Caring for Your Incision after Open Heart Surgery

There are a number of reasons for open heart surgery, and various types of incisions. While the standard procedure has, for many years, required an incision from just below the neck to the navel, more recent procedures are done with much smaller incisions. The information here is general. Please ask your doctor for more specific information.

Your Incision after Open Heart Surgery

Your incision after open heart surgery will be taped shut. It will likely be painful to the touch, and may become itchy. You may also feel tightness in the incision, or numbness. At the top of your chest incision, there may be a lump. All of these things are normal.

Caring for your incision after open heart surgery will require at least these 5 steps. Check with your cardiac surgeon to see if there are more things he or she wants you to do. If your open heart surgery was for bypass grafts, the same care should be exercised for incisions in the leg or arm from which a vein was taken.

Daily Check: Check all open heart surgery incisions, including chest, legs, and arms involved, on a daily basis. Let your cardiac surgeon know immediately if you have any of the following.

* Chills
* Drainage from the open heart surgery incision line.
* Fever that remains at 101 degrees Fahrenheit for more than one day.
* Increase in the opening of the open heart surgery incision.
* Increasing redness around the edges of the open heart surgery incision.
* Increased swelling around the edges of the open heart surgery incision.
* Increased tenderness of the open heart surgery incision line.
* Increased warmth of the open heart surgery incision.
* Pus or a bad odor along the open heart surgery incision.

Washing: Wash the open heart surgery incision daily – without removing the tapes. Use warm water and an antibacterial soap. Wash gently, and avoid scrubbing or hard rubbing. Do not rub the incision with a washcloth until all scabs are gone and your skin is healed. You will probably be advised to take brief showers rather than baths for the first couple of weeks after open heart surgery.

Removing Tape: The tapes used during open heart surgery may fall off without your effort. If they remain 7 or 8 days after you are released from the hospital, you should be able to remove them. Pull carefully to avoid re-opening the incision site.

Scarring: You may want to use a lotion such as “Scargo” to minimize scarring. Massage the lotion gently into the incision area 3 or 4 times daily. Include the area around the incision as well.

CAUTION: Ask your cardiac surgeon about “Scargo” before using it. Do not apply any creams, lotions, powders, or oils on your open heart surgery incisions unless prescribed or approved by your cardiac surgeon.

Sunburn: Your incision may sunburn easily. In addition, the scar will become darker than surrounding skin if it is exposed to sun. Protect your incisions from over exposure to the sun for one year after open heart surgery.

Caring for your incision after open heart surgery should not be difficult. Simply follow the instructions you receive before leaving the hospital.