pulled on about day 5. I am a bit vague on their precise entry point but now that you mention incision I seem to remember that the wires did exit from the incision. How sure are you that the whole lenght of pacer wire originally inserted now forms part of your memorabilia? Is the mystery strand a different gauge?

If your mystery wire is indeed a piece of left over pacer wire I would not fiddle with it. Pacer wires are attached to the heart, I believe, and if I were you I would get one of my doctors to rather pull it out.

Agree with Duffman could be a stitch. How was your incision closed? With sutures or staples like so many of us? Anything to do with sutures perhaps? The wire is metal, is it?

Johan

 

[Jeff Edmonton]

Lynn said this happened to her son and it was a stitch, she said to tug on it and cut it as close as you can. Alternatively, you could have a doctor do it for you if you are not comfortable doing it. Look up Nurses and Tape, this is where she brought up the subject Bruce.

 

[Lynlw]

It does sound like a "dissolving" stitch that didn't dissolve working its way to the surface. They aren't what they close the top layer (skin) with, but the layer between your sternum and skin.
I didn't say to tug it and cut it close, someone else said that, we always get Justin's checked just to play it safe. Sometimes they pull it out with tweezers, others they say just leave it alone and it will all work it's way out by itself.

 

[bdryer]

Mystery solved.

Called the hospital cardiac ward and they told me to come on up and have it checked out. Great Job folks, it was in fact a dissolvable suture per their/your diagnosis. I was told to leave it alone. If bothersome, they recommended covering the suture with a band-aid.

The suture is silver in colour and as pliable as wire. Faked me out!

Thanks for jumping in folks!

 

[Lynlw]

Glad to hear it was just a stitch. I'm also glad you got it checked out so you didn't have to worry about it being a wire all weekend.

 

[bdryer]

Once again great job folks!

Lyn, I'm with you on the worrying thing. Very happy to know it is nothing of concern.

Approaching 1 mth post op and the sternum is mending nicely. I must continue to be cautious, but knowing that the bones have knitted to a high percentage over 4 weeks is reassuring.

 

[stemarfl]

I had two wires that they said went to my heart. After they took out the tubes, they took the tape off the wired, pushed in the skin and snipped them off.......left them inside me. Anyone ever hear of this?

 

[Bina]

I had two wires that they said went to my heart. After they took out the tubes, they took the tape off the wired, pushed in the skin and snipped them off.......left them inside me. Anyone ever hear of this?

I believe that the wires in your case are the 2 pacer wires that are in place after surgery. Most of us get them
pulled out but we do have a few members who have had them snipped off like you did.
You can try doing a search for --pacer wires.

 

[Greg a]

Since I am too late I'll say it was installed to start the heart ....could have been a pull start but didn't know where to place this

Then it was going to be a kick start but the instructions came from IKEA

Then they thought a button start

But that only draws attention to a guys man boobs

They reviewed the kick start

 

[TXWildflower]

Just shows to go you that the motto on this forum is always correct. When in doubt - check it out! Glad it is nothing serious - even if annoying.