Should I get button down shirts for post surgery?

[ajc1991]

I have a question for those who have had the surgery. I usually wear pullover shirts and never button downs. My question is regarding the sternum pain. Did it hurt for you guys to pull your shirts over your head, difficult? Have you tried using button downs? My mom said it might be better for me to buy some button downs after my surgery for when I go out to Dr appts and anything else. Trouble is, I'm having a hard time finding some tgat I like lol

 

[Fundy]

I usually wear T-shirts or sweatshirts. After surgery,I definitely found shirts with snaps to be really convenient, as well as a sweater that zippered.
I had a button shirt as well. Preferred the snaps though by far.

 

[traveler]

I was able to slowly and gently pull on a sweater with help a week after surgery. So it depends on your patience and insistence. I tend to have favorite comfortable clothes and was eager to get back to them.

 

[Paleowoman]

I wore a shirt (blouse) with buttons after surgery even though I never normally did - in hospital too as you were expected to put on day clothes once out of high dependency. It was lots easier for dressing but also for all the times nursing staff and docs wanted to look at the incision etc.Actually, I remember the hospital advising to get tops with buttons, also loose trousers/joggers as your body swells up with a lot of fluid post surgery - I was surprised by how much - and your normal size trousers won't fit for a week or so. Comfortable loose clothes ! I bought something well before surgery from my favourite shop as I didn't want to be wearing something that I didn't like !

 

[epstns]

After surgery, I wore whatever I usually felt like. The only difference was that if I was going to wear a t-shirt or sweatshirt, I preferred them to be a bit baggy. It was a bit more difficult to get a tight t-shirt on. Getting them off took some creativity, too. I stood up, bent forward at the waist, then gently worked the shirt up over my body, head, and outstretched arms. I had to be extra cautious, though, because I had a shiny new pacemaker and wasn't allowed full range of left arm motion for a couple of weeks.

I'd suggest getting one or two button-up shirts, just in case. What I did was to get some larger shirts for my return home, then when I no longer needed them, I donated them to a local charity.

If you move carefully and slowly, after a short number of days you can dress easily and be comfortable. Heck, I have more pain from muscle aches and arthritis now than I had pain from heart surgery!

 

[PGARG]

I'm on my 5th week post op and today is my First day at work. I have been wearing round necks and full sleeved t-shirts so far. I found that wearing it and taking it off wasn't too bad at all, and since i had to do it only once a day, its not a big deal. On the other hand, anything with buttons usually irritated me a lot, when either the buttons or the flaps brush against my chest incision site. Even now, when i dont have much pain left at least in sitting and walking positions, my office shirt that brushes against my incision site, causes irritation and discomfort.
I'm sure everyone's experience is different, and so is their advice.

 

[ajc1991]

Thank you for all of your responses. They were all very helpful