My first setback

[echoguy]

Hey Everybody:

I've had probably one of the easiest post op courses possible but have run into a stumper.

I went back to Cleveland last Friday to get a follow up with my surgeon and cardiac CT and echo. While we were in Cleveland all went well and both tests went great and my surgeon gave me the "no restrictions", go for it and kicked me out the door. I probably did not push fluids like I should have following the CT with contrast.

The next day while at a graduation party I experienced significant left lower back pain with nausea that lasted only about 15 minutes. I fell asleep in the car on the way home and felt pretty much better when I got home except for a dull pain in my left shoulder. 1 gm of tylenol helps it a lot, but it has not gone away now over three days later.

So now I have a very sore left shoulder that does not worsen with movement. My chest also feels uncomfortably "tight" with deep inspiration, although it does not particularly hurt.

I am convinced that the shoulder pain is referred from my diaphragm. Saw my GP today and my EKG, CXR both look fine.

Any ideas? Sound familiar to anybody?

 

[ks1490]

I don't know about the back pain/nausea but I have also had a sore left shoulder for about a week now, 6 weeks post op. They had told me to expect some muscular pain in neck, back, arms due to opening of sternum/muscular readjustment, etc., so I'm bearing with it for the time being. I figure that as my mobility improves I'll be able to do more stretches and exercises that would deal with this kind of thing. I'll watch this space to see if you get any more useful comments.

 

[Philip B]

Pains

Pains

It's really hard to tell what's causing your symptoms; remember, most of us here aren't medical professionals. This said, shoulder and upper back pains seem to be fairly common following OHS. The surgical team tends to bend bones in directions the bones aren't designed move in during the surgery.

Personally, I had a dull, aching pain under my left shoulder blade that persisted for over a year after my surgery. It still shows-up on occasion. Opinions and experiences will undoubtedly vary, but I found massage helped reduce the discomfort.

-Philip

 

[malibu82]

I get the same pain Philip mentioned above. Luckily I still have the pain medication around to help with it. Hope you figure out the cause of your pains!

 

[Nancy]

When you had your CT scan, did you have to put your arms up over your head? I just had a CT scan done of the chest (for a sub sternal goiter) and had to put my arms way back over my head. I had some pain for a couple of days afterward, and I never had heart surgery.

It might be possible that this position aggravated your sternum and connective tissues and muscles both front and back and shoulders. But to be safe, you really should call your GP and make sure kidney function is good. A lot of the dye they use now is not as tough on your kidneys as what they used in the past, but still check it out.

Are you urinating OK?

 

[echoguy]

Hey Everybody:

When I went in to work today the guy who ordered the tests for me informed me that my kidney labs and sed rate were both fine, but my d dimers were elevated. This can indicate pulmonary embolism. So over lunch I went to a hospital nearby and had another chest CT, this time looking for badness in the lungs. I was convinced waiting for the results that I had a PE and dreaded more hospital time and starting on coumadin...errrr. But, the results showed no PE. I do have a plueral effusion that will just need to absorb with time. I have not taken any tylenol today so I can see just where the pain is. Now I can clearly feel that the pain is on my left flank and hurts when I take a deep breath. I also have referred shoulder pain. Looking forward to getting running again before long, but plan to take it easy for a little while.

 

[ShawnB]

I have shoulder pain on my right side (although I think it is from having to sleep on my back) and pain in my diaphragm from deep inspiration. I notice it mostly walking on hills and if I yawn. Every morning when I yawn, I get a sharp pain under my right rib. The surgeon's office said it is left over pain from having the chest tube in there. I keep thinking it's going to go away but I'm approaching week 5 and it is still there. I've been wondering if they left something in there...probably pleural infusion like you have.

Anyone else have this pain with yawns and hiccups?

 

[ashish20000]

Hi Brian
Facing the same left shoulder pain and chest discomfort. Contacted CC and my surgeon is saying there is nothing to worry about. Simple pain killers should be able to take care of it. My PCP has me on Naproxin 500 MG x2ce a day. My pain always comes after I travel for a couple of hours.
Today I have one echo and x-ray scheduled. I had a very small (5mm)PE at one month after the surgery but that should have been sucked in by the body now. Take care.
Ashish

 

[Mentu]

My GP says that these aches and pains are not at all uncommon after heart surgery for weeks and even months. Initially they are more related to ones ribs having been spread apart so pain under the shoulder blades is common in the weeks after surgery - mine was under the left shoulder blade. As one starts being more active, she says that muscles that have been little used for a while can be easily strained. Most are nothing to be concerned about but if they persist, they need to be examined since they could be warning of some other problem.

I'm still in the throws of a not very popular problem related to Costochondritis [inflammation of the cartilage between the sternum and ribs] which is caused most often in adults by getting whacked in the chest. Mine is also accompanied by swelling in the same area and the ache then extends up into one or both shoulders. This "...generally benign condition,,," is supposed to go away like most other things in 6-12 weeks; I hope. Treatment is similar; 600 mg Ibuprofen three times a day. Perhaps one day we should put together an annotated list of the "minor issues" that one can encounter after surgery.

Larry