scar tissue

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first off not everyone has big issues with scarring and not everyone who had a couple builds alot, but The scar tissue that is the problem is the scar tissue that grows inside the chest. It can make it harder to see everything and can be tough to cut around carefully, it also can be tough tissue to cut.. Also when they are opening you, it can be tricky, (I want to add this is VERY RARE) Justin for instance heart has been fused to his sternum going into his 4th and 5th surgeries , (he didn't have much before the 3rd) BUT the good thing is the leading surgeons especially IF they operate alot on CHD patients, have alot of experiencesdealing with this and know the safest ways to operate (for Justin's 5th surgery, they put him on bypass thru his groin to get alot of the blood out of his heart before they completely opened him and they don't use the saw to open him the whole way just the top layers of the bone, then use sizzors.
They explained in great detail (to much detail for Justin when he was 17) during our last pre-op appts. (he actually was ok knowing the day before but then they explained everything and surgery was postponed 3 weeks so he had too much time to think about it, I on the other hand took great relief in knowing exactly what the plan was and when we were interviewing surgeons, one of my questions was since we KNOW Justin's heart is fused to his sternum what is your plan for opening him as safely as possible.

I was actually glad to see they postponed your surgery for a cath, because they discoverred Justin's heart was fused to his sternum doing the cath, so the surgeons knew before hand. I know of cases personally where the heart was cut when they were opening the child, because it was fused to the sternum. When he has had his surgeries lately, I am so reliefed when I get the update he is open and they are working on his heart.
 
hi matt...im having my 4th and just as worried-but as Lynn said- you should look at pediatric surgeons who have done lots of reops because they know how to get through it best. for example, barbara bush's avr took only 2.5 hours. but my last surgery- the 3rd took about 5 hours because it took them that much longer to cut through the scar tissue---im having a cath tomorrow and they should be able to see how close my heart is t the sternum too...

best,
meg
 
This is my third surgery too and the surgeon said getting thru the scar tissue will be the biggest hurdle. He is saying the surgery should take about 8 hours or so.
 
For some reason there were more problems getting through scar tissue for my second surgery than the third. The surgeon cut the pulmonary artery while clearing scar tissue which I am sure caused a bit of chaos. Luckily I was asleep and luckily things were handled and I woke up after surgery. Knowing this, the surgeon who did my third surgery was expecting problems and allowed time. He also cut down to the groin artery in case he needed an alternative for the bypass. It was not needed.

I do develop a lot of scar tissue and everyone is different but, if there was a lot of scar tissue found during your second surgery, chances are it will be there for the third (or fourth).

In any case, if the surgeon is aware, there is less chance for problems but it will always be a longer surgery each time.
 
As scar tissue builds there comes a point when, as in my case, they can no longer work on the heart because there is just too much scar tissue. The news for me is transplant. I said no to that idea. the news with you is they are confident they can help. A surgon wouldn't take the risk if that was the case.
 
My 2nd surgery Jan 22 this year,mitral valve i accumulated lots of
scar tissue from 1st aortic valve surgery 17 years ago,they were worried
as my heart shifted some point and time due to tissue growth.
All worked out and they put a mesh in so it willnot shift again due
to tissue. My valve from 17 years ago was covered in scar tissue,that
it had stopped clicking due to coverage of scar tissue once they cleaned
all that tissue i can now hear it clicking again,but i lost the click of the
arotic valve prior to my mitral valve replac.Now they try to out click
each other;),but arotic much louder than mitral in Jan.

zipper2 (DEB)
 
Tbone said:
As scar tissue builds there comes a point when, as in my case, they can no longer work on the heart because there is just too much scar tissue. The news for me is transplant. I said no to that idea. the news with you is they are confident they can help. A surgon wouldn't take the risk if that was the case.
Click to expand...

and this my friend, is exactly where I am! :eek: The mechanical mitral valve that is 34 years, is not functioning the way it should be because of pannus growth in & around it. I have been told by my doctors that the pannus (scar tissue) is so immense, it resembles a "bowl of cooked spaghetti" thus creating a virtual nightmare for any surgeon who should attempt the surgery! The prospect of needing a heart/lung transplant has also been mentioned but just the idea is a NO NO for me!!
 
A (relatively young) surgeon I once talked to told me there are 2 problems dealing with Scar Tissue.

1 - It turns to something akin to concrete which of course is hard to cut and

2 - is uniform throughout, in contrast to 'fresh meat' where the surgeon can tell where he is by knowing the different characteristics of different tissues. (my paraphrased version of what I heard). This uniformity makes it more 'tricky' to avoid cutting veins / capilaries as they proceed (i.e. creating 'bleeders').

Anyone who can explain this better, please come forward and do so :)
 
ALCapshaw2 said:
A (relatively young) surgeon I once talked to told me there are 2 problems dealing with Scar Tissue.

1 - It turns to something akin to concrete which of course is hard to cut and

2 - is uniform throughout, in contrast to 'fresh meat' where the surgeon can tell where he is by knowing the different characteristics of different tissues. (my paraphrased version of what I heard). This uniformity makes it more 'tricky' to avoid cutting veins / capilaries as they proceed (i.e. creating 'bleeders').

Anyone who can explain this better, please come forward and do so :)
Click to expand...

Al --- this is exactly what my doctors have told me about my situation.
 
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